34 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTA.GE GARDENER. 
[ January 12, 183®. 
small door at the bottom of the cage, and allows the queen to enter 
the hive without further disturbance. Of this description of cage 
the “ Raynor ” is perhaps as useful as any. The method of using 
cages of this description is to first imprison in the selected cage for 
a period of twelve hours, the queen removed from the stock, then 
take her away with as little disturbance as possible, by allowing her 
to come out through the door at the top of the cage—using a little 
smoke if necessary—next placing the queen, which it is desired to 
substitute for her, in the cage in her stead, and leaving the stock 
quiet for another twenty-four hours, when by pressing the wire at 
the top of the cage the bottom door is opened and the queen 
descends into the hive, and is generally received and allowed to 
reign in peace. In every case it is decidedly advantageous to feed 
gently any stock which is being requeened, taking care that the 
queen is able to get free access either to the feed-bottle or to the 
honey in the cells to which her cage is fixed or adjoins. 
Mr. Cheshire, however, prefers the “Alley” cage to the 
“ Raynor,” and states as his reason one which bears the imprint of 
sound common sense, and that is that in the “ Raynor” cage “the 
queen has, if surrounded by angry bees, no spot where she can for 
a moment remain without attempted attack, and although the wire 
cloth is fine—about fifteen meshes to the inch—no sooner is the foot 
set down than one of the mob is struggling to seize it, necessitating 
perpetual movement. Feeding is impossible under the circum¬ 
stances, to which he attributes his not infrequent losses when he 
gave the ‘ Raynor ’ cage a fair trial now many years ago. With 
the ‘ Alley ’ cage, however excited and unfriendly the stock, the 
queen on any part of the circumference of the hole is beyond the 
touch of her enemies, so that she can rest and sip at her candy if 
she will.” 
Having no personal experience in the use of the “ Alley ” cage; 
it may be as well to follow the example of Mr. Cheshire in his ex¬ 
cellent work, and give Mr. Alley’s own description of it, which in 
Bees and Bee-keeping” is as follows ;—“ Take a block of wood 
3 inches long, 2 inches wide, and half an inch thick, and bore 
through it a l:j-inch hole, half-inch from one end. Then cut the 
slot or mortise from the hole to the end of the cage or block, being 
careful not to cut out more than enough to allow the bees to pass 
through after the wire cloih is fastened on. Now cover both sides 
w’ith fine cloth, cut the tin rest inch long and three-quarter inch 
wide, and fasten it to one end of the cage by driving a nail through 
the centre of it and into the block, which it will hold between the 
frames.” 
Sufficient has now been said to explain the methods of intro¬ 
duction by caging. There are, of course, many more kinds of 
cages, each one differing in some respects from the other, but the 
“ Pipe Cover,” “ Raynor,” and “ Alley ” cages are fairly repre¬ 
sentative of their different classes, and are most generally in use. 
Occasionally it is necessary to cage a queen, and especially a virgin, 
for twelve, and occasionally for twenty-four or even thirty-six 
hours longer than under ordinary circumstances. If a great uproar 
is noticed at the entrance to a stock soon after a queen has been 
released, there is more than ground for suspicion that the queen is 
encasvsd and in danger of being killed by the too close, yet not 
loving embraces, of her rebellious people. The stock should then 
at once be examined, and the queen recaged for another period. 
The time is fast approaching, and for all practical purposes has 
already come, only bee-keepers are at present rather too con¬ 
servative in their ideas to adopt it and to realise its full value> 
when bees may successfully be induced to accept a queen intro¬ 
duced by the “Direct Introduction” method; a plan which has 
the advantage of simplicity, and will in a very short time effect 
.a revolution in the methods of introduction at present practised 
In the next paper this method shall be discussed, together with 
certain means other than caging which are occasionally adopted 
when circumstances happen to be favourable for their use. I must, 
however, decline to be dragged into the controversy which has 
ately been carried on respecting the author of this new method; 
but must ask those readers who think that the credit lies with a 
certain individual, and also those who think that another person 
should have the praise, to leave for the moment such vexed 
questions, and only endeavour, without apportioning praise or 
blame to either side, to grasp the main principles upon which it 
is necessary to work if success is to attend their efforts.—F elix. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
E. J. Jarman, Chard, Som rsetshire. —Catalogue of Choice New Seeds 
for the Kitchen and, Flower Garden. 
Wm. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, Herts.— Catalogues of Seeds and 
Garden Sundries. 
T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham. — Catalogue of New, 
Fare, and Choice Flower Seeds, Gladioli, Begonias, Gloxinias, <5’c. 
Little & Ballantyne, Carlisle.— Seed List, 1888. 
Barr & Son, 12 and 13, King Street, Covent Garden, London.— 
Bescriptice Spring Catalogue of Choice Seeds for Flower and Kitchen 
Garden, 1888. 
Arthur Robinson, 8 , Leadenhall Street, London, E.C. — Illustrated 
Seed Catalogue, 1888. 
J. R. Pearson & Sons, 2, Exchange Row, Nottingham.— Descriptive 
List of Garden Seeds, 1888. 
Dobbie & Co, Rothesay, N.B.— Catalogue of 8eeds and Plants, 1888. 
Benjamin Soddy, 243, Walworth Road, London, S.E.— Sgyring Cata¬ 
logue for 1888. 
Charles Sharpe & Co., Sleaford.— Catalogue of Garden and Farm 
Seeds, 1888. 
J. Cheal & Sons, Lowfield Nurseries, Crawley. Sussex.— Catalogue of 
Vegetable and Flower Seeds, 1888. 
E. P. Dixon & Sous, Hull.— Catalogue of Garden and Farm Seeds, 
1888. 
Thomas Laxton, Bedford. —List of Flower and Yegetahle Seeds, 1888. 
James Dickson & Sons, 108, Eastgate Street, Chester.— Catalogue of 
Vegetable and Flower Seeds, Roots, Ac. 
Kent& Brydon, Darlington. —General Seed Catalogue. 
* 55 ,® All correspondence should be directed either to “ The 
Editor” or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to Dr. 
Hogg or members of the staff often remain unopened un¬ 
avoidably. We request that no one will write privately 
to any of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to 
unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 
relating to Gardening and those on Bee subjects, and should 
never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended for insertion should be written on one side of 
the paper only. We cannot reply to questions through the 
post, and we do not undertake to return rejected communica¬ 
tions. 
Oas Tar in Plant Houses {Forhes'). —It is injurious to plants 
whether applied to hot-water pipes, walls, or stages, and you had better 
not be tempted to try the experiment. 
Cement for Pipe Sockets (A Oates'). —We have seen pipes 
jointed with cement with the most satisfactory results. They were 
fixed twenty years ago, and there has not been a leak nor a crack in one 
of the joints. Hempen yarn was first placed firmly in, following with 
cement, but not filling quite flush with the outside. 
Hival Chrysanthemum Shows (A. Ij. //.).—Our space this week 
was filled to overflowing when your letter arrived, and as negotiations 
may possibly be in progress during the week its insertion in a subsequent 
issue might be untimely. We trust a decision satisfactory to all parties 
may be arrived at without further public discussion. 
Heating' Class Structures (^Cambridge). —If jou send a plan 
drawn to scale of the house to be heated, showing also the position of 
the existing boiler, stating its character, size, and length of pipes 
attached, indicating also the configuration of the ground between the 
two houses, we think we shall be able to afford you reliable information. 
No charge is made for answering questions in this column on any 
subjects on which information is desired. 
Chrysanthemums for Decoration (//. II. C.). —The following 
are suitable for greenhouse decoration, and with good culture make fine 
specimen plants, bearing good sized blooms when one only is allowed on 
each stem :—Incurved—Mrs. G. Rundle, Mrs. Dixon, Mr. G. Glenny, 
