ation at the time and one of the most useful workers in building it 

 up and making it a power in developing and protecting the industry 

 which it represents. Mr. Knight's article is here reproduced just as 

 it was written a decade ago. 



Tirst 

 Bee$ in 



Colorado 



Colorado Jlpiculture. 



By H. Knight. 



nHE honey-bee is not a native of America. The first were 

 brought here and landed in Boston in J670. Since that 

 time the little honey gatherer has traveled either by 



' natural swarming or some enterprising bee-keeper has 



taken them, hive and all, into every state and territory in the Union. 

 The first brought to Colorado was in J 862 by Isaac McBroom 

 of Fort Logan, who hauled one colony across the plains by ox team. 

 They did not increase any, but after one season died. In 1866 ex- 

 Gov. A. C. Hunt brought a colony to Denver by wagon. These 

 also died without increase, the second winter. 

 Shortly after the railroad reached Denver in 

 1870 a car load of bees were brought here and 

 sold to several that wanted to buy, at $25 per 

 colony. From these the industry grew. 



The object of bringing them to Amer- 

 USCfUl ica, and later to Colorado, was two- 

 HCC$ fold. First, because of their healthful 

 and delicious product, and second, the 

 great benefits derived from their work in the 

 fertilization of blossoms. The great naturalist, 

 Darwin, truly says: "The more bees the more 

 flowers ; the more flowers the more seeds ; the 

 more seeds the more flowers ; the more flowers 

 the more seeds." If all the bees w^ere taken out 

 of the country, less seed would be raised and 

 less fruit grown, because the honey-bees are 

 the principal agents by which the pollen is 

 carried from one flower to another and thus the 

 bloom is fertilized and becomes seed-bearing. 



H, KNIGHT. 



A former Secretary of the 



State Association. 



