1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



137 



moisture later in the season, I feel disposed to speculate on a good 

 honey season ; hut in California, as elsewhere, we can tell better 

 later on. CtEO. W. Bkodbeck. 



Good for Mr. Hambaugh and Dr. Gallnpl Mr. Alpaugb, of 

 Canada, was there also. All three were made honorary members 

 of the Association. Surely, a grand meeting it must have been, 

 with them and Prof. Cook, Messrs. Rambler, Brodbeck, etc., in 

 attendance. But just wait till you hear from Toronto! Those 

 Canadian bee-folks are " something great " on conventions, I hear. 



Uind Xeslimonials— and lots of them— still keep coming 

 from the host of friends of the old American Bee Journal. I often 

 wish I could print every one of them, but it would take up too 

 much room, and you wouldn't like that, especially when I have so 

 much excellent matter waiting its turn now. Of course it is very 

 encouraging to me to know that my efforts are being appreciated 

 by those who subscribe for the Bee Journal, and I want to again 

 thank you all for your many kind expressions. 



By the way, I have a lot of " good things " in store for you, 

 which wiU appear as fast as possible. In the meantime, just get 

 your brother bee-keepers to subscribe for the Bee Journal, and 

 then they, too, can enjoy reading it. A great many have already 

 sent in the names and money of new subscribers, but there is 

 room for a whole lot more. If I had twice the present number of 

 good, paying subscribers, I could give you — well, certainly a 50 

 per cent, better bee-paper, and not cost you a cent more than it does 

 now. Why not you help to double the list, and thus help yourself 

 as well as your friends ? Many have done nobly in sending in new 

 subscribers in the past, but I believe that much more can be done 

 if a little more effort is put forth by all. Try it and see. Send for 

 free sample copies, and then start out, won't you 1 



Mr. S I. Freeborn. 



As promised last week, I now give a picture (see first page) 

 and sketch of Mr. S. I. Freeborn, who died at Richland Center, 

 Wis., Feb. 5, 1895. He was one of the corps of experts 

 who answer the queries found in the "Question-Box" of the 

 American Bee Journal each week, and in that department his 

 sound judgment aud wise counsel will be greatly missed. 



In the American Bee Journal for Dec. 14, 1893, in con- 

 nection with the portrait given, was printed this sketch of 

 Mr. Freeborn's career, which will at this time be read with 

 a new interest and profit : 



Among the early pioneers of Wisconsin was Samuel Irwin 

 Freeborn, then only 14 years of age. His father having been 

 dead some four years, he was early thrown on his own 

 resources, and right well did he improve them, for he soon 

 learned to handle a canoe or rifle equal to any Indian with 

 whom he could then test his skill, for Indians were quite com- 

 mon in those days. 



Hunting deer and bear was his especial delight, and not 

 until the advance of civilization made game scarce did he give 

 up his annual deer hunt. 



Mr. Freeborn is also one of the pioneers in bee-keeping. 

 He kept as high as 230 colonies in box-hives before the advent 

 of frame hives, and he made a success of it, even then having 

 sold .S600 worth of honey in one season. 



Hearing of the merits of a frame hive, he adopted the 

 Gallup, and increased his bees until he is to-day one of the 

 largest bee-keepers in the State, keeping from 200 to 400 

 colonies spring count. While he has a good many Langstroth 

 hives, it is a hard job to convince him that any other hive has 

 as many good points as the Gallup. 



Well do I remember the first extractor he had, and what 

 a sensation the first 10,(J00 pounds of honey made. All 

 his neighbors wanted bees, and many did get them, but 

 DOW I know of but one bee-keeper within four miles of 

 Mr. Freeborn's old place. His largest crop of honey was 

 45,000 pounds of extracted in one year. 



He fully believes iu overstocking, and has always run his 

 bees in several different yards, 200 colonies being about the 

 largest number he has found profitable to keep in one yard, 

 and this in the best location, with plenty of basswood, clover, 

 and buckwheat in easy reach. 



While Mr. Freeborn is not much of a hand to write for 

 publication, he has always been " there "whert it came time to 

 harvest the honey crop. 



Winter losses have been the great drawback with him, 



and many are the experiments he has tried to circumvent this 

 trouble. While the greater number of experiments would be 

 successful for a few years, he has had to fall back on cellaring 

 as the best. But he rather prefers a special arrangement, 

 like a cave dug in a convenient bank. 



Once he thought he had a sure thing for wintering, by 

 making small houses over about 20 colonies set close together, 

 and packed in chaff. In mild winters they were all right, but 

 when a real " killer "came along they were absent at spring 

 "roll call." 



Besides his bee-business, Mr. Freeborn owns three farms, 

 and is one of the largest fruit-growers in the State of Wis- 

 consin, being an extensive grower of apples, grapes and all 

 kinds of small fruit. He is an enthusiast on fruit-growing, 

 and has the largest variety of apples, of named kinds, of any 

 one in the West, to say nothing of an endless number of seed- 

 lings of his own growing. He was at one time extensively 

 engaged in the nursery business, under the firm name of 

 Freeborn & Hatch, but he is now about out of that line of 

 business. 



Having obtained a competency by industry and economy, 

 he has built himself a fine residence in the pleasant young 

 city of Richland Center, where he expects to spend the remain- 

 ing days allotted to him, in peace and quiet ; although not 

 having as yet retired from the active management of his 

 varied business interests. 



The subject of this sketch was born in Hartland, Niagara 

 Co., N. Y. about 60 years ago, and has been twice married, 

 his first wife being Miss Elvira Howe, of Stanstead, Canada. 

 Three children were born during her life, two sons and one 

 daughter. His present wife was Miss Hadassah Spyker, of 

 Ithaca, Wis., and two children have been born to them, a son 

 and daughter. 



Mr. Freeborn is a member of the Presbyterian church, 

 and is always wide awake to every interest of the neighbor- 

 hood, whether it be a social gathering or a political meeting. 



/KtrfOtfq i1r)c Bee-Papers 



Conducted by "GLEANER." 



SPRAYING DURING BLOOM. 



At the Ontario convention, the Review says Mr. Hall told 

 of a neighbor who sprayed his plum trees while in full bloom. 

 His reward was the getting not more than half a dozen plums 

 from his plum orchard, while other neighbors that didn't even 

 spray at all had fair crops of plums. 



TO FEED OR NOT TO FEED. 



Experimenter Taylor gives as an argument in favor of 

 feeding back, that a colony thus fed has a larger stock of 

 young bees, hence better fitted to go into winter. 



Hasty asks in Review : " A prosperous colony whose sea- 

 son closed sharply and finally the middle of July, and which 

 has passed the rest of the season in a sort of summer hiber- 

 nation, are they not really just as hopeful to go into the win- 

 ter with, as the colony which has been hustling all the fall ?" 



B. TAYLOR'S 8T0RT IN THE REVIEW. 



Very interesting to hear him go back 25 years. Some 

 will be reminded of their own early enthusiasm. He says : 

 " In theyear 1863 I produced and sold .$65.00 worth of honey 

 from two colonies of bees." Then he figured what he could 

 make the next season with the 75 colonies he had. "There 

 could be no mistake, for there were 75 colonies which at 

 $32.50 each would bring $2437.50 the very first year. I at 

 once decided I would increase my colonies to at least 1,000 

 and at once build a fine dwelling." But the dwelling didn't 

 come till 15 years later. 



Then he tells how the sectional brood-chamber grew out 

 of his experiments years before such a thing was patented. 



SOMNAMBULIST'S OPINION. 



Here is what Somnambulist, the bright correspondent of 

 Progressive, says : 



" Not to take note of the strenuous efforts now being put 

 forth by Bro. York to insure his journal a place in the front 

 ranks, would be to outrage justice. He's rather a small 

 bundle of humanity but the make-up of that bundle— like the 

 big man said of his wife— 'She's little, but Oh my!' A 

 brighter, kindlier countenance one seldom greets. And 

 almost if not quite at first glance one cannot fail to discover 



