THE BEE-PASTUEES 347 



How long the various species of wild bees have 

 lived in this honey-garden, nobody knows; prob 

 ably ever since the main body of the present flora 

 gained possession of the land, toward the close of 

 the glacial period. The first brown honey-bees 

 brought to California are said to have arrived in 

 San Francisco in March, 1853. A bee-keeper by 

 the name of Shelton purchased a lot, consisting of 

 twelve swarms, from some one at Aspinwall, who 

 had brought them from New York. "When landed 

 at San Francisco, all the hives contained live bees, 

 but they finally dwindled to one hive, which was 

 taken to San Jose. The little immigrants flour 

 ished and multiplied in the bountiful pastures of 

 the Santa Clara Valley, sending off three swarms 

 the first season. The owner was killed shortly 

 afterward, and in settling up his estate, two of the 

 swarms were sold at auction for $105 and $110 re 

 spectively. Other importations were made, from 

 time to time, by way of the Isthmus, and, though 

 great pains were taken to insure success, about 

 one half usually died on the way. Four swarms 

 were brought safely across the plains in 1859, the 

 hives being placed in the rear end of a wagon, 

 which was stopped in the afternoon to allow the 

 bees to fly and feed in the floweriest places that 

 were within reach until dark, when the hives were 

 closed. 



In 1855, two years after the time of the first ar 

 rivals from New York, a single swarm was brought 

 over from San Jose, and let fly in the Great Cen 

 tral Plain. Bee-culture, however, has never gained 

 much attention here, notwithstanding the extraor- 



