PRACTICAL PAPERS—COMMUNICATIONS. 
363 
adam grimm’s apiary. 
Dr. J. W. IIoyt, Secretary Wisconsin State Agricultural Society: 
Dear Sir: —My stock of bees is very large, and as tins is the busy season 
with them, they take up most of my time, so that it will be impossible for 
me to send you more than a brief report of my Apiary. This is the 6th sea¬ 
son in which I have made bee- culture a business, but I have been inter¬ 
ested in bees, and have kept a small number of stocks ever since I was 
seventeen years old. 
I commenced the season of 1870 with 600 colonies of bees, but of these, 
all but about 100 were in a weak condition; thirteen colonies were sold, and 
I reserved about the same number for rearing queens; of the balance quite 
a number were queenless. From these I obtained 315 new swarms. For 
the purpose of strengthening, and also to diminish the number of my stocks, 
I took up and united 173 colonies. My bees usually make a surplus over 
and above what is needed for their own sustenance, so that I seldom 
find it necessary to give extra feed. Two years ago was an exception; the 
honey crop was very light and a large number of hives had to be supplied 
with food. When it is necessary to feed, I give honey as long as I have a 
supply. The syrup made of white coffee sugar answers a very good purpose 
in the spring when the bees can fly. 
My bees are mostly Italians; they are the breed, and the longer I keep 
them the better I like them, in fact I would not take black bees as a gift, if 
compelled to keep them as such. I use the shallow-framed, Langstrotli 
hive, and like it better than any hive I ever tried. 
The surplus honey obtained from my Apiary the past season, including 
that taken from the 173 stocks taken up, amounts to 22, 725 pounds. I 
have sold all but about 4, 000 pounds of this, realizing on an average, after 
deducting all expenses, 19 cents per pound, or $3,557.75 in all. My stock 
has been reduced by sales considerable. Early in the spring I sold 13 full 
hives, and later in the season disposed of quite a number of young swarms, 
shipping them to different parts of the Union. In January, 1871, W. D. 
Roberts of Utah Territory, bought of me 325 swarms for himself, and 40 
for a neighbor, to ship to that place. For single colonies I receive $15 each, 
but when quite a number are taken, I make a discount of from a quarter to 
one-third. 
Have had very little trouble in wintering my stock; do not lose on an 
average over 1% per cent, during the five months they are in winter quar¬ 
ters. I use cellars for storing. 
Our experience with Alsike clover has been far from satisfactory; it 
yields very little honey with us, and has little value for other purposes. 
Respectfully yours, ADAM GRIMM. 
Jefferson, May, 1871. 
