798 



T-H® MBiEMIC'MIf BIJ® jQ>^mmmi^. 



with the escapes at the points of the 

 star, and it could be made double or 

 triple. The principle however re- 

 mains the same, viz : a horizontal es- 

 cape in the bee-space under the board. 

 I know that this escape will work per- 

 fectly, and it would be difficult to get 

 up anything cheaper. 



The cones can be made for a cent 

 each, and I do not figure the boards 

 anything, as they are worth all they 

 cost, for an inner cover. The cones 

 are tacked on with a few 2-ounce tacks, 

 and can readily be removed in a mo- 

 ment. I have another use for this 

 board, however, when the cones are 

 removed. I use just such a board 

 with one or two J-inch holes to place 

 tinder supers of finished sections. This 

 allows some bees to remain with the 

 honey, to protect it from moth, and 

 care for it, till it is thoroughly rip- 

 ened on the hive. This board is to 

 protect the honey from getting soiled 

 from the bees below, that constantly 

 travel over the dark brood-combs. 



I have been working with bee-es- 

 capes of various kinds during the last 

 season. Mr. John S. Reese, of Win- 

 chester, Ky., first called my attention 

 to his bee-escape, and I was greatly 

 pleased with the idea. 



Now I want to say right here, that 

 to Mr. Reese belongs the honor of in- 

 venting the first practical bee-escape, 

 and but for his invention mine would 

 never have been thought of. I would 

 not detract one iota from the credit so 

 justlj' due him, for bringing out, and 

 donating, his invention to the public. 



I soon discovered, however, that his 

 escape was not perfect, on account of 

 bees clustering and building comb in 

 the space required for the tube under 

 the board. Mr. Reese has obviated 

 this in a measure, by removing a sec- 

 tion from the super of empty sections 

 under it, and running the cone into it 

 temporarily. Of course, it must be re- 

 moved before much comb is built, and 

 the empty section returned, which is 

 not so easily done when the super is 

 full of bees ; and the T supports have 

 a disagreeable way of not letting the 

 section slip below the upper ridge of 

 the T. Then, too, when the last case 

 is removed, Mr. R. again uses the rim 

 of a super only under the escape-board. 

 This, even in cool weather, after honey 

 has ceased coming in, does not prevent 

 the bees clustering there, as found out 

 this fall. 



While I was trying to overcome 

 the foregoing objections in Mr. 

 R.'s bee-escape, I became convinced 

 that in order to make a perfect escape, 

 I must abandon the vertical principle, 

 and adopt a horizontal one. I tried to 

 use a common slatted honey-board, by 

 covering partly with rubber-cloth, but 



I soon abandoned it. I next made a 

 wire-cloth arrangement the size and 

 thickness of a honey-board, with V- 

 shaped escapes between the cloth. 

 This worked all x'ight, but was expen- 

 sive, and objectionable in many ways. 



Somehow I knew that I had the 

 right (horizontal) principle, and that 

 there must be no space under the es- 

 cape. Lately I wrote to Mr. Reese, 

 who made some well-grounded objec- 

 tions to this wire-cloth escape, but 

 thought it would work. I was not 

 satisfied with it myself, and felt that 

 something more simple could be in- 

 vented. With these thoughts on my 

 mind, I went to bed, and after a short 

 sleep, I awoke, and again commenced 

 thinking of bee-escapes. Then thinking 



Tlie Dibbern Bee-Escape. 



of my honey-protector, and my hori- 

 zontal cones, I put the two together, 

 and instantly almost exclaimed "Eu- 

 reka !" I had found it. The next 

 morning I hastily made the wire-cloth 

 cones, and attached them to the honey- 

 protector board, and I had a perfect 

 bee-escape — just the thing I wanted ! 



There is no patent on this bee-es- 

 cape, and I now give it to the bee- 

 keepers of the world. If Mr. Heddon 

 has as good one, he can keep it as 

 a great secret. The one hei-e described 

 is all that can be desired. I want bee- 

 keepers to give it a fair trial, and if it 

 is not the simplest, best and cheapest 

 thing out, they are at liberty to invent 

 a better one. I consider this the best 

 thing that I ever invented. If it will 

 lessen the cares, and labor, of our 

 favorite pursuit — bee-keeping — I will 

 feel well repaid. 



Milan, Ills. 



Hints to Re^inners. 



The truth which every beginner 

 should learn, and one that should stand out 

 with great prominence is, that a large force 

 of bees will do a large amount of work, and 

 that said force should be on hand just when 

 the labor or houey harvest is on hand. 

 Failing to have the workers on hand at this 

 time, means a failure to secure very much 

 of a harvest of houey. Therefore every ef- 

 fort should be made to secure a large stock 

 of working bees at the time, or times, when 

 the flowers yield the most honey, or when 

 the plants are iu bloom, which usually gives 

 the surplus ci-o]3.— American Rural Home. 



ILLINOIS. 



Report of the Union BccKeep- 

 ers' Convention. 



Written Sor the American Bee Journal 



BY J. M. HAMBADGH. 



The Union Bee-Keepers' Association 

 met at the Court House in Mt. Ster- 

 ling, Ills., at 10 o'clock a.m., on Thurs- 

 day, Oct. 23, 1889, and quite a number 

 of prominent bee-keepers were pres- 

 ent, and lent much eclat to the occa- 

 sion. 



In the absence of President Ogle, 

 ex-President S. N. Black, of Clayton, 

 was persuaded to officiate. The first 

 half day's meeting was somewhat in- 

 formal, and social discourse upon 

 sundry topics was freely indulged in. 

 The Secretary read an essay from W. 

 J. Cullinan, of Quincy, entitled, "In- 

 crease and Its Control," which was dis- 

 cussed as follows : 



Mr. C. P. Dadant said that increase 

 will never be fully under control. It 

 was somewhat against nature. 



Mr. Black — By introducing a queen 

 to a parent colony, immediately after 

 a swarm is cast, would prevent further 

 increase. 



Mr. Hambaugh asked for a remedy, 

 to cause bees to work in the sections. 



Mr. Smith puts on supers at the very 

 first indications of a honey-flow, before 

 the cells are drawn and become white. 



Mr. Dadant does not advocate re- 

 stricting the queen, but should have 

 unrestrained privileges to either sec- 

 tions or combs. 



Mr. Smith said that there was some 

 features not thoroughly understood 

 with regard to bees being in a normal 

 condition. They should have plenty 

 of nurse-bees, comb-builders, and 

 honey-gatherers. 



Mr. Dadant said that comb-building 

 was under the control of the bees, and 

 that bees would become gatherers 

 much sooner in life than 21 dajs, as 

 asserted by Mr. Smith. 



Treasurer J. G. Smith reported 17.25 

 in the treasury, and it being sufficient 

 to meet contingent expenses, no extra 

 charges will be made against the mem- 

 bei's. The old roll of members having 

 been misplaced, a new list was ordered 

 made. As there was no further busi- 

 ness, the "Query-Box" was opened. 



ITALIAN BEES VS. BLACKS. 



" How do Italian bees surpass the 

 blacks ?" 



Mr. Dadant — Black bees will starve 

 at times when Italians will prosper, 

 and the latter are superior in eveiy 

 way. 



Mr. Smith corroborated Mr. Dadant's 

 statement, and also stated that the 



