342 A Modern Bee-Farm 
and the cells thus vacated are occupied by eggs laid by the 
confined queen. By this time there is not much doubt about 
the queen being accepted by the rest of the population, 
and she may be released. In this case it is evident that 
food must be present, therefore see that the cage also takes 
in an inch or more of sealed store. 
Self Introducing Mail Cages. 
It may be taken as a fact that the perforated zinc or wire 
netting covering so generally adopted in a non-practical 
application, is detrimental, and frequently defeats the object 
in view. 
The supposed object of the metal perforations is to 
prevent thé immediate destruction of the queen; while the 
fact is overlooked that this semi-contact only inflames the 
anger of the bees, and prolongs that undesirable condition, 
as with all caging methods. 
The wide Saw-cut sufficient. 
The -better plan is that provided by the Author from his 
earliest use of the mail cage—a wide saw-cut made through 
one end of the cage, and which also ensures more efficient 
ventilation than the small and almost useless pinholes so 
frequently used. This saw-cut allows of all-sufficient 
communication, while avoiding the needless anger aroused 
by the perforated metal sandwiched between the cage and 
the hive bees. 
A queen inserted by the mail cage should not be 
deprived of the workers, as she may thus be left indefinitely, 
and die before the bees can liberate her. 
DIRECT INTRODUCTION. 
A term first applied by myself in the year 1881, will be 
found much more simple than the foregoing, in that it 
enables the bee-keeper to insert a queen without loss of 
