THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL 
25 
prevent any entrance of water at the 
joints where one box is put on another, it 
is usual to either put weathering strips 
outside, or more frequently, to rabbet 
8-incli deep and half thickness all around 
the outside of the tops and the inside of. 
the bottoms of boxes, and inside bottom of 
roof, cover frame, so that one part fits 
easily on to the top of another, and every 
joint is break-joint and weather-tight. If 
this is done, then the raising strips on the 
bottom board just referred to, should be 
rabbetted like the top of a box, f-ineh 
thick inside, and I-inch outside ; this 
allows all to fit snug. Some beekeepers 
consider it unnecessary to thus guard 
against entrance of water, and state that 
it is quite sufficient to have tops and 
bottoms of boxes flat, without rabbet or 
weathering, and that bees will keep out 
water with propolis. 
(To be continued.) 
Correspondence. 
When I was reading the report of the last 
meeting of the Victorian Beekeepers’ Association 
I noticed several topics on which I should 
like to make a few remarks. One of these 
was about a preventative to bee-stings. 
As the natural inclination of the bee ,is not to 
sting everybody who approaches the hive, but 
only to defend itself against intruders, the 
slinging propensity may be greatly lessened 
by careful breeding ; as kind treatment has 
a great deal to do with the gentleness of all 
our domestic animals, so I find it has a 
wonderful effect upon bees. Sometimes, when 
I am in my garden, where the hives stand 
very close together and I am using the hoe in 
close proximity to the hives and unintention- 
ally strike the corner of a hive, in an instant 
out rush the infuriated inhabitants of the hive 
to see what is the matter, and woe be to the 
assailnnt if they meet him there and then. 
Again, supposing I wanttoinspectahive, I goat 
it with care, removing the lid, lifting the quilt, 
putting in the nozzle at the smoker and give 
them a few puffs. They fill themselves with 
honey and, although they will not sting then, 
but seem to say to me, “ the next time you 
come near out place we will give it to you for 
putting your nasty smoke in our clean dwell- 
ing." Now, gentlemen, this is just as it appears 
to me. But when 1 go to the hive, and after I 
have opeued it carefully, present them with a 
gentle spray of liquid sweets, the sentinels 
instead of arousing the rest take to licking 
the sweets thus offered them and the result is 
pence and quietness. The latter maxim is Mr. 
Lnngstroth’s.and he bears the palm. The best 
lotion to moisten your face and hands with to 
prevent stings is a mixture of honey and 
water. 
The next is about forming branch associa- 
tions throughout the colonies. This topic 
I have been repeatedly advocating through 
the press, but there it rests; the articles 
may be read with interest, but nothing 
definite has resulted from it. I have, therefore, 
arrived at the conclusion that if success shall 
be achieved an agent must be employed to 
visit the various districts, get the beekeepers 
together, giving them a discourse upon 
modern beekeeping, showing them a movable 
frame hive and explain in detail the mode of 
working, and the advantages to be gained 
therefrom. As it is always best to weld the 
iron while it is hot, an association should be 
formed at once and names enlisted for the 
support of the bee journal. Trusting that 
you will give these few remarks your due con- 
sideration, I remain, Ac. H. Naveau. 
IRcws an£> IRcports front Colonial 
Hpiartcs. 
Under this heading we propose to give each 
month such news and reports from beekeepers 
in the Australian Colonies, New Zealand, and 
neighboring islands, as we may be able to 
obtain, and to this end we now invite all our 
readers to send us accounts of their apiaries, 
numbers of stocks, breed of bees, the style of 
management, form of hives, reports of the 
passing seasons, general success or otherwise. 
Also any news about the local markets for 
honey, or any apicultural information from 
their neighborhood. 
Deiv Drop Apiary, Marong, Victoria. — 
Commenced Inst season with six hives of bees; 
increased to fifteen, and have taken a little 
over 100(1 of extracted honey. It was a short 
season here, the honey flowing from about the 
middle of December to the end of January, 
when it suddenly ceased flowing. It flowed 
for a short time during March, and this flow 
gave us a little surplus honey and put the 
bees in good condition for wintering. 
J. B. Greenwat. 
[We thank Mr. Greenway for so promptly 
responding to our circular. Will he add to 
his favor by telling us of the chief source of 
the honey in his locality ? — Ed.] 
ITALIAN BEE FARM, PARRAMATTA, 
N.S.W. 
SEASON 188G-7. 
May is the closing month of the season for 
bee-farming in the most parts of Australia. 
Last season was extraordinarily wet, and in 
consequence of this our honey yield was not 
up to the quantity of last year's (1885-0) 
harvest. The number of swarms was also 
small, but sufficient for our purpose, a> wo 
