37 



It was intended to make the confer- 

 ence an annual function, but much to the 

 regret of many notliing eventuated in 

 1911; in fact, the association had all but 

 become defunct, and it was chiefly owing 

 to the exertions of Messrs C. A. Jaeobsen 

 and E. G. Ward, of Canterbury, that the 

 association was resuscitated, and the 

 second conference held in August, 1912. 

 Mr Jaeobsen was then appointed presi- 

 dent, and Mr Ward secretary. 



The third conference was held in June, 



1913, at Wellington, at which the at- 

 tendance of beekeepers from all parts of 

 the Dominion was much larger than 

 heretofore, indicating that the idea of 

 co-operation was making good headway. 

 This was the most important meeting 

 that had then taken place, a new and 

 improved constitution was adopted, and 

 the general business transacted induced a 

 more hopeful outlook for co-operation 

 in the future. At that conference Mr 

 Jaeobsen resigned the presidency of the 

 association, and Mr James Allen, of 

 Southland, was elected in his place, with 

 Mr R. W. Brickell, of Dunedin, as sec- 

 retary and treasurer. 



Similar conferences were held in June, 



1914, and in June, 1915, at both of which 

 the interests of our industry in all parts 

 of the Dominion were well represented. 

 At the close of the last conference, Mr 

 James Allen resigned (for health rea- 

 sons) the presidentship, much to the re- 

 gret of every beekeeper. Mr Brickell 

 also resigned (for business reasons) the 

 secretaryship. Mr J. S. Cotterell, of Te 

 Aroha, was elected president, and Mr. 

 Stewart Wright, of Dunedin, as secre- 

 tary, Mr. Brickell still retaining his 

 position as editor of the Association's 

 journal. 



"THE N.Z. BEEKEEPERS' JOURNAL." 

 The above, as the official organ of the 

 National Association, was started m 

 July, 1914, with the then secretary, Mr. 

 R. W. Brickell, as editor. During its 

 career it has served a very useful pur- 

 pose. It has come out at the end of its 

 first year with only the small deficit of 

 £8 9/10, which may be considered very 

 satisfactory. 



N.Z. CO-OPERATIVE H0NE5f 

 PRODUCERS' ASSOCIATION. 



This Association was initiated 

 some three years ago (1913!) by a few 

 of our most progressive beekeepers in 



the Taranaki province. It is a trading 

 concern in the form of a company with 

 a capital of £3,000, the shareholders 

 being confined to New Zealand bee- 

 keepers, its object being to deal with 

 New Zealand honey, both for export and 

 local consumption. It has already en- 

 tered into a contract to supply the 

 Bristol and Dominions Producers' Asso- 

 ciation, annually for three years, not 

 less than 100 tons nor more than 500 

 tons of high-grade honey for export to 

 Britain — the terms are very satisfactory 

 to producers. It is now establishing 

 branch depots in all the principal bee- 

 keeping centres. 



That such an institution is absolutely 

 needed in the onward progress of com- 

 mercial beekeeping in New Zealand there 

 can be no doubt, and it depends upon 

 the whole-hearted support of all en- 

 gaged in that business to make the Asso- 

 ciation the complete success it deserves. 



THE INITIATION AND PROGRESS UJ^' 

 OUR HONEY EXPORT TRADE. 



These reminiscences would not be com- 

 plete without some reference to the pro- 

 gress of our honey export trade and the 

 trouble our pioneers in the business had 

 to contend against. 



Early in my career as a modern com- 

 mercial beekeeper in New Zealand, I be- 

 came convinced that owing to the adapt- 

 ability of the country (its flora and 

 climate) to this industry, large quan- 

 tities of honey over and c.bove our 

 own requirements would be i ised, and 

 sooner or later we should have to 

 look for a market outside of New Zea- 

 land for our surplus. This idea was con- 

 firmed when I raised the first big lot ot 

 honey in the season of 1883-4 — ten tons 

 — which was really a big lot in those 

 days. It was such fine honey that a case 

 or two of 21b. tins were sent to England 

 in March, 1884, as presents, and to test 

 its value on the English market. TUe 

 sequel was amusing; one case will suf- 

 fice. It was a City of London firm, 

 which dealt largely in first class honey, 

 chiefly English and Narbonne. The 

 sample was submitted to the firm's expert 

 buyer, whose report upon it was, that 

 "it is a very good sample of honey, but 

 there is too much wax in it." The fact 

 of it was, the expert ( ?) had never seen 

 before honey so hard and dry, and he 



