Jim and Joe's discussion brings up a question to me:

When were the first *paid* pollination contracts made (as opposed to simply
moving bees to a crop for mutual benefit)?  I met an older beekeeper in
California who remembered approaching the almond growers for the first paid
almond pollination contract--they got 25 cents per colony, and the growers
screamed bloody murder.  Does anyone have a reference as to when the first
farmer actually paid a beekeeper (in cash or kind).

Randy Oliver

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