1904 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



71 



A VISIT TO THB APIARY OF MR. 

 STAKKEY, EVANSTON, ILL. 



E. E. 



Some Ideas which may Serve as Suggestions. 



BY H. H. ROOT. 



[Huber, or H. H., is the youngest member of The 

 A. I. Root Co. While attendino; the Northwes'ern 

 University, near Chicago, he visited Mr. Starkey. 

 At tha tiine he took several photos which are here 

 reproduced. — Ed.] 



A few weeks ajro I had the opportunity 

 of looking- over Mr. E. E. Starkey's yard. 

 Some of his ideas interested me so much 

 that r asked permission to illustrate them 

 for Glf.anings. 



A HANDY DEVICE TO HOLD FRAMES WHILE 

 UNCAPPING. 



The first thing- that caught my attention 

 in his workshop was a sort of frame pivoted 

 at the bottom, and hung by a spring- from 

 the ceiling (see Fig. 1). This proved to be 



FIG. 1. — starkey's UNCAPPING - frame 

 HOLDER. 



FIG. 2.— starkey's cloth HIVE-COVER. 



a device for holding the frames while un- 

 capping. A glance at the illustration will 

 make the idea clear. 



With one hand the upright stick or han- 

 dle above the frame is grasped and pulled 

 downward. This raises the two points on 

 the ends of the pieces attached to the han- 

 dle; and when the comb is placed in the 

 holder upon the two lower points the tension 

 of the spring from the ceiling above pulls 

 up on the handle, thus lowering the two up- 

 per points and tightly clamping the comb. 

 This seems like a complicated apparatus 

 for so small an operation; but atrial would 

 convince any one that it is a good idea. 

 The material costs only a few cents, and 

 the whole thing could be made in an hour's 

 time. I myself tried placing a frame of 

 comb in the holder, and it was just like 

 handing it to some one to hold for me, for 

 the iron points immediately clutched the 

 frame and held it firmly. Then when I 

 wished to take it out a slight pull on the 

 handle released it. This device will, of 

 course, turn round, allowing each side of 

 the comb to be uncapped; and it will also 

 tip down or back in order that the honey 

 and cappings may drop away from the 

 comb into the pan beneath. 



