BEE MANUAL. 17 



CLIMATE. 



The influence of climate upon the operations of the bee- 

 keeper is of a two-fold nature : first, as it affects the bee itself, 

 especially the condition of the insect during the winter season ; 

 and, secondly, as it is favourable or otherwise to that class of 

 vegetation which affords forage for the bee and a flow of nectar 

 in the honey season. Looking to the old country, we shall 

 find that all those portions of Southern Europe, Asia Minor, 

 and Phoenicia which constitute the ancient home of the honey- 

 bee lie between the isothermal lines of 41° and 59° mean winter 

 temperature, the medium line of 50° passing through or close 

 to all the localities most celebrated both in ancient and modern 

 times for the quality of its honey. The same places lie between 

 the summer isothermals of 68° and 77°. California in North 

 America and Chili in South America, both rich honey-pro- 

 ducing countries, have a mean winter temperature of 50° to 

 51° and a summer temperature of 67° to 68°. The colony of 

 Victoria in Australia and the province of Auckland in New 

 Zealand have exactly the same "mean temperature as these last 

 mentioned countries, both in winter and summer ; and the 

 whole of the New Zealand islands, as well as nearly all the 

 Australian colonies south of Queensland, lie between the lines 

 of 41° and 59° mean winter temperature, exactly as in the case 

 of the most favoured honey countries in the northern hemi- 

 sphere. Queensland and some northern portions of New South 

 Wales and South Australia have a winter temperature several 

 degrees warmer than, and a tropical summer nearly equal to, 

 that of Egypt and Syria. The rainfall in most of these colonies 

 is amply sufficient for a luxuriant vegetation. In the most 

 southern parts of New Zealand and Tasmania bees can fly 

 about and even gather some honey and pollen all through the 

 winter; and in some of the Australian colonies they can 

 even gather surplus honey all the year round. When we 

 remember the trouble, risk, and expense that has to be 

 incurred in wintering bees in many parts of Europe and 

 America, where they have to be confined in cellars for three 

 or even for five or six months of the year in a state of semi 

 or complete torpor, we can appreciate the advantages for the 

 purposes of bee-keeping of a climate such as we enjoy in these 

 colonies. 



C 



