1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



813 



would look better on a round plate than an ob- 

 long.— Ed] 



"TuEKE IS NOT A TITHE of adulteration of 

 honey that there was S or 10 and more years ago 



. . . Through the efforts of the different 

 bee-keepers' associations in New York, the 

 New England State Bee-keepers' Union, and 

 the International Bee-keepers' Association, the 

 evil has been put down— so much so that at this 

 tinae adulteration is but seldom practiced." So 

 says Geo. Spi iter, in the Ohio Farmer. I wish 

 Mr. Syiiter would specify a few of the things 

 the Union, International, and other associations 

 have done. [I can not but wonder where Mr. 

 Spilter has been keeping himself. He does not 

 appear to be familiar with the recent issues of 

 the American Bee Journal nor with this jour- 

 nal, or else he would not make a statement so 

 wide of the real facts. If he were to go with 

 some bee keepers whom I could name, into the 

 Chicago market, he would have his eyes open- 

 ed. Yes, indeed, I wish Mr. Spilter would 

 specify a few of the things that the Union, In- 

 ternational, and other associations have done 

 in the way of fighting adulteration. The draw- 

 ing up of resolutions really amounts to nothing. 

 What is needed is some detective work followed 

 up by good legal talent and good laws to bring 

 the adulterators to justice — Ed.] 



We can go one better than J. F. Bolden, of 

 Tulare, Gal. He had one horse killed by bee- 

 stings. G A bee-keeper in this county had two 

 horses stung to death. 



About the same time a bee keeper was run 

 over by the cars at Santa Monica, in this coun- 

 ty. He wa? killed. Verdict was rendered that 

 he had on too big a jag of tanglefoot— charita- 

 bly supposed to have been taken as an antidote 

 for beestings. 



Joseph Moffatt of this city (Los Angeles), 

 who has made quite a fortune in bee-keeping, 

 soon goes to Central America. lie will take 

 with him a few colonies of bees. Some portions 

 of Central America are noted for honey produc- 

 tion, and quite equal to Cuba. 



Mexico is al.-o attracting much attention as a 

 honey producing country. New migrations and 

 developments must be looked for in the near 

 future. 



Some of our veteran bee-keepers who have 

 been long residents of California argue that it 

 does not pay to feed bees here during a dry 

 season. They say let the bees die that can not 

 take care of themselves. Those that are vig- 

 orous enough to live through will make up all 

 deficiencies when the good season does come. 



There are many, however, who differ with 

 the veterans, and feeding is largely in practice 

 at present in California; and we predict that 

 those who feed will get a crop of honey another 

 year, wnile those vets who do nob feed will 

 barely get their empty hives filled. 



Is it not about time for that item charging 

 Madam Mojeska with having 600 colonies of 

 bees to be stopped from swinging around among 

 the newspapers? The following from Dr. Gal- 

 lup, of Sinta Anna, settles the matter right: 

 "I have known the madame's apiarian for a 

 number of years. I saw the young man to-day, 

 Oct. 7. He says she has 12.") olonies, mostly 

 pure Italians, in bad condition. The bees have 

 been fed quite an amount, and they are soon to 

 be moved to the valley to winter. So you now 

 have the facts from headquarters," says the 

 doctor. 



Note what Dr. Butler says about secondhand 

 oil cans on page 752. It is evident that he is a 

 thorough cleanser of cans; but the bee-keepers 

 of California are not all Dr. Butlers, and in a 

 majority of cases where oil cans are used there 

 is more or less carelessness in cleaning, and 

 several cases of honey come under condemna- 

 tion. Perhaps a well-cleaned oii-can will an- 

 swer for a low grade of honey; but for the best 

 grades of honey the trade begins to call quite 

 loudly for the use of new cans. 



Furthermore, second-hand gasoline and oil 

 cans are not so plentiful as formerly. Oil is 

 being shipped in bulk, and peddled out to the 

 consumer; ana while Dr. li. can buy cans for 8 

 cts., good second hand cans and a case cost 

 almost as much as new cans and cases in this 

 southern country. On the whole, new cans and 

 cases should be the motto of every progressive 

 bee-keeper. 



BEE-ESCAFES. 



A MULTIPTiR EXFT BRR-ESCAPE TWICE AS K\PID 



AS TUK S(.\GLK EXIT; DlBBEIt.V's LATEST 



WITHOUT DOOUS OK Sl'KINGS. 



By C. H. Dibbern. 



I was greatly interested in the article on page 

 53,5, by Mr. Reddish, on his bee-escape; and al- 

 though it is not very clear, I think I have the 

 idea. As you request in a footnote a reply 

 from those having had experience with escapes, 

 I have concluded to have my say once more, 

 although I have written so much on the sub- 

 ject in the past that perhaps now silence would 

 be golden. 



I believe I was the originator of the modern 

 bee-escape, and think Mr. John S. Reese, of 

 Kentucky, will recognize the drawing sent you 

 herewith as similar to the first drawing sent 

 him, only that then I used wire cloth instead of 

 wooden boards. This was in 18S9, and I have 

 been experimenting on this line ever since, 

 having tried more than one hundred different 



