128 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



The horizontal escape is all right, and is 

 the only perfect bee escape that can be de- 

 pended upon between full supers and full 

 hives — or else I am greatly mistaken. 



C. H. DiBBEBN. 



Fbiend H.- 



Milan, Illinois. 

 June 10, 1890. 

 I sent you, a few days ago, 

 one of my new bee escapes. You will see 

 that it is qaite different from most of the 

 horizontal escapes. The main features are 

 entirely new, and my own invention. This 

 is the result of many experiments, and I be- 

 lieve it will "fill the bill." I have emptied 

 numerous supers in which the bees had com- 

 menced work, also full hives used as supers 

 over strong colonies. In no instance were 

 there more than half a dozen bees left after 

 the escape had been on three hours. 



If this escape will not suit "Rambler,"! 

 fear he will have to get along without any. 



I would like to have you give it an early 

 trial. It is likely that I can get it up in 

 neater shape. I am in no hurry to publish 

 this, as I wish to be perfectly sure that it is 

 something better than we have ever had be- 

 fore. 



I also hope that not many will claim this 

 as their invention, as it is certainly original 

 with me, and was decided upon from a num- 

 ber of different escapes with which I have 

 experimented. C. H. Dibbekn. 



In an article contributed to the ^4. B. J., 

 and published in the issue of of June 28, Mr. 

 Dibbernsays; — 



"Most of them (the various bee escapes. 

 Ed. Review. ) will work all right when placed 

 over an empty super, or wherever the old 

 style Reese escape would work. They will 

 prove unsatisfactory, however, if placed 

 directly over a strong colony, or between 

 extracting combs and the main hive. When 

 thus placed, it is a fact that bees will fill the 

 escapes full, and seem to be able to conduct 

 other bees through the escapes both ways. 

 The bees, of course, will continue to occupy 

 the supers. The same thing haiJjiens when 

 they cluster on the cone of the old Reese 

 escape. 



I have noticed where bees cluster on the 

 apex of the tent escape, or at the escape on 

 windows of the honey house, when many 

 bees have been carried in, robbing is speed- 

 ily started. 



It will not do to make the outlets so small 

 that workers can barely get through, as 

 drones would get clogged, and die there. All 

 these difficulties have set me to thinking and 

 further experimenting. 



I soon made some important discoveries, 

 and now have an entirely new escape that 

 works like a charm. Yes, sir ; the horizon- 

 tal bee escape is a perfect success ; and, in 

 my opinion, is the only practical one. With 

 this new escape, I have cleaned the bees out 

 of hives that were used as upper stories, and 

 in which they were storing honey, in just 

 two hours. It cleans out every bee ! In 

 making many tests, I have never failed, and 

 I am confident that I now have the escape 

 that will Jill fhet)iU." 



WiNOHESTEB, Kentucky. 



Me. W. Z. Hutchinson, May 29, 1890. 



Dear sir : Yours of 

 the 22nd is received. The fii-st escape I used 

 and desribed was made with double cones 

 over an incli Itole. You know I now use a 

 larger hole with much better success. What 

 kind did the " Rambler" use ? Certainly, he 

 isn't one of those fellows who can't make 

 anything work. Possibly, he might have 

 expected too much in too short a time. If 

 you will put me in personal corresrondence 

 with the rambling "Rambler," I think I 

 can get him started right, and he may yet be 

 happy. 



I have used the cone escape under almost 

 every conceivable condition, and with the 

 same general results. Sometimes the bees 

 went down sooner than at other times, but 

 I don't remember that it ever took them 

 three days. In most cases, when the escape 

 is put on at any time during the day, say in 

 afternoon or evening, the case will bee clear 

 of bees by the next morning. I mean prac- 

 tically clear ; some of the cases may have a 

 dozen bees, others a hundred or so. I would 

 think the escape a good thing if it would 

 only clear out two-thirds of the bees in 24 

 hours. Wouldn't you ? 



If I were tlie only one who had made a 

 success in the use of this escape, I would not 

 be so clamorous for a " place," as the hive 

 men say, but there are many others who have 

 succeeded. H, P. Langdon, of East Con- 

 stable, N. Y., would write you a good article 

 on escapes, as he has had them in practical 

 use the past two seasons. He has simplified 

 my vertical cone escape by using a Ig inch 

 board with a 2^.^ inch hole and the cover in 

 shape and size like a small individual butter 

 plate, the exit being in the center. 



Don't you think that the editors of bee pa- 

 pers, those who are good practical bee-keep- 

 ers like yourself, ought to test these little 

 devices for the benefit of their patrons ? 

 Any inventor would furnish the necessary 

 devices free lo those who would give them a 

 thorough test according to instructions, 

 which is all-important, you know. 



Jno. S. Reese. 



WiNOHESTEB, Keutucky. 

 Friend H.— June 16, 1890. 



The enclosed unsolicited let- 

 ter speaks for itself, and is worthy of a place 

 in your valuable paper. 



I would like the "Rambler" to see this 

 letter, as I think he hasn't one of my im- 

 proved, horizontal escapes. If I knew his 

 address, I would send him one. 



Jno. S. Reese. 



Here is the letter enclosed by Mr. Reese. 



Lexington, Kentucky. 



Friend Reese. — June 18, 18tK). 



I am happy to be able 

 to say that your horizontal bee escapes work 

 to perfection. 



Day before yesterday I put on four of 

 yours and one of Dibbern's. The hives were 

 three stories high with the brood all in the 

 lower stories, and the top stories full of 

 bees and honey. In twenty-four hours, or 



