THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



231 



^lioQvaphicaL 



The»late Adam Grrimm. 



Adam Grimm was born in Germany, in 

 the year 1824. His fatlier kept afew liives 

 of bees in wliicli Adam toolc deep interest, 

 and did not rest satisfied till lie liinjself be- 

 came the owner of a few colonies. 



He emigrated to this country in 184U, set- 

 tling at Jetferson, Wis., on a farm where he 

 remained until the time of his death, which 

 occurred April 10, 1876. Soon after settling 

 at Jetferson he obtained a few colonies of 

 bees and was so sucees'sf ul with them, that 

 at a time when all other crops failed, his 



lie had an intense enthusiasm in the 

 business and worked so hard in th(! apiary 

 as probably to shorten his life. His success 

 was the cause of many others engaging in 

 the business. 



He established a l)ank at Jefferson, of 

 which he was cashier, (his bees having pro- 

 vided the capital) but during the honey har- 

 vest he left the bank to the care o.f em- 

 ployees and went from one apiary to the 

 other, personally supervising all that was 

 done. 



We shall not soon forget two or three 

 pleasant visits which we nuide at his home 

 with his interesting family. He told us that 

 his wife remonstrated with him for working 

 so hard, telling him that he now had a com- 



bees came to the rescue and helped him 

 over the most critical time of his life. 



In 1863 he had increased his apiary to 60 

 stocks of black bees in all sorts of box 

 hives, and in 1864 he commenced to use 

 frame hives and transferred all his bees in- 

 to them, in the same year— 1864— he bought 

 his first Italians and as rapidly as possible 

 Italianized his apiary, and then sold large 

 numbers of Italian queens all over the 

 country. 



About 1869 or 1870 he imported, personal- 

 ly, 100 Italian queens, 60 of which were 

 alive on their arrival at New York. Of this 

 number he introduced 40 in his own apia- 

 ries. He increased his stock regardless of 

 cost, every year, but had larger returns 

 especially in late years both from the sale 

 of honey and bees. Queen rearing he 

 thought vmprotitable. 



petence, and could give up his bees with 

 the laborious care of so many, but he seem- 

 ed to think the returns were large for the 

 amount of labor, making the work still a 

 pleasure, although no, longer a necessity. 

 He reached the number of 1,400 colonies, 

 and on one of our visits when he had nearly 

 1,000 colonies, he said, with a half-comical 

 expression, "What would I do if all should 

 die in the winter?" And then the comical 

 look giving \\ay to one of German deter- 

 mination, he said, 'vl would buy some more, 

 and with so many hives full of empty comb 

 I would show you how soon I would fill 

 them up again." 



His daughters, Katie and Maggie, (since 

 married) were his able and faithful assist- 

 ants, and the son, George, since his father's 

 death has assumed the principal care of the 

 bees, for which he is well fitted by his pre- 

 vious training. 



