296 AUSTRALASIAN 
The time of commencement and duration of the autumn crop 
entirely depends upon the rains ; if these should be late it will 
of course affect the crop in the same manner, and also shorten 
the honey season. : 
The autumn gathering is very valuable ; it enables the bees 
to fill up empty brood combs with honey, thus putting the 
colony in good condition for wintering, and renders feeding 
unnecessary, a very important matter, especially to beginners. 
In this district it is seldom that any surplus honey can be 
obtained from the autumn crop ; but I have no doubt in more 
favourable situations a considerable amount might sometimes 
be taken. 
FLIGHT OF BEES. 
It is generally understood that the usual range of a worker 
bee’s flight is from 14 to 2 miles in all directions from the 
apiary, although bees are known to go much further when 
pasturage is scarce within that distance. 
Of course the greater the flight the less honey is stored ; so 
that the apiarist will understand how necessary it is, where 
practicable, to have good and abundant pasturage near the 
apiary. It is Mr. Langstroth’s opinion that “although bees 
will fly in search of food over three miles still if it is not within 
a circle of two in every direction from the apiary they will be 
able to store but little surplus honey.” 
OVER-STOCKING. 
On the question of over-stocking many different opinions 
exist, some thinking it almost impossible to over-stock a good 
district, while others, again, believe it may be done. The for- 
mer argue in support of their opinion that each day’s secretion 
of honey in the flowers will, if not gathered the same day, dry 
up or be wasted before evening. This being so it would take 
an enormous number of bees to visit all the honey-producing 
flowers every day, and until this is done, there can be no fear 
of the district being over-stocked. This appears to me to be a 
very reasonable way of looking at the matter. 
My own idea is, that in most districts of New Zealand. and 
the settled districts of Australia, a very large number of ‘colo- 
nies might be profitably supported in every square mile, and 
the possibility of such districts ever being over-stocked is very 
remote. 
