Before the introduction of alfalfa into Colorado, wild flowers 

 furnished a scanty supply of nectar, and the bees were often short of 

 stores for winter, and spring would bloom forth to find but few bees 

 to kiss her flow^ets, they having died of starvation. 



With alfalfa came the red, white, alsike, and sweet clovers, 

 until now, thousands upon thousands of acres of alfalfa, thousands 

 of acres of red clover, and miles of ditches and streams are lined 

 ■with sweet c over and many pastures and fields of white and alsike 

 clovers are to be found. 



Of the indigenous plants, Cleome (Rocky Mountain bee plant, 

 skunk weed) is the best, and it has increased rapidly since the advent 

 of civilization, so that to-day the honey flow is considerably pro- 

 longed in regions where it abounds. 



With these changes in the flora, the progress of the bee-keepers 

 changed also. When wild flowers were the only dependence for 

 honey the apiarian asked for a ^7et season, as it was the best for 

 honey. Now he prays, if he has time, "Please give us a dry season 

 w^ith an abundance of irrigating water, and keep foul brood out of 

 my apiary." Another season he will add, "and please kill all the 

 grasshoppers." 



Twelve years ago (1880) J. L. Peabody, E. Milleson and Mrs. 

 Olive Wright, met in Denver and formed the Colorado State Bee- 

 Keepers' Association. There w^ere then but few bee-keepers and 

 about 250 hives of bees in the State. Nine years ago the coming 

 w^inter the writer had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the 

 Association held in the county commissioners' 

 room, upstairs, corner Fifteenth and Lawrence 

 streets, Denver. About ten persons were in 

 attendance. 



In December, J 888, the Association was 

 incorporated under the laws of the State. 



In 1890, the apiculturists of 

 the western slope met in Mon- OtbCf 

 trose and organized the JI$$OCiatiOn$ 

 Uncompahgre Valley Bee- 

 Keepers' Asosciation with J. T. Hartop as 

 President. 



In 1 89 1 two associations were born. First 

 the Northern Colorado Bee-Keepers' Associ- 

 ation at Longmont, with R. F. Coffin, Presi- 

 dent, D. L.Tracy, Secretary. This association 



Bonev- 



Producing 



Plants 



B«c- 



Heepers' 

 Progress 



State 

 nssociation 



ELISHA MILLESON, Denver, 



A former President of the 



State Association. 



