6 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
despite the efforts of the most fertile queens 
to keep up the population. 
It is seldom beekeeping can be made 
profitable iu or near town or populous 
neighb rhoods, although it is quite possible 
to keep bees strong and healthy in the suburbs 
of our chief Australian cities, and in some 
cases indeed surplus honey in small quantities 
can be obtained provided the locality is free 
from the chief objections already referred to. 
I now come to instances of disappointment 
from other causes. 
Mr. A., living near town, but in a fairly good 
position for beekeeping, bought a swarm of bees 
in November, and had them transferred to a 
frame hive in the same mouth ; they did well, 
filled up seven frames with com!) and a fair 
amount of honey; the queen was a good one, and 
the population began to increase rapidly. For 
some reason or other he moved the hive early in 
January to a spot about 150 yards away from 
the position they had been in. Ho states he 
soon found the bees iu the hive diminishing, and 
a week afterwards saw large numbers of dead 
bees strewing the ground near the old position, 
and iu a fortnight more there was not a bee 
left in the hive, and the combs were nearly 
all empty. He “ did not intend bothering with 
bees again,” for “ he had lost over two pounds 
in money ” by the adventure ; the cause of 
Mr. A.’s disappointment must be apparent to 
to every beekeeper. Moving the hive led to 
the I0S3 of a large part of the stock which 
probably became so weakened as to fall an 
easy prey to robber bees, unless as might 
happen under any circumstances, the queen 
died and the remaining bees absconded ; at all 
events, the avoidable cause was moving the 
bees from their once established position. 
(To be continued ) 
TASMANIA. 
News has come to us from the south. Foul 
brood has found its way into some of the best 
apiaries, and has already destroyed or hope- 
lessly weakened a large number of stocks. 
Mr. Lloyd Hood informs us that his small 
apiary has been almost destroyed with this 
pest, and his best stocks lost. He states he 
persevered with the phenol cure, as well as 
with the salicylic acid mode of treatment 
advocated by Prof. McLean, of the United 
States Apicultural Station, but without success. 
Foul brood iu his case was evidently accom- 
panied by the disease often noticed in this 
colony in some cases to precede, in others to 
exist cotemporaneously with foul brood 
itself, for he mentions heaps of dead bees 
outside the hives every morning. Mr Hood 
further informs us, “ it is the same tale of 
disaster all through the South Island with 
few exceptions.” The Marinook Apiary of 
Mr. Wright’s, at Glenorchy, has suffered 
severely, but whether from bad season or 
disease is not stated. 
From the Ravensdale Apiary, it is reported 
of the past season : No swarms ! No honey ! 
It is feared the collapse of the industry this 
season will act as a serious deterrent to the 
progress of Bee Keeping in the southern 
districts of Tasmania. 
We see and read with pleasure some very- 
practical and interesting articles in the 
“Tasmanian,” under the head of “The 
Apiary,” styled Bee Talk. In Bee Talk, 
No. 42, one or two forms of section crates 
are described ; in one of them the crate 
is formed by the half story super, and 
convenient access is given to the sections 
by hinging one side of the super. A slatted 
bottom to this super or crate is also des- 
cribed. It. is not clear whetherthis is like the 
Heddon slatted bottom or honey boaid, but 
unless it be so the usual and almost constant 
trouble with brace combs from the brood 
chamber frames to the boxes will occur. If, 
however, t he slats are one inch and five- 
sixteenths wide, set ihree-sixteenths apart, 
and three-sixteenth space exactly over the 
centre of the frame beneath, a break joint is 
formed as in the Ileddon honey board, and 
the trouble referred to either does not occur 
at all, or, is reduced to a minimum. Simmins 
says, however, that the only way to avoid it 
entirely is to put frames or section boxes cross- 
wise with the brood frames and resting on 
them. 'l'he“Talk”on ventillationandwiutering 
is interesting and instructive, and advocates 
moderate top ventilation, which many 
apiarians condemn, but which we are sure is 
necessary in our colder seasons. 
In Bcc Talk, No. 44, “Apiarian” discourses on 
flower fertilization in an article fully worth 
perusal, and then gives advice to an enquirer 
who wants to know if “gas tar” would not do 
j to paint hives with, as white paint is expensive. 
I fancy the enquirer would find “ gas tar” by 
! far the most expensive when he found on hot 
summer days liis hives were converted into 
solar wax extractors and honey and comb 
running out at the entrance. “ Apiarian,” of 
course, properly advises white, or, at least, a 
light color. If beekeepers would try the 
white or light colored Carson’s paint for their 
hives they would find it last much longer than 
white lead or zinc paint. 
“ Apiarian ” quotes Simplicity Langstroth 
hives at il 15s. each, in cases of ten ; if this 
be so, somebody must do well out of bee-hives 
for cases of ten delivered iu the flat, after 
importer’s profits have been added, cost us 
last season, in Melbourne, less than 14s. each, 
and better hives than the Simplicity, are 
made in Adelaide, pay duty in Melbourne, 
and still sell for less than 17s. The cost of 
frame hives has been a great bar to their 
j adoption, and we hope soon to see them 
j offered to beekeepers at reachable prices, but 
J anything over 20s. is, we believe, too much 
I and almost prohibitive. 
