20 
BEE - CULTURE. 
Advice to Beginners. 
‘By Isaac Hopkins, Apiarian, in Bulletin 
18 of N.Z. Department of Agriculture, 
(Continued from last Issue.) 
IV. THE APIARY, 
-—Choice of a Locality for Bee-farming.— 
This is one of the most important 
matters to come under the consideration 
of the prospective bee-farmer, and requires 
careful judgment. A too-hasty decision 
may cause great disappointment and 
loss, for, once having established an 
-apiary, it is troublesome and expensive 
‘to move it, Having decided that white 
‘clover honey is the most profitable to 
raise, it is imperative that the apiary 
‘should be established in a clover dis- 
trict. There can be no doubt that 
dairying districts afford the best clover 
pasturage, so far as bee-farming is. con- 
cerned. The pasturage in sheep country 
is,asarule, kept pretty closely cropped 
and the clover has very little chance to 
blossom when heavily stocked. Country 
where much successive cropping is carried 
-on is useless for bee-farming, so that one 
cannot do better than fix upon some 
‘dairying district. 
—Site and Shelter.— 
Slightly undulating country is much 
‘better than a flat open site for a _bee- 
farm, The natural shelter obtained in 
‘the former is a great advantage, as it 
affords the bees protection in some 
direction or other, in almost all weathers 
when on their foraging expeditions. 
any case, the apiary should be well 
sheltered, and in the absence of shelter 
-of some kind it should be erected at the 
start. A depression in the ground will 
assist, and a temporary fence 6 ft. high 
on the windy side will do, while shelter- 
trees or a live fence are growing. High 
trees near an apiary are a nuisance, as 
swarms are likely to settle on them far up 
out of reach, 
In 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
May 1, 1909 
a SNC RRC TERRE A AERTS SE MRR AT 
For a rapid-growing shelter-hedge giant 
privet and tagasaste (commonly called 
*tree-lucerne’) are to be recommended 
where cattle cannot get within reach of 
them. Tagasaste affords splendid bee™ 
forage, as well as shelter, and it grows 
very rapidly. 
The following cultural directions and 
general particulars respecting these two 
plants for shelter-hedges for apiaries are 
supplied by Mr.J.E. Barrett, nurseryman 
at the Government Experimental Station 
Waerenga, who fully indorses their 
Tecommendation as most suitable subjects 
for the purpose:— 
— Tagasaste (Cytisus proliferus.) — 
This plant is often erroneously called 
‘tree lucerne,’ the botanical name of 
which is Medicago arborea. They both 
belong to the same natural order 
(Leguminosz), but to different tribes, that 
of Genistez claiming the tagasaste, and 
Trifolieee the medicago or true tree 
lucerne. Of the quick-growing and 
sheltering qualities of the tagasaste we 
have had several years’ experience at 
Waerenga. In the month of February 
1903, a row 3 chains in length was sown 
in the nursery on stiff clay land, and in 
two years from sowing a dense and 
picturesque screen nearly 10 ft. in height 
was formed. At Waerenga this plant 
continues growing the whole year through 
and, excepting a break of about two 
months inthe autumn, is equally free 
in the production of its white pea-like 
blossoms, upon which the bees may be 
seen constantly at work. The latter fact 
renders this plant of special value to bee- 
keepers during the months when other 
flowers are scarce, 
To obtain the best results the seed 
should be sown in early spring, and to 
assist germination it should be first 
steeped in very hot water (not boiling) to 
which a little washing soda is added— 
pouring on the water and letting it stand 
till quite cold will suffice to soften the 
seed, and, after straining, the addition of 
a little dry sand will separate it nicely 
for sowing. It is important that seeds 
treated in this manner should be sown 
immediately. 
The ground should be thoroughly 
worked (as for onions), and if, as is to be 
recommended, a double row is contem- 
plated, the width of the prepared bed 
should be not less than 4 ft. Sow the 
seed three in a place at a distance of 3 ft 
apart and 1 ft. from edge of bed on either 
side alternating the second row with the 
first this gives a distance of 2 ft between 
Thin out the plants as they 
advance, to the strongest in each place 
and during the year keep the clippers 
constantly at work to promote a dense 
base—cutting must not be neglected if a 
good close hedge is required; it also tends 
to prolong the life of the plant by 
curtailing its free-flowering and seed- 
bearing propensities. 
the rows. 
— Giant-growing Privet (Ligustrum 
sinense) — 
For permanency and general utility 
this plant can be thoroughly recommended 
as a shelter-hedge. It is of close upright 
growth, extremely hardy, and adapts itself 
‘well to a wide variety of soils and 
situations. It is not advisable, however, to 
employ any of the Ligustrum as hedge- 
plants too near a garden plot, as their 
surface roots extend several yards from 
the base on either side, and extract all 
virtue from the soil. This fault can be 
obviated toa great extent by cutting 
ditches at a little distance from the plants 
Assuming that this space 
is of no consequence, then the privet may 
be advantageously employed for shelter 
purposes. Fora single row a width of 3 
ft. should be deeply dug, and if the 
ground be poor a liberal dressing of bone- — 
dust given. Select strong two or three- 
year-old plants, and set out at 18 in. apart 
aleng the centre of the prepared 
ground. To induce a good base it is well 
to clip the plants fairly hard back at the 
time of planting; in following seasons the 
sides may be lightly clipped, and the tops 
of those unduly high reduced to a general 
level. With fair treatment four seasons 
of growth should produce a hedye from 
6 ft. to 8 ft. high. As there are many 
different species of Ligustrum in culti- 
vation, care should be taken to get the 
best for hedges— that is, the one under 
notice. 
Where the surrounding country is hilly 
the apiary should be situated in the 
lowest part, if possible, so long as its not 
swampy or wet, in order that thei bees 
when coming home loaded will have to fly 
down instead of upwards, | 
(To be continued, ) 
on either side. 
