734 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Skpt. 15. 



or obstructions such as springs or trap-doors 

 are necessary in a complete bee-escape. It Is 

 no labyrinth, but a system of plain passage- 

 ways. The bees travel less than four inches 

 from the entrance to the outlet of the escape, 

 and they pass through much more rapidly than 

 where obstructions are used. The body of the 

 escape is made of one piece of tin, with proper 

 holes for ventilation, and outlet of bees. The 

 ventilator directly under the inlet also serves 

 to di'aw the bees out of the super. 



[We have tried the escape illustrated in the 

 engraving. It does not stem to free the super 

 as quick as the Porter. I suspect the reason is, 

 that the bees sort o' get lost in getting out, 

 though further trials may siiow different re- 

 sults.] 



^ — I ^ 



BEES ON SHAKES. 



DIBBERN S IMPROVED BEE-ESCAPE. 



This escape is plain and simple. There is no 

 delicate machinery to get out of fix, and bees do 

 not find their way back through it, no matter 

 how crowded the hive may be. All parts of the 

 interior of the escape can be seen: and should 

 any clogging ever occur, which is not likely, it 

 can be easily cleaned by removing the middle 

 strip and springing up the wire cloth, or remov- 

 ing it entirely. It can be I'eadily replaced. 

 This escape ventilates the super better than 

 any other, and this point is of great importance 

 in hot weather. 



While I have given a great deal of time and 

 study to perfecting what I call my principle. I 

 have not overlooked what can be done with 

 springs, traps, etc. Out of some half a dozen 

 devices on this plan. I have produced a little 

 escape only 1^4x4 inches, that pleases me great- 

 ly. It is made on the flood-gate pi'inciple. The 

 little gates ai'e made of broom wire, in such a 

 way that the bees from the hive side can not 

 reach the hinges, and cause trouble by propolis. 

 The great advantage in this escape is, that five 

 or six bees can escape through it at once, and 

 not a bee can get back. I do not see where 

 there can be any trouble, and I have had a 

 number in use for some time; but should the 

 working parts ever become sticky, they can be 

 readily cleaned by putting the escapes into 

 boiling watei". I have found this to be the 

 most rapid escape I have ever tried, and have 

 named it the " Little Giant." It is advertised 

 in this number of Gleanings. In making my 

 num(>rous experiments I have been gi'eatly aid- 

 ed by the fact that I have a tin-shop, and can 

 do oi'dinai-y tinner's work. I would get an idea 

 of a device, and at once make it myself; and 

 before night I would find out what the bees 

 thought of it. In this way I soon knew wheth- 

 er an idea was practical or not, and what 

 changes ought to be made. 



The escape-boards may be made of any 

 thickness from f^ to }i inch. These boards 

 make the very best covers for supers, and are 

 also good covers for brood-chambers while in 

 winter quarters. It is a good plan to have as 

 many escape-boards as there are hives, with 

 the holes foi' escapes all cut to a uniform size. 

 These holes should be closed with little pieces 

 of board, with tin on the upper side. Now, 

 when a super is removed, when cleared of bees 

 it is only necessary to exchange the escape for 

 the wooden jilug. and the bees need not lie 

 greatly disturbed. This plan will be found a 

 great advantage over removing tlie Ijoards 

 every lime a super is taken off. 



Milan. 111. C. H. Dibberx. 



THE PRACTICE DEFENDED; FORM OF CON- 

 TRACT; HOW TO AVOID DI.SAGREEMENTS, ETC 



Other woi'k taking nearly all of my time, I 

 get only glimpses of Gleanincis and "the bee- 

 world. I see that knotty problem, " bees on 

 shares." is still a topic under discussion. You 

 and I will disagree. The plan is a good one for 

 both parties many times. A wants employment, 

 and perhaps wants to build up his apiary. B 

 has an apiary that he can not sell to advantage, 

 and does not care to; yet health, or other busi- 

 ness more profitable, prevents him from woi'k- 

 ing bees himself. Why not one help the other? 

 There has been but little lime in eighteen 

 years that I have not woi'ked or let bees, rang- 

 ing from a few colonies to whole apiaries; and 

 to the liest of my knowledge there has never 

 been a bit of dissatisfaction. This is due. I 

 think, to three points. 1. Give and take what 

 experience has taught would prohably be fair 

 to both parties in that localitu; 2. A fair un- 

 derstanding in the begiiuiing, each party hav- 

 ing a copy of the conti'act; 3. A knowledge of 

 your man. I would not think of letting a man 

 have my bees, of whom I had the least suspi- 

 cion of dishonesty. I should also prefer to have 

 them in the hands of a man who '" makes haste 

 slowly" in the way of new-fangled things. 

 You let your bees for profit, not for experimen- 

 tal purposes. I should not like to take bees 

 from one that had no knowledge of bees or con- 

 ditions affecting the honey-flow. A poor season 

 might be the cause of losing a good friend. In 

 localities where there is always a good honey- 

 flow, the danger in this direction would be 

 greatly lessened. 



The main points in my last contract are, A 

 owns stock, B experience. B takes the stock 

 (and in this case the fixtures on hand are loaned 

 by A), furnishes the yard and tools necessary 

 for working the same; does the work, and re- 

 ceives for his compensation half of surplus in- 

 crease of stock, and half of any other profits 

 arising therefrom, including the sale of queens, 

 nuclei, wax, etc.. A and B to share equally the 

 expense, except that of labor; settlement" and 

 division to be made on or after Oct. 1st of each 

 year. Should A and B fail to agree on the di- 

 vision of stock it will be left to tlie decision of 

 three disinterested persons, one of whom is se- 

 lected by A, one by B. the two to select a thiid. 

 The action of the "" board " is to be final. Ex- 

 pense of arbitration is borne equally by A and 

 B. B is to leave all colonies in good condition 

 for winter, with not less than 2,5 lbs. of honey 

 per colony. This is not to be consti'ued to mean 

 that, in case there is not sufficient natural 

 stoi'es gathered, B is to feed to make good the 

 deficit. 



What is the original stock to be retui'ned? 

 Is it the swarm issuing, tlie one remaining in 

 the old hive, or an equal number in good condi- 

 tion ? A and B usually use a different style of 

 hive, hence it has been my practice to increase 

 naturally, giving A the first. B the second, A 

 the third, and so on, the old hive with the new 

 queen lemaining oi'iginal stock. 



I think an agreement of this kind, changed to 

 suit different localities and conditions, can be 

 made satisfactory to both parties.- 



Lima, Ohio, Aug. 28. J. K. McCErRG. 



