1885 



GLEA^^INGS IN UEE CULTLUE. 



733 



"honey-dew" correct. "Plant-iicctarinc" is both 

 accurate and de.scripti\e, the real meaning- of the 

 word ncftarinc being- "sweet as nectar." Hero is a 

 name that commends itself as being accurate, eii- 

 l)honious, and descriptive; and it is not Latin, but 

 musically pure English. FitEDEHicK 1). Wkiu.i'v. 

 Lane Park, Florida. 



So far as I am concenio'd. irifiul \V.. 1 

 should like the word •• plant iieetarine"' well 

 eiiougli : but I should he very 'glad to have 

 Prof. Cook's opinion in regard to the mattei-. 

 We have had so much trouble and confusion 

 with names picked up at random in times 

 past, that 1 should greatly prefer that we 

 consider well before deciding upon any name. 



ANOTHER PLAN FOE MAKING A 

 QUEEN-CAGE. 



jT causes so much trouble and expense to 

 make changes in regard to any imple- 

 ment so generally used as a (jueeu-cage. 

 1 have more than once decided that 1 

 would advise no more changes, unless 

 the new article jtossessed very great merit. 

 Another thing, although the cage ligured 

 and described below has never before been 

 presented exactly as the inventor shows it 

 here, yet <piite a number of the Itrethren 

 have been figuring on different devices 

 (juite similar. It isproljable thai this inven- 

 tion, like so many Dthers. belongs to so 

 many that it is a hard matter to say just 

 whose proiterty it is. if. in fact.it ca)i lie- 

 long to anv one individual. 



The only woodwork in this cage is tlie 

 irregTdar-slia|)ed block shown at the right. 

 This block is made of l{-incli plank. l)ass- 

 wood preferable. Strips are s;iw(>d olT from 

 the plank, 'Iri inches long: then with a liu/.z- 

 saw with a suitably beveled platform, a 

 three-cornered piece is taken from the whole 

 length, from two corners, in sucli a way 

 that when you slice off the pieces, they will 

 be like the block above. Tlie dimensions 

 are— thickness. \ inch. The length of the 

 longest side, as beft»re mentioned, is li; inch- 

 es ; length of the longest slojiing side. M 

 inches ; length of the short slopiiig side, 'i 

 inch ; length of the remaining side.li inch- 

 ♦^s. This last-mentioned side is at exactly 

 right angles to the longest side first men- 

 tioned. 



Two blocks, like the one described above. 

 and a piece of common wire cloth. :; x Vl 

 inches, make the cage. The wire cloth is 

 folded in the middle, and fastened to the 

 blocks by tinned tacks, as shown in the cut. 

 Tliis leaves a space between the two blocks, 

 to hold the candy. ' inch Avide at the narrow- 

 est end, and nearly J at the wide.st end. A 

 piece of stout manilla paper is placed under 

 the wire cloth, on each side, where the can- 

 dy comes. The tacks that Jjojd all together 

 hold this paper in ))lace. 



When the cage is hnished. the bees and 

 queen are put in at the opening where the 

 candy is to be put. After the bees and 

 I queen are in. soft candy is pushed into this 

 1 conical opening until it is filled. For a 

 cover to the candy, get out a piece of tin. 

 U x .] inch. Prick" a hole exactly in the cen- 

 ter. Put a single wire nail through this hole: 

 j drive it into the wood at one side of the 

 ; opening. Wlien the tin is tinned over the 

 candy. 'the opening is closed. When tlie 

 cage "is to be put into the hive, swing the tin 

 until it stands at right angles to the cage, 

 and it will keep the cage from dropjiing be- 

 tween two combs, at the same time leaving 

 the candy orilice oppiL The bees liberate 

 the (jueen bv digging through the candy. If 

 the\ should'uot get through in 48 hours, cut 

 out" the candy with a penknife. 



When tiie cage is to be sent by mail it is 

 slipped into the wooden case shown at the 

 left of tlie pictm-e. Two wire nails driven 

 in the proper place make the pat'kage so se- 

 cure that there is no need of tying it up with 

 paper unless you choose. Printed directions 

 for introduciiigcan be put on onesideof this 

 wooden case, and the address and postage-- 

 stamp on tlie other side. 



When two cages are to lie sent to the 

 same address, the wooden case is tt^ be made 

 double length : for three, triple length, and 

 so on. Where (lueeiis are shipped almost 

 dailv. these different-length cases can be 

 kept in stock. This makes a much stronger 

 packag<' than tving them together with 

 strings, or tacking them together with tacks, 

 as we have iiad ample experience: and it is 

 also a good deal (piic-ker done when you are 

 in a liurr\ to catch the mails. 



I see only one drawback to this cage, and 

 that is. thiit we can not cage a feeble (lueeii 

 directly over a piece of cotnb containing 

 iirood and unsealed honey, as you do the 

 Peet cane. I have not decided whether we 

 shall use it or not : but I give it to yon to 

 think about and experiment with, if you 

 wish. Here is what friend Costellow savs 

 about it: 



I send you loila\ a shipiu4)gand introducinjrcagc 

 If there is any thing- novel about it, 1 should like to 

 iia\e your comments. 1 do not claim thiscage to be 

 wholly (u-ig-inal. Put the (jueen and bees into the 

 cage throug-h the candy hole: fill with candy after 

 the bees arc all in. <". W. Costei.i.ow. 



Walerboro, Me., Sept. 7, I8S.-,. 



NOTES ON GLEANINGS FOR OCT. 15. 



some KIM 



>R1)S 



&LF.\.NlN(iS for <>ct. l-")tli is at hiuul, and is 

 worth to me more than the price of the en- 

 tire years subscription. Vour articles are 

 generally read liy me to the whole family 

 (there's a ?<(' of us too), and excite much fa- 

 \(ir;tl)l(' comnient and discussion. Says one, "That 

 ai-ticle (Our Homes) is worth live such sermons as 

 we heard from the pulpit to-day," and I heartily 

 agreed with the speaker. CiuUinue to give us jusl 

 such plain, lamliling. i>ractical talks, and you will 

 never lack for readers. Gleanings can not be 

 injured by inserting articles from such a Jirc man 

 as T. IJ. Terry, either, even If lie is not a bee-keeper. 



