19 



be no doubt tbat dairying districts afiord the best clover pasturage, so far 

 as bee-farming is concerned. The pasturage in sheep country is, as a rule, 

 kept pretty closely cropped, and the clover has very little chance to blossom 

 when heavily stocked. Country where much successive cropping is carried 

 on is useless for bee-farming, so that one cannot do better than fix upon 

 some dairying district. 



The prospective bee-farmer in New Zealand is exceptionally fortunate 

 in having so large an extent of country to choose from, over which the very 

 finest honey can be raised. It is doubtful, taking area for area, whether 

 the Dominion can be excelled in this respect by any country where com- 

 mercial beekeeping is carried on. Starting from Auckland, we have clover 

 country over the whole of the Waikato, Thames Valley, the east and west 

 coasts, Wairarapa, and central parts of the North Island ; and in the South 

 Island clover country abounds over a large part of the Canterbury Province, 

 and a good deal is found in Otago and Southland, and also in the Nelson 

 and Marlborough districts, so that there is ample scope for the bee-farmer, 

 and he need not be restricted to any part of the Dominion in making a choice ; 

 but I strongly advise every person seeking a place for the purpose to visit 

 two or three of the districts mentioned before finally deciding. Though the 

 honey raised in the Taranald Province is first-class, and better than can be 

 secured in many other parts of the Dominion, I cannot recommend the 

 coastal districts as suitable for commercial bee-farming, as the boisterous 

 weather that prevails in the spring, and the salt spray blown over the land 

 occasionally, would militate against success. The inland districts, away 

 from these influences, will no doubt prove much more favourable. 



The country north of Auckland will as dairying increases be more suit- 

 able for bee-farming than it is at present. Most of the honey raised there, 

 though very good and very suitable for manufacturing purposes, cannot 

 be considered first-class table honey, such as is in the greatest demand. 



SITE AND SHELTER. 



Slightly undulating country is much better than a flat open site for 

 a bee-farm. The natural shelter obtained ia the former is a great advantage, 

 as it affords the bees protection in some direction or other, in almost all 

 weathers, when on their foraging expeditions. In any case, the apiary should 

 be well sheltered, and in the absence of shelter of some kind it should be 

 erected at the start. A depression in the ground will assist, and a tempo- 

 rary fence 6 ft. high of boards, or of tea-tree brushwood, on the windy sides 

 (see illustrations of State apiaries) will do while shelter-trees or a live fence 

 are growing. 



I cannot speak too favourably of the advantages derivable from a pro- 

 perly sheltered apiary. The bees thrive as well again as they do in an 



