1 Dec., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL, 577 
and Hermitage. Those intending to plant vines in districts subject to late 
frosts would do well to bear this in mind, as, by planting these varieties amongst 
other, the loss by frost will be lessened. 
Tt is a pity that in a country like Queensland, where brushwood is so easily 
obtained, vienerons do not make some preparations for possible late frosts, as is 
done in Europe. From the time the vines start in the spring, until all fear of 
frost is over, a few heaps of rubbish and brushwood placed round the vineyard 
are all that is required. When a very cold night threatens a frost, these are 
lighted in the early morning, and the smoke arising will prevent any possibility 
of frost-bitten shoots. It means getting up at 8 or 4a.m., and there’s the rub! 
but the preservation of the crop is certainly worth that inconvenience. A little 
courage and an alarum are all that are wanted. 
Apiculture. 
HONEY AND BEESWAX IN VICTORIA. 
From official returns of the number of beekeepers, and the quantity (so far as 
returned) of honey and beeswax produced in Victoria during the season 
1898-99, and also of the quantity produced for 1897-98, we learn that the 
beekeepers number 3,095, with 19,140 hives, producing 881,221 1b. of honey 
and 22,213 Ib. of beeswax. In the previous season the apiculturists numbered 
1,857, owning 14,225 hives, which produced 195,163 Ib. of honey and 7,782 Ib. 
of wax. This shows aremarkable extension of the industry, the increase of honey 
production being no less than 686,058 Ib., and of wax 11,431 lb. Of the 1898-99 
total, 16,334: hives were returned as producing honey. 
PUTTING UP HONEY. 
A BEEMAN writes as follows in the Farmer and Stockbreeder :-— 
Honey, to attract buyers, must be in some kind of attractive case, clean, 
and, if bottled, of nice colour. The cost of bottles adds considerably to the 1 lb. ° 
of honey put up in it. I was, therefore, very pleased the other day to sce two- 
decided novelties in bottles. The first was that the screw caps fitted, and the 
second that there are bottles sold, of English manufacture, that have well-fitting 
screw caps. But they are remarkably cheap, ten dozen costing 12s 9d. The 
former are satisfactory from the fact that. though they are at the ordinary rate: 
of 20s. per gross, "each bottle, after being fitted with screw cap, is wrapped in 
paper. A. friend, who had as something to do with this action on the 
part of the dealer, told me that the firm sold him bottles and caps, but the 
latter had to be changed three times before properly-fitting covers were received. 
The caps are usually too soft, and lose the screw when tightly fitted on. Tf the 
cheaper kind of bottle is used, it will not form an attractive feature of the 
display ; consequently there must be a special sample in a show bottle, and a 
guarantee that {the other bottles, not showing it off so well, contain the same 
quality honey. 
HONEY TINS. 
Honey must not touch zine. A few weeks ago | put some in a zinc pail, 
intending it to stand only a short time—in fact, while some had run through 
the strainer of the honey cistern—but it ran so slowly that the honey had to 
remain in the pail till the next day. I tasted it before emptying, and the result 
was such as to determine me never to use zine again. 
