78 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
exception of New Zealand, the beekeeping 
industry was in a more advanced state in 
South Australia than in any of the other 
colonies, and that this was mainly due to the 
efforts of the Chamber. There was every 
reason to expect a good season. Those 
excellent honey-producing trees, the red- 
gums, were now profusely covered with buds, 
which should expand into bloom about 
Christmas, when a large return might be 
confidently expected from all strong colonies. 
With a climate well suited to beekeeping, 
and magnificent honey resources, it was 
evident that the industry ought to prove a 
success if those who undertook it would pre- 
pare themselves for the necessary work by 
studying some practical book or by gaining 
experience from a skilled apiarist. The 
balance sheet showed— Receipts, id 3 5s. 8d., 
expenditure, i'll 17s., leaving a balance of 
i‘l 8s. 8d. Mr. Molineux, in moving the 
adoption of the report, mentioned that in 
North America last year there were 300,000 
beekeepers, and they had taken 100,000,000 
lbs. of honey. He referred to the prospect of 
an excellent season here, and remarked upon 
the circumstance that many of the beekeepers 
had been taking honey up to the present 
time. Kangaroo Island gave a chance in 
beekeeping not to be found in any other 
place in the world. The bees there were 
protected by a law, the island was rich in 
honey-bearing plants, and the black bee was 
absent. The wild bee was very beautiful, 
but it was non-social, and would not be 
likely to interfere with the Ligurian. Mr. 
A. Colman seconded, and the report was 
adopted. The Chairman suggested that a 
colony of the wild bee might be secured and 
the value ascertained. Mr. Molineux said 
some of the islanders had promised to get 
some of the bees referred to. Reports from 
the members as to what had been done 
during the year were read from twenty 
beekeepers in various parts of the colony, 
and on the whole the reports were satisfac- 
tory. Mr. Bonney resigned his position as 
Secretary, and his services were spoken of as 
being most valuable. The election of officers 
took place as follows President— Sir R. 
D. Ross ; Vice-presidents — Messrs. S- Solo- 
mon and A E Bonney ; Treasurer — F. A. 
Joyner; Secretary — Mr. J. Robertson; 
Committee— Messrs. L. Chambers, C. F. 
Clough, R. H. Mais, S. Randell, W. Stevens, 
H. H. D oilman, A. Molineux, J. H. 
Walters, — James, J. Liddle, E. A. Cole- 
man, J. H. Weidenhoffer, R. Fiebig. Mr. 
E. A. Coleman read a paper upon “The 
Manufacture of Comb Foundations,” which 
lie explained were composed of comb-sheets 
indented with the shape of the cells and 
coated with wax. They were used in the 
hives as foundations for the combs and to 
facilitate the operations of the bees. Their 
advantage was the improvement of the form 
of the comb, the saving of wax, and also of 
time. At the close, Mr. Coleman showed 
some of the sheets referred to in his paper, 
and gave an example of the mode of making 
them by an ingenious appliance. 
O RIG-IN AL CONTRIBUTIONS. 
Hints oil the Use of Ho7iey. 
By H. Naveau. 
How great a boon is health to a human being ; 
and still, although the allwise Creator made so 
small an insect as a bee, to collect medicine for 
every case in man’s life, yet he does not avail 
himself of this privilege. Instead of going to 
the storeroom of the honey bee, he prefers to go 
to the doctor’s shop, and gets a mixture made 
up by the “ugly fingers of bungling men.” 
Few men only understand and realise by 
constant use what virtues are contained 
in pure extracted honey. True it is, that by far 
the greatest portion of those who do make use 
of honey, only take it for a cold or cough, but 
not many employ it as a sweetener for their 
drinks and confectionery, or use it on the table 
as well as jam or jelly. Those, however, who 
do use it, and partake of it at their daily meals, 
do find that the benefits they derive therefrom 
are inestimable. But the honey I write about 
now, is not that honey which often passes 
under the name “ Finest Honey,” which has 
not even the flavour of it, and is prepared by 
a well-known jam manufacturing firm in 
another colony. Real honey, as collected by 
the bees, has the flavour of the flowers from 
whence it is gathered, and at a !o vv temperature 
at times (in about three weeks) it granulates, 
and by-and-by becomes so solid, and those who 
purchase it in this state should put the tins in 
boiling water first before they open them ; or 
if in bottles in a warm place, and the honey 
will melt again. But this is not required by 
the so called “ finest honey.” For this is only 
sugar which has been subjected to boiling 
heat, and hence has lost its power to crystallise. 
Some people, chiefly the Germans, when they 
take their honey, cut out only those combs 
which contain pure honey j but instead of 
straining the same, put it in a saucepan on 
a slow fire, until it is all melted, and then 
let it cool. By so doing, they get the wax on 
top and the honey below. This honey hardly 
ever granulates, but it has lost the best part of 
its aroma. Now, as there are different kinds 
of honey in the market, it is of the utmost 
importance to know which is the best and most 
