THE AUSTH \LTAN BEEKEEPERS' JOURNAL. 
o 
Queens for sale, more especially Italians or 
Italians crossed with black bees known kh Hy- 
brids. Lost season some pure Cyprian Queens 
were imported into the colonics and youug 
Queens raised which have l>een mated with 
Italian drones. 
From our advertising columns, it w ill l>e seen 
that Queens can be obtained from Cypruj. The 
prices of pure Italian Queens from Adelaide 
Apiarians last season were from 30s. down to 
15s , or generally, say ill . The higher price is 
demanded for pure Queens early, and the 
low- st for very late in the season 
From New Zealand last season they were from 
20s. to 15s. From the Parramnttn apiary which 
possesses a lieautiful strain of Italian Queens, 
the prices last season varied from 40s. to 2i s 
Imported Queens from Cyprus or Italy cost 
from 20s. to Ids. (carriage paid to the colonies). 
Queens can generally be obtained from 
October till April, and in the remaining 
months also if desired, but it is best to 
get young queens that are reared in the 
spring and up till January or February. 
When ordered, they are sent either in a little 
cage with a few nttcudaut bees by post, by 
which method they come quite safe if the 
journey occupies only a few (lays, or in boxes, 
with a small frame of honeycomb, which is 
forwarded os a parcel ; by this method they 
will travel safely for ten or even twenty days, 
ample food being provided in both cuaes. 
Hybrid Queens can bo obtained at much 
lower prices, down to half a crown each, aud 
black Queens can often be got for the ask in ; 
from Beekeepers during the swarming and 
sniumer season. 
We append a list of names of apiarians that 
occur to us, who supply Italian or Cyprian 
Queens. Italians mated with black drones and 
Hybrids can no doubt be obtained from any 
of them. 
Ill a future number, we will give a few hints 
on the methods of introducing Queens prac- 
ticed by vnrious experienced apiculturisls. 
Mr. W. Abram, Italian Bee farm Parramatta. 
N. 8. W. j Mr. J. M Llotd. Sunnyside 
Apiary, Croydon, Viet. ; Mr. J. Hopkins. Ma- 
tamata Apiary. Auckland, N.Z. ; Mr A K. 
Bommkt, Kngincer-in-Cbief s office. Adelaide-, 
Mr A. Fikiiio, Pirie Fast. N. Adelaide; Mr. 
H. Navkac Hamilton, Viet. ; Messrs. WmoHT 
and Co , Mari nook, Olenorchy, Tasmania. 
DISAPPOINTMENTS IN BEEKEEPING. 
Pboi-lk commencing to keep poultry, pigs, 
cows, even sheep and cattle, usually have to go 
through a period of loss, bod luck and dis- 
ap|>oiutmeut. Very often this is due to either 
inattention, ignorance, or fussineas, but some- 
times to laid seasons, or to prevalent disease 
which affects equally the beginner and ox- 
ricnced stock-keeper, but which usually does 
e greater harm to the beginner for lack 
of knowledge of management. This is equally 
and perhaps more frequently the case where 
the live stock consists of bees. Beginners in 
apiculture generally meet with disappoint- 
ment at first, and often give it up as a bad 
undertaking, after perhaps losing their first 
hive of bees, sometimes for want of knowledge, 
and sometimes from disease, often induced by 
injudicious management. 
It is also a lamentable fact that in some 
localities and some seasons, had times come 
upon the most careful and experienced bee- 
keepers ; disease or other misfortune falls on 
the bees, which often not only puts a stop 
to production of honey and wax, but destroys 
stock after stock, and decimates the apiary like 
an epidemic among cattle, sheep or poultry. 
It is, however, with what may be regarded 
ns avoidable or preventable disappointments 
I shall first speak. Take, for instance, a 
case that occurred to myself over twenty-five 
years ago. I commenced with two stocks of 
bees at Williamstown, one in perhaps the 
first frame hive used in this colony, the other 
in a Neighbour's Collateral Hive. I started 
with two early swarms at the end of September, 
and all went as merry as wedding bells at 
first ; the frames wore filled with comb and 
brood and some honey, but as October passed, 
honey and pollen began to fail, the queens 
ceased laying, and the slocks dwindled until 
it became apparent that the locality was 
unsuitable to beekeeping, when by feeding 
freely and continuously breeding recommenced, 
and the stocks were saved. For a year or two 
they barely existed, hut never gathered 
enough to keep themselves until garden and 
other cultivation improved matters a little, 
but even then frequent feeding was requisite. 
The fact was, there was no regular forage 
within three miles, and that was cheifiy small 
patches of ti tree blossoming in the Spring ; 
there was no Summer or Autumn forage, no 
eucalyptus nor clover fields, and very little of 
anything else. Beekeeping could scarcely lie 
profitable in such a locality. Even at the 
present day beekeeping has been tried over 
and over again on the open plains between 
Melbourne and Sunbury with a similar result 
to that obtained at Williamstown. The absence 
of flowers (except the quickly fading Spring 
grass flowers) and of Autumn Dowering plants 
and trees renders beekeeping iu such places a 
hopeless and disappointing occupation. 
The same cause, (unlitness of locality from 
lack of bee forage), is an explanation of the 
disappointments in beekeeping in numerous 
instances, especially to beginuers in the art. 
The locality may las unsuited in some cases 
where bee forage is moderately plentiful; for 
instance— dusty, smoky or noisy localities are 
unfavorable, the proximity of factories, 
especially breweries, cordial manufactories, 
vinegar works, which arc very injurious be- 
cause the bees attracted by the odour. Dock to 
the rats and open vessels and ggt drowned is 
such quantities as to cause stocks todwindle. 
