BEE MANUAL. I 
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 Pheenicia 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 winterand 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. 
Cc 
