318 THB beb-kbkper's guidb ; 



As shown in the figure, the block from which the cage is made 

 has three holes bored almost through it, which do not touch, 

 but are connected by another smaller hole. The hole at one 

 end is ventilated by small holes, as seen in the figure. The 

 grooves prevent suffocation when the cage is wrapped or is 

 snug in the mail-bags. At the other end the hole is waxed, 

 and into this the candy is packed, and before the wire-gauze 

 is added comb foundation is laid on to preserve the moisture. 

 Over the wire-gauze, which covers the holes, wood is tacked. 

 The candy or food apartment has a corked opening at the end, 

 the others at the side. The food should never be honey. This 

 may daub the queen and cause her death. If the food consists 

 of hard candy, then the cage must contain a bottle of water, 

 the cork of which has a small opening, through which is 

 passed a small cotton string. These bottles are not satisfac- 

 tory, and so our queen-breeders have discovered a moist candy 

 which makes them unnecessary. Fig. 145 shows the cages 

 ready for mailing. 



THB "good" candy. 



This consists of powdered sugar moistened with the best 

 extracted honey. We are indebted to Mr. I. R. Good for this 

 cheap and excellent food, although a similar candy was recom- 

 mended in Germany by Scholz years ago. The only caution 

 required is to get it just moist enough to keep it soft, and not 

 so moist that it will drip at all. The honey is heated, but only 

 to thin it ; then the sugar is stirred in and kneaded. It should 

 stand two or three days. If too thin more sugar may be added. 

 For spring feeding, as before stated, it has been suggested to 

 stir in one-fourth of rye meal, to serve for pollen. In many 

 sections this is unnecessary. 



PREPARATIONS TO SHIP. 



We have only to catch the queen and about ten workers 

 and introduce them into the cage. We hold the cage in the 

 left hand with the thumb over the hole, to keep the bees in, 

 and with the right hand pick up the queen and eight or ten 

 worker-bees — bright ones, neither very young nor old — by 

 grasping the wings with thumb and index finger, and put 

 them into the cage. Close the opening by inserting the cork, 

 and our queen is ready to mail, 



