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VICTORIA. 
The following notes are taken from " Bee-keeping in Victoria," by F. R. Beuhne, 
in the Journal of Agriculture, Victoria, from October, 1914, to April, 1916 : 
A good locality for bees means to have within range of the flight of the bees 
sufficient honey and pollen-producing plants of the right kind. It is a question of 
quality of flora rather than quantity. 
1. Eucalyptus botryoides (Mahogany Gum). 
Nothing definite is as yet known of its value to the bee-keeper as a nectar or 
pollen producer. 
2. E. corymbosa (Bloodwood). 
No Victorian data are available as to its honey-producing value, owing to it not 
occurring in any present bee-keeping localities. 
3. E. hemiphloia (Grey Box). 
To the bee-keeper it is one of the most important and useful Eucalypts, being 
very regular in its flowering habits, and producing more or less nectar and pollen every 
year. Although the individual trees blossom every second year there are some in 
flower every year, enabling the colonies of bees to breed up in autumn and lay in winter 
stores, even when no actual surplus honey can be obtained from hives. The honey is 
of excellent flavour, medium density when fully ripe, amber in colour when free from 
other honeys, but candies rather quickly. When heating Grey Box honey to reliquify it 
after it has granulated or at time of extracting, care should be taken that the temperature 
does not rise beyond 165 Fahr., otherwise it may darken considerably, particularly 
when in contact with iron. 
4. E. hemiphloia var. albens (White Box). 
It flowers earlier in the season, and is freely worked on by the bees for nectar 
and pollen. 
5. E. kucoxylon (Yellow Gum). 
This tree is a fairly regular bloomer and heavy yielder of nectar. ... It 
blossoms more or less every year, but heavier every alternate season. A peculiar 
feature of this tree is that sometimes it secretes nectar which the bees will not collect, 
although honey-eating birds freely avail themselves of it. Till quite recently it was 
assumed that, owing to the humidity and low temperature of the atmosphere at the 
time of blooming, the nectar was too -thin and watery to attract bees. The honey 
from Yellow Gum is of the finest quality, of pale-straw colour, dense when properly ripe, 
clearer and milder in flavour than Yellow Box honey. 
0. E. longifolia (Woolly Butt). 
Nothing is so far known as to its value to the bee-keeping industry. 
