1903 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



HOCHSTEIN'S UNCAPPING COMB-HOLDER. 



629 



An Excellent Device. 



BY C. F. HOCHSTEIN. 



Having- become interested in the bee busi- 

 ness I had, of course, uncapping- to do 

 when the honey season began, and I nat- 

 urally beg-an to look about for some device 

 to hold the combs while I was engaged in 

 uncapping them. I found that a great 

 many bee-keepers balanced their combs on 

 a nail-point while uncapping them. After 

 trying this way for a while I became dis- 

 gusted with it. First, it was too slow. 

 Second, it was difficult to put the frame al- 

 ways on top of the nail with one hand. 

 Third, it bruised the end-bars of the frames. 

 Fourth, it occasionally allowed the combs 

 to slip off; and, all together, it was a very 

 shipshod contrivance. I then set to work 

 to make something- better; and after a series 

 of experiments, and the making of some ten 

 or fifteen dift'erent models, of which I will 

 say nothing, I finally evolved the comb- 

 clutch in the engraving-. The cross-bar I 



fits on to the rim of the uncapping-can just 

 as the cross-bar in a honej'-extractor does. 

 The strip of tin, K, is to hold the point of 

 the pivot J, which is inserted through the 

 hole N, in the cross-bar I; the top end of 

 the pivot fits into the foundation-block F. 

 Next is the horizontal pivot-block, which 

 works on the pivot D. On to this block are 

 affixed the fixed jaw B and the movable 

 jaw B M (the tops of both of these jaws are 

 lined with lead). Into the movable jaw is 

 screwed the weight H, which opens the 

 jaws, when the comb is withdrawn. The 

 catch G is to catch the weight. It can be 

 shoved down sidevpise when the machine 

 needs cleaning, as when it is down the 

 jaws can be opened much wider. 



There is a certain point that the jaws 

 must be opened to in uncapping, as when 

 the jaws open beyond this point the comb is 

 apt to slip. The lead jaws are to prevent 

 the knife from cutting- away the jaws. 

 Soft wood wears away rapidly; and any 

 thing- like iron dulls the knife too rapidly. 

 The pivot-holds are made so that the mov- 

 .able top part (i. e., all above them) can not 



lop over beyond a certain angle, as it is 

 with this as with the jaws — if the top lops 

 over further, the comb slips. 



While this machine is not so cheap as 

 the nail contrivance, it is not so trashy 

 either; and 1 venture to say that a man, be- 

 ing- equally expert with It and with the 

 nail, can uncap from two to three combs 

 with it while he is uncapping one on the 

 nail, besides having his frames left whole. 

 I am basing m}' statement on my experi- 

 ence here. I have endeavored to make this 

 machine fill all possible requirements, and 

 I will now leave it to the bee-keepers to 

 say which is the best — that or the nail. 

 I think they will find it not onlj' best but 

 cheapest in the long run, as it saves time. 

 That ^^hich once is past can never be re- 

 gained. It may also save some hard words, 

 which it is altogether possible are some- 

 times directed at the innocent nail. 



[If I am not mistaken, I have alluded to 

 this device before. I saw it at the Hochstein 

 apiary, and our 3'oung- friend who invented 

 it took a comb and explained to me fully 

 the way in which it worked. In his hands 

 it seemed to be a decided improvement over 

 anj' thing- heretofore used. If I am correct, 

 the comb would stick in place sufficiently 

 to hold its position while the operator hap- 

 pened to be busy at something else. I wish 

 other bee-keepers might test it. All who 

 are in want of the machine had better cor- 

 respond with the inventor direct. His ad- 

 dress is C. F. Hochstein, Paradero de Pun- 

 ta Brava, Cuba. — A. I. R.] 



SHALLOW VS. FULL DEPTH SUPERS. 



Prevention of Swarming. 



BY W. K. MORRISON. 



I foresaw that my stand on the question 

 of starters would meet with strong- opposi- 

 tion, particularly by conservative people 

 who dislike an innovation. But, like the 

 old darky preacher down in Richmond, I 

 believe "the sun do move," and, if so, so 

 does bee-keeping. To Mr. Gill I will say 

 I know what Colorado winters are like, 

 particularly as it was in one of them I near- 

 ly froze to death; and the heat — well, oh my! 

 But it is a g-ood place for bee-keeping-. The 

 best way to settle a question of this nature 

 is to try an experiment, and I hope Mr. 

 Gill will try it and give us a report for or 

 against. Still, before going any further I 

 will clear the air by stating I do not believe 

 in swarms, either forced or natural. Both 

 mean much hard work, and that goes 

 against the laziness of mj' nature. But 

 supposing Mr. Gill puts a swarm, either 

 forced or otherwise, into an Ideal super fit- 

 ted with full sheets of wired super founda- 

 tion, leaving the bees to get settled in it, say 

 36 hours before adding on the super with 

 sections, he will find this immenselj' more 

 satisfactory than hiving on five standard 



