Porty--two Years of 



Bce--kccping in New Zealand 

 1874^1916. 



SOME REMINISCENCES. 



By I. HOPKINS. 



THE IMPORTATION OF THE HIVE 

 BEE INTO NEW ZEALAND. 



Previous to the year 1838 no variety 

 of the hive bee (Apis mellifica) existed 

 in New Zealand; consequently the 

 earliest settlers could not avail them- 

 selves of any portion of- the abundance 

 of nectar so freely secreted in tlie native 

 flora. There are two varieties of the 

 bee family indigenous to - the country, 

 neither of which are of any use as honey 

 bees. The smaller of- the two (Dasy- 

 eoUetea purpurens) is common in the 

 Auckland province. On March 13, 1839, 

 the first hive-bees were landed at Mangu- 

 nga, Hokianga. They were brought from 

 England in the sailing ship James by 

 Miss Bumby, sister of the Rev. J. H. 

 Bumby, one of a party of missionaries. 

 There were two colonies, in straw skeps. 

 It may be of interest here to note that 

 for over fifty years the late Rev. W. 

 Cotton, chaplain to Bishop Selwyn, was 

 credited with introducing, in 1842, the 

 first bees into this country, and in the 

 earlier editions of my "Bee Manual" I 

 recorded this error. I subsequently re- 

 ceived proof of Miss Bumby's importa- 

 tion, and also that of Lady Hobson from 

 New South Wales in 1840, which I duly 

 noted in later editions. 



Some few years ago I had access to 

 some apiary notes made by a near rela- 

 tion of Miss Bumby, in 1843-5, whicli, in 

 the light of modern beekeeping, seem 

 rather quaint. The following is a speci- 

 men of tlie notes : — 



No. 1.— KING HENEY VIII. 



From Miss Bumby's original stock. The 

 queen swarmed December 27, 1843. New 

 swarm October 3, 1844. > ' 



Weight ,o£ 

 Date. Honey Taken. 



1844. lb. oz. Swarm. 



2 



March 18 3 4 Edward. 



3 



July 13 28 Marianne. 



Sept. 24, 1844. 



October 2 4 8 4 



Samuel. 

 December 23 .... 10 8 October 10, 1844. 

 5 



1845. Henry. 

 October 13, 1844. 



March Died Died off. 



It would seem by the above tliat honey 

 was taken botli in summer and winter, 

 and that the greatest talce was in winter, 

 tlie total returns from King Henry VIII. 

 for 12 months being 46ilbs. of honey, 

 and four swarms. 



It may here be mentioned that the 

 Rev. W. C. Cotton was the author of a 

 very interesting bee ^manual, "My Bee 



