THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS' JOURNAL. 
9 
and were too free with the use of the smoker. 
Some members objected to the bevelled joint 
upon the top and bottom of hives, preferring the 
plain edge. Mr. Bonney, in replying, recom- 
mended members to feed back the “ dandelion” 
honey, as it was too strongly flavoured for sale, 
though wholesome for the bees. To a member 
who recommended that the entrance should be 
cut in the bottom board, he said that this made 
it difficult to clean the hive. A member in re- 
ference to ants said that he had not been troubled 
with ants ever since he had given up trying to 
defeat them by placing the hives upon vessels of 
water. He believed the water attracted the 
ants. 
|irhi5 ani) Hrports front Colonial 
JVptams. 
VICTORIAN BEE COMPANY. 
In our last number we referred to the 
formation of a Bee Company at Hamilton. 
Since then we have received a prospectus. 
The Secretary and general manager is Mr. 
Delnot, and the apiary manager Mr. H. 
Naveau, our esteemed correspondent of the 
Western District. The capital is T2000, in 
2000 shares of £ l each, over 800 of which 
which have already been taken up. The 
name of the company is The Victorian Bee 
Company, and the apiary will be situated in 
the heart of the mountains near Dunkeld, 
and on the banks of the Warrior River, an 
excellent district for bees. 
BULN BULN, GIPPSLAND. 
The past season has been very bad in this 
district, the cause being too much rain, and 
hardly any flowers ; and, worst of all, foul- 
brood to fight against, it being very hard to 
deal with. I have tested carbolic acid, and 
find it the best cure for it. I use pure white, 
crystal carbolic acid, one-eight of an ounce 
to a quart of water, sprayed tw ice or three 
times a week on the frames. I have used ! 
this mixture for my hives and find it not too 
strong. My bees are now fine and healthy 
except one stock that was nearly rotten at the 
beginning of the season, but is now getting 
quite clean. — R. Hastings, Buln Buln, Gipps- j 
land. 
Italian Bee Farm, Parm, Parramatta, 
N.SAV. 
Report of Seaton 1S87 — 88. 
Now w-hen the bees are prepared for their 
winter s rest, and the most necessary work is 
done, it behoves the beeman to close his 
year book and make out his report. 
Last year 1 stated that in my opinion a 
good season might be expected to follow, and 
that I was nearly right in my prediction my 
J following report will prove : — Although, 
! perhaps, everyone will not be satisfied, still 
J I hope that the greater number of beemen 
will be pleased with the past year’s harvest ; 
J at any rate, my friends from all parts of 
| N.S.W. acknowledge this in their letters 
I sent to me. Accordingly I came to the con- 
| elusion that this was a good season. 
I wintered 240 colonies, all pure Italians, 
| and they were all found in good order by my 
first revision in spring. The winter was ex- 
ceedingly mild, and very rainy, but as the 
bees do little work during this time in fine 
weather it matters not whether rain or no 
rain. Peach flower was a failure, as there 
{ was none, and other fruit trees supplied very 
I little. But the orange flowered extra good 
just around Parramatta, while the weather 
l suited pretty well for honey gathering. The 
j bees found plenty of nectar from these 
! blossoms from the middle of September to 
| the end of October, and 30001b. could be 
taken without in any way shortening the 
I stores required for coming times. This 
honey is very much liked by the consumers, 
and fetches a high price. Little honey was 
stored, except by strong stocks, after the 
orange blossom was over. The tee-tree 
flowers generally in December, but it being 
so wet there was none of this honey stored, 
and as this is the worst honey we get here I 
am not sorry. In January the weather 
became clear and fine. The eucalyptus 
opened soon its nectaries, and the bees had a 
steady but not too generous honey flow until 
the middle of May. Honey extracting could 
be proceeded with almost every day, and our 
honey product for this season amounts to 
21,0001b., of which 20001b. is in lib. and 21b. 
sections. I had no desise to get more 
sections, or else a greater quantity could 
have been filled. Gum trees were about the 
first to flower, with apple tree, stringy bark, 
box, &c., following. All this season’s honey 
is of good quality, but as plenty was pro- 
duced everywhere the market is stocked and 
the river low. 
Swarming commenced in September, and 
finished in October. Only about fifty 
swarmed from the whole of our stocks, 
although I never prevented any hive from 
swarming once, while afterswarms were 
hindered altogether. Some, who keep 
hybrid and black bees, informed me they 
increased to hundred and more per cent. If 
the orange blossom did not yield so much 
honey as it did perhaps my bees would have 
swarmed more, but as it was they decreased 
breeding and forgot swarming, through their 
