ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 227 



But what, in the mean time, is the condition of the hives 

 from which we are taking so many brood combs, for the 

 proper development of our nuclei ? are they not tasked so 

 much as to become quite enfeebled ? This brings us to the 

 turning point of the whole nucleus system. If due judgment 

 has not been used, but the sanguine bee-keeper has multi- 

 plied his colonies too rapidly, a grievous disappointment 

 awaits him. Either his nuclei cannot be strengthened at 

 the right lime, or this can be done, only by impoverishing 

 the old stocks, so that the result of the vvihole operation will 

 be a decided failure ; and if he is in the vicinity of sugar- 

 houses, confeclionaries, or other tempting places of bee 

 resort, he will find the population of his colonies so seriously 

 diminished, that he will have to break up most of the nuclei 

 which he had formed, besides incurring the danger of losing 

 nearly all his slock. 



I consider it a fundamental principle in my nucleus system, 

 that the old stocks must never be so much weakened by the 

 removal of brood-comb and bees, as to be unable to keep 

 their numbers strong enough to refill rapidly all vacancies 

 among their combs. If the Apiarian attempts to multiply 

 his stocks too rapidly for this, I will ensure him ample 

 cause to repent at leisure of his folly. If, however, the 

 attempt at very rapid multiplication is made only by those 

 who are favorably situated, and who have great skill in 

 the management of bees, a very large gain may be made 

 in the number of stocks, and yet all be strong and flour- 

 ishing. 



If a strong stock of bees in a hive of moderate size, is, 

 examined at the height of the honey harvest, nearly all the 

 cells will often be found filled with brood, honey, or bee- 

 bread. The great laying of the queen, according to some 

 writers, is now over, yet not as they erroneously imagine, 



