THE 
Bustralmn JBcchcqpctA 
JOURNAL. 
Vol. III.— No. 1.] SEPTEMBER, 1888. [Price 6d. 
(£ tutorial. 
OUR THIRD VOLUME. 
With this number the Australian Bee- 
keepers’ Journal enters on the third year of 
its existence with a much increased subscrip- 
tion list, and encouragement from our readers 
on all hands. Our list, however, is not yet 
what we hope it to be, although during the 
past year it was almost sufficient to cover the 
cost of production, instead of, as the first 
year, leaving a balance considerably on the 
wrong side. We must again appeal to our 
subscribers and readers, and beekeepers 
generally, to help in increasing the circula- 
tion of this little periodical. We are very 
desirous sometimes to add a woodcut or two 
to illustrate and explain some of the subjects 
treated of, but we are scarcely justified in 
doing so with our present subscription list. 
The art of Beekeeping is largely on the in- 
tiease in Australia, and especially in Victoria, 
and where three years ago there was one stock 
of bees kept on modern principles, there are 
now a dozen ; factories for the manufacture 
of hives and apiarian appliances have been 
established in the principal cities, and are, 
we hear, doing good businesses, and there is 
a prospect of Beekeeping becoming an im- 
portant industry in every district where 
nectar-bearing flora abounds. Our little 
Journal was initiated to help and foster this 
industry, to assist beginners, to give informa- 
tion to enquirers, to exchange experiences, to 
collect statistics, and to keep our Australian 
beekeepers informed of the progress of the 
art in other countries, of now methods, now 
inventions, and generally to serve as a bee- 
keepers' newspaper. To carry out this 
programme needs the help of every experien- 
ced apiarian in the country. Constant com- 
munications from beekeepers, and enquiries 
from beginners, and regular reports from 
owners of apiaries as to produce, sources of 
honey, local markets, conditions of stock, &c. 
Not only do we require all our beekeeping 
friends to be subscribers, but also contribu- 
tors to our Journal. 
The Beekeepers’ market is now largely 
invaded by manufacturers of fraudulent 
imitations of honey, who cheat the public by 
making up mixtures of glucose and sugar, or 
starch or corn syrup, with a small percentage 
of real honey to more completely beguile 
the unwary. Tons of this are on the 
Australian markets, to the detriment of the 
consumers, and great injury to the bee- 
keepers. It will be one of the aims of 
this Journal to thoroughly expose frauds of 
this kind, and to teach the public to discri- 
minate between such imitations and pure 
honey, and to keep the market open for fair 
and honest dealers in the produce of the 
beehive. 
HINTS FOR AUGUST AND 
SEPTEMBER. 
These are, perhaps, the two most critical 
months for the beekeeper, for on the start 
obtained in these months will depend very 
much the success of the coming season. 
Stocks require careful management at this 
time of year. So soon as the days get a 
little warmer and the bees busier the spring 
examination should be made. Choose a 
warm day after middle of August, and see if 
stocks are right and possessing a queen. 
See also if there is food in plenty ; if not, 
feed slowly. Sometime! In frame hives 
where the combs on winch the bees are 
clustering are empty, outside combs are 
still nearly full of sealed honey. In 
