266 MONEY IN BEES IN AUSTEALASIA 



The Yellow box forests certainly yield enormous crops 

 of fine honey, but as they are nearly always accompanied 

 by a dearth of pollen the bees die out unless moved to 

 other flora bearing the essential nitrogenous food. This 

 absence of pollen is characteristic of pure Yellow box 

 forests. It blooms irregularly in Victoria from October 

 to March and spreads over the months of September, 

 October, November, and December in New South Wales. 

 From all districts the honey is classed excellent. It has 

 an "on" and an "off" year in all localities. 



York Gum of Western Australia, {E. loxophleba). A 

 valuable native of Western Australia. Blooms from the 

 beginning of May to end of December and affords a good 

 supply of pollen. An average of 60 lbs. surplus per 

 colony is not uncommon. It varies the blooming period, 

 sometimes coming in August. The honey is medium 

 amber in colour and the York gum blooms every year. 



Yate tree of Western Australia, {E. cornuta). So 

 called from the long horn-like lid that covers the bud. 

 This Westralian native blooms every second season. The 

 clusters of flowers are very large and the stamens are 

 often 11/4 inches long. Wlien the flowers open, the bees — 

 two or three on each blossom — have a great time loading 

 up the abundant creamy-coloured pollen. It is a good 

 honey-tree and strong colonies will store from 150 to 

 200 lbs. of honey. This is gathered from middle of 

 January to end of February. 



Mr. Lloyd, of Beeton Apiary, Western Australia, says 

 the Yate trees bloom during the "off" Eed gum year. 

 The author has seen bees working on Yate bloom from 

 sunrise without intermission until darkness sent the little 

 labourers home. Contrary to general belief tvet weather 

 is the chief drawback to apiculture in the south-west of 

 the great western State. The Eucalypts produce the 

 honey crops of Australia, so the reader will pardon this 

 lengthy list of indigenous trees. 



Exotics. Some of the exotics are very fine producers 

 of honey, but owing to the limited number of plants the 

 amount of honey gathered makes no appreciable showing 



