THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
Exhibition had not been occupied by members 
of the Association as was intended, and that 
he had received a letter from the Secretary 
enquiring if the space would be used for the 
purpose for which it was applied for. One 
or two members expressed their intention of 
placing observatory hives in the place referred to. 
The Secretary, Mr. Chambers, stated he had 
been asked by the Secretary of Agriculture 
whether the Association could not undertake the 
erection of a bee tent, and give weekly demon- 
strations of manipulation of bees in hives. The 
members present were favourable to the proposi- 
tion, and Mr. Chambers was requested to see Mr. 
Martin, the Secretary for Agriculture, with the 
view of giving effect to the proposition. Reports 
were given by members of the apiary work during 
October and November, and the prospects of the 
honey harvest in various localities. These were 
generally very favourable and promising, although 
the long-continued dry weather was having a 
serious effect upon the honey flow in many 
districts. 
Reports front Australian Aplari£5 
NOTICE. 
Our readers and all beekeepers are requested 
to send to the Editors of the Australian Bee- 
keepers' Journal , 28 Flinders Lane West, Mel- 
bourne, reports of their apiaries, describing their 
locality, the source from which bees are obtaining 
honey, the character of the season and amount of 
yield ; also the effect (if any) of the dry season on 
the apiary, the presence of disease (if any). Any 
articulars whatever on apicultural matters will 
e acceptable, and will be inserted in the follow- 
ing number of the Journal. 
THE GRAMPIAN APIARY. 
This is a new apiary in the Grampian Hills, 
established by the Victorian bee Company under 
the direction of Mr. H. Naveau, late of Hamilton. 
The company has been formed by shareholders 
residing in Hamilton and the vicinity, and has 
taken over all the bees and stock of Mr. Naveau, 
who in September last transported the complete 
apiary to a site in the Grampian Hills previously 
selected by Mr. Naveau. It is situated about 
two miles from the Dunkeld Railway Station, 
and half-way between Mt. Sturgeon and Mt. 
Abrupt. Mr. Naveau reports excellent progress, 
although he has had many and heavy difficulties 
to contend with. Moving a large apiary is no 
easy task, and unless done with great skill and 
care is often a disastrous one ; but he appears to 
have been very successful. He slates he finds a 
formidable enemy in a large black ant, which 
attacks the hives, and has great difficulty in 
destroying them, or keeping the hives free of them. 
Already he has had a good deal of heavy extracting, 
and the quality of the honey is excellent. His 
own words are : ** The honey is delicious. I 
never had any like it during the 35 years I have 
kept bees. It is collected chiefly from the native 
holly and other mountain flowers.” “ Further," 
he says. “ the native holly is the best honey- 
producing flowering shrub I ever came across. 
I saw it here in flower during the month of May, 
and it is flowering still (December), and will 
probably flower another month. Should I remain 
here I shall cultivate it largely. I am saving the 
seed of it, and have transplanted a few plants 
from the mountain into our ground. It well 
deserves a place in every beekeeper's, and thrives 
in the poorest sandy soil.” 
(Original Contributions. 
ABOUT QUEENS. 
( Continued from Page 37.) 
Finding Queens. — Finding a queen in a 
swarm, in a driven stock or on the frames of a 
hive, is one of the first lessons a beekeeper should 
learn. First, he must make himself acquainted 
with the appearance of the queen among her 
subjects ; her shape, size, &c., as compared with 
other bees ; and this can best be done with a 
frame hive, or better with an observatory hive, 
where all the movements and appearance can be 
leisurely watched through the glass sides of the 
hive, while the queen and the bees are quite 
undisturbed ; for taking a frame out of a hive, no 
matter how gently or carefully it is done, always 
disturbs the bees to some degree. Black queens 
are far more difficult to find among her subjects 
than Italians, Cyprians, or Hybrids, as their 
colour is exactly that of the bees, the difference 
being only in her shape. Italians and Cyprians 
and their Hybrids are far more easily distin- 
guished, on account of the orange or brown colour 
of their bodies, especially on the sides and under 
i part of the abdomen. 
To find a queen in a frame hive, open the hive 
and take out a frame, holding it up by the pro- 
jections to a level with your face, and turn 
yourself and frame until the light falls well on to 
the side of the frame facing you ; keep the frame 
hanging perpendicular, or if it is warm weather 
and the frame is not wired, it will probably sag 
and even break out of the frame. Now took 
carefully over the comb, especially at the sides 
and in any cornets or holes in the comb. She is 
generally found on a comb with eggs and brood. 
Having examined one side, turn the frame and 
| examine the other. If the queen cannot be seen, 
place this frame in an empty box or by the side 
! (outside) of its own hive. Now lift out another 
j frame, and proceed in the same way, remembering 
she will most likely be found on a frame with 
j brood in. and is apt to run to the dark corners or 
the dark side of the frame when it is exposed to 
the light. Place the second frame in the hive, 
but away from the frames next to be examined 
(lest the queen crawl on to the frame just ex- 
amined), and so proceed till the queen is found. 
Some queens, when alarmed, are very apt to 
leave the combs and get on to the side of the 
! hive. In such cases it is often necessary to put 
all the frames as they are examined into an 
