FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 



257 



for the first time, more brood was drawn than it was 

 thought wise to give to 237, there being twenty frames 

 in all. Sixteen of these, or two hives full, were taken for 

 237, the other four were used to strengthen some of the 

 nuclei. Not the weakest nuclei were strengthened, but 



Fig. 91. — Nucleus Hives. 



the earliest and strongest, for by being helped these 

 would become strong enough to be helpers in turn. In 

 fact, toward the last of the season, when there was little 

 time for nuclei to grow up, the earlier nuclei rendered 

 substantial aid to the later ones, at least one of them 

 yielding as many as nine frames of brood. The first nu- 



