90 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 1. 



piid two by three inches, that had capped brood 

 In it. 



The second tree cut was a larger hive— six 

 feet high, top and bottom running to a point 

 like the otlier; lower end, four combs; top only 

 one comb for the last six inches; the middle of 

 the hive had eight combs 2}4 feet; entrance, a 

 round knot iiole l>-2 inches in diameter, just be- 

 low the largest part of the hive. This colony 

 had brood in one comb, three inches wid<.' and 

 six inches high, and was also in the very lowest 

 part of the hive. Those trees were cut about 

 the middle of October, and in height were 

 equal to a six or seven story L. hive. I will ask 

 Mr. C. A. Hatch how it happens that all the 

 brood there was in those two hives was at the 

 very bottom. He says it is easy to get the 

 queen to go up, but not down. It is just as 

 easy for me to see how the queen will go down 

 as readily as up. I always find the queen, in 

 the spring, laying in the highest empty comb, 

 or just below the honey; and if left to them- 

 selves she will keep the same place all summer 

 — that is. just below the honey; when the hon- 

 ey-flow comes on she will be driven down and 

 down; and if the honey continues to come she 

 will be driven to the very bottom. In the same 

 way. the queen will follow the honey up when 

 there is none coming in. The bees use the low- 

 est honey first; so the queen works up and 

 down according to circumstances, but keeps 

 just below the honey. 



Platteville. Wis. 



BEE ESCAPES. 



THE DAYTON RSOAPK ORITiriSED; NO ADVAN- 



TAOE IN IIAVMNO MORE THAN ONE WAY 



OF KSCAPK: AN INTI KESTING 



AND VALUABLE AUTICLE. 



liU R. A- E. a. P.nter. 



Mr. Editnr:—]n reference to the Dayton es- 

 cape, and his articles regarding it and escapes 

 in general, permit us to say that, when the ar- 

 ticle describing it appeared in Gleanings, and 

 you asked for the experience of others with it or 

 similar devices, we refrained from responding 

 because we dislike exceedingly to do any thing 

 that savors of " ax-grinding," and do not now 

 wish to say any thing for publication; but in 

 view of what he says in Jan. 1 Gleanings we 

 think a few words with you personally regard- 

 ing the matter may not be out of place. 



Mr. Dayton's theories are. perhaps, plausible; 

 but some of these, as well as the claims he 

 makes for his device, and his statement of the 

 results of his experiments with the Porter es- 

 cape, are at variance with our experience. 



In 1800 we tested many forms of trap-door 

 escapes; but all. sooner or later, proved to be 

 impracticable for gpneral use, on account of 

 difficulties arising from propolis and corrosion, 

 and none were found to show any points of 

 ."superiority over properly made spring escapes. 



The form inclosed proved the most nearly suc- 

 cessful of any; but in occasional instances, this 

 too was propolized so as to prevent its working. 



For experimentation, a number of boards 

 were filled with this form, some with one 

 escape opening into the brood-chamber in the 

 usual way, some having one opening into the 

 brood-chamber, and in addition thereto having 

 one placed in the rim or cleat of the board, 

 opening outside the hive, and admitting light 

 directly to the super, both ends of the body of 

 the escape being open, and some having an 

 escape only in the rim of the board. All of 

 these were carefully tested, comparatively. 

 The first arrangement was found eqnal to the 

 other two in all respects, and superior in some. 

 The addition of an escape to the rim of the 

 board, and opening outside the hive, admitting 

 light to the super, was not found to shorten the 

 time occupied by the bees in leaving the super 

 in any instance; but. on the contrary, it proved 

 objectionable on account of attracting robber- 

 bees, and causing disturbance of the apiary. 

 With the same device, and at the same time, 

 Mr. S. A. 8huck, of Liverpool, 111., made for us 

 substantially the same experiments that we 

 made, and with the same results. You will 

 notice that the swinging-gate, or door, in the 

 escape sent you is so delicate that bees in pass- 

 ing under it will pay practically no attention 

 to it. In fact, it is far more delicate than is 

 necessary. 



The following clipping from the directions 

 sent out with the Porter escape is a concise 

 statement of the reason that it is made in its 

 present form : 



One escape to tho board is sufiicieiit. Extensive 

 experiments have sliown that a Inrgrer number, or 

 one bavins' greater cxitcapacity, will do the work no 

 more rapidlj'. Also that tlie circulation of air 

 through the escape supplies t be super at all times 

 with sufficient ventilation. 



Before the permanent form of the Porter escape 

 was finally decided on, neither time, pains, nor ex- 

 pense was spared to determine the best jiossible 

 form. For an entire season it was carefully tested 

 by several expert l)ee-keepers in a \-Avge number of 

 different forms, embracing those in which the bees 

 passed out under the springs, those in which they 

 passed out over them, tliose in wliich tliey passed 

 out Ijetween them, tliose in wliicli they passed out 

 between them and the sides of the escape, those 

 having exits vary ing in number from one to a dozen, 

 and those in wliich perforated tin was used for the 

 tops, also for both tops and bodies. After carefully 

 considering the excellencies and defects of all, the 

 form that is now known to the public was decided 

 on as in every way the best; and the universal fa- 

 vor with which it has been received after large and 

 extensive use in all parts of the world leads us to 

 believe that we have made no mistake in our 

 choice; but if we ever find that we have, we shall 

 be only too willing to change it. 



On August 4, lm^^. after reading Mr. Dayton's 

 criticisms of escapes in the Review, we took the 

 pains to send him by mail four I'orter escapes 



