12 AUSTRALASIAN 



apiaries on the Matamata estate. The Journal was, for two 

 years, widely circulated and ably supported by the literary 

 contributions of enthusiastic and successful apiarists in New 

 Zealand and the Australian colonies. It was, for reasons 

 given at the time, incorporated with the New Zealand Farmer, 

 Bee and Poultry Journal, in June, 1885. 



Attractive displays of honey and of apiarian appliances have 

 been made at the last two annual shows of the Auckland 

 Horticultural Society. The New Zealand Bee-keepers' Asso- 

 ciation was formally constituted on the 7th of August, 1884, 

 and held its first annual meeting this year. It forms an admi- 

 rable centre point for the combined action of all New Zealand 

 bee-keepers in their endeavours to promote the general interests 

 of the industry in the colony. The Auckland Provincial Bee- 

 keepers' Association has been in operation since February, 

 1884, and its proceedings are likely to help effectively in ad- 

 vancing the new industry, especially in the Waikato district. 

 Other local associations are about being formed, and it is hoped 

 that the example will be followed wherever there is a sufficient 

 number of apiarists living within such a distance of each other, 

 or of their common centre, as may render their regular perir 

 odical meetings practicable. A great many persons in different 

 parts of the country have already taken up bee-keeping with 

 the intention of making it their sole or principal occupation ; 

 many others have commenced to practise the improved system 

 of culture on a small scale, for their own gratification and the 

 supply of honey for their own households. The numbers of 

 both these descriptions of apiarists are increasing every day. 

 The production of honey in the Auckland province alone is. 

 calculated to have exceeded eighty tons last season. As. a further 

 proof of the progress of the industry, we may take the number 

 of hives and other implements sent out by that well-known 

 firm of hive-makers, Messrs. Bagnall Bros. & Co., of Turua, 

 Auckland, since 1879. In the year mentioned, I arranged with 

 them to cut my hives, etc., at their saw-mill, and, in 1882 they 

 took over my supply business. Since then the firm has sent 

 hives and all other apiarian implements to every part of, Aus- 

 tralasia, and they are fairly entitled to be called the premier 

 hive-makers of these colonies. In response to some inquiries. 

 I made concerning the number of. hives, etc., they had supplied 

 since first commencing the business., Messrs. Bagnall Bros. &Co, 



