The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-25 00:00:00

feed can be distinctly hoard. The noise has been com-
pared to a fail of rain in a wood, and to the burning of
young branches.
At the commencement of the fourth age, the worms re-
quire a square space of net less than four hundred and
twelve feet, and the importance of fresh and pure air
becomes greater from day to day. In some establish-
ments the previous stages of life have been passed by
the worms in a smaller atelier than the great one to which
they are now removed; but this plan is by no means
needful, and is only resorted to by very scientific
breeders who pay great attention to the atmospheric re-
quirements of their charge. In general, the animals spin
their cocoons upon the dales, and in the chamber to
which they were transported from the hatching-
room, while in many instances one single apart.
ment only has been employed for the whole process.
The worms eat on the first day of the fourth age about
100ibs. of leaves and tender branches. Their removal
to their fresh claies employs several peeple, as it is ;of
importance that the work should be well and speedily
performed. In this age the leaf is given without being
cut, as in the previous stages, and the worms are gene-
rally thriving, vigorous, and full of life, climbing ac-
tively upon the leaves. The skin of the creatures is
gradually growing white. On the second day of the
fourth age 1651b5. of leaves are given in unequal por-
!ions, the last meal being the largest. The next day
2251b5. of leaves are distributed, and the third day
::551b5., the three first repasts being about 751bs. weight
each. The worms are now quite au inch aid a half
long. On the fifth day of the fourth age the appetite
fails off, and only 12Slbs. of leaves are distributed, the
first meal being the greatest. 'Towards evening the
worms have fallen for the most part asisep, and 35lba. of
leaves, suffice for the few who fee-1 in a lively cohdition
next morning. The change of skiu takes place as usual
in the night, the insects being now so largo that thirty-
rie of them weigh an ounce. btraw tires are lighted ao
aystoproduce great blaze with little heat, and other
means are taken to stir and purity the air as the worms
are now undergoing their change to the 'fifth and last,
and most important age. The ages already past are
sthe breeding.
called frezes, lea petites frezes; the fifth is the grant*
freze, and upon the progress then made by the insects
dependsthe fifth in
fat hgaregaet tmheeawsuorremishearse ofrueceosswno large, and
the quantity of food consumed is so great, that unless
proper precautions be taken the air of the magnannaries
becomes offensively putrid. In too many instances thee.
precautions are either neglected or inefficiently observed,
and the worms and their keepers both suffer the bad con• seh- see, aseehi
sequences. On the return of vitality a square place, of
near 920 feet of dales is necessary for the accommoda-
tion of the insects. I ought to observe that, in arrang-
ing them on their new beds, after each change of akin.
they do not occupy the whole additional space at once.
Room is left for spreading them out, as they wax thicker
and longer, the creatures being generally arranged at
each end of the dale with a vacant space in the centre.
Oa the first day of the fifth age the worms take in twigs
and leaves, about 1801bs. of food. The second day at least
2701b5. are furnished, the last meal being the greatest.
The worms are growing rapidly, and becoming white.
The third day the mulberry allowance is 4901bs.—the
last meal consisting of about 120Ibs. Many of the
insects are now 26 or 27 lines long. The next day,
they consume about 5401b5. of leaves, waxing at
rong
and vigorous, and the length increasing to 32 or 33
lines. The fifth day sees 8101bs. of leaves devoured,
besides which small extra, ellowauces are frequently
given if the animals seem unsatisfied. The next
Clay the worms attain the height of their clegustatory
prowess, eating very nearly I,ooolbs. of leaves, spread
over five or six meals. Many of them are now more
than two inches in length. The seventh day 9001bs. of
leaves aro given—the quantity at each meal decreasing.
On this day the creatures attain their greatest size and
vigour—sixteen worms weighing an ounce ; their
weight having in seven: days increased fivefold, and
their length become at least double. The eighth day
they require only 6601b5. of food. They are now going
down hill in appetite, weight, and vigour, and are as-
suming a yellowish tinge, which denotes the approach
of perfect maturity. The ninth day 500 lbs. of food
suflices. On the tenth day the insects commonly show
symptoms of desire to weave their cocoons. They
climb upon the leaves without eating, move their heads
as though seeking something, and begin to crawl to-
wards all perpendicular surfaces. The dales upon
which the cocoons are spun have then to be set up. I
have already explained, in general terms, that they con-
sist of furzy branches of small twigs, arranged upright
between the dais, so that the worms can easily
climb into them. The skill of the attendant is
shown in arranging the claies so as to cause them to
he as slight an obstruction to the ventilation as possible.
The meals are now greatly reduced. Over feeding has
a tendency to retard the desire to mount the claies.
Twigs and small sticks are now scattered all along the
claies, so that the worms crawling upon them are easily
d istinguished, and are moved at once to the bottom of
the brushwood rows. As a general rule, healthy worms
finish their cocoons in three or four days after they have
set fairly to work; but in general the task of gathering
does not commence until the eighth or ninth day after
the insects have begun to climb. In large establish..
ments several hands are usually employed in the task.
Of the whole quantity of cocoons about the sixtieth
part is kept far the sake of the eggs for next year. A
pound of cocoons gives an ounce of eggs—in some cues
even more. These are, of course, kept till the chrysalis
makes his way in his new butterfly dress through the
gnawn sills. The creatures are for the most part too
weak to fly, and after the female has been impregnated
and has deposited her eggs upon cloth spread out for
the purpose. the brief but usual life of the longest
surviving silkworm is over. The others have been
stifled in the cocoons, and their silken web spun off from
around them. _ _ _

The rules of feeding which I have given above are
those observed by the most successful breeders of Italy
and France. It will be readily ,seen that the exact
weights of food adduced are slightly added to or dimi-
nished according to the varying circumstances of each
particular case. The general result, however, as to tlas
quantity of food and the quantity of silk, may be thus
stated. About 1001bs. ci leaf gives nearly Sibs. of
cocoons; Slbs. of cocoons give about la ounces of pure
cocoons, deducting the worm and all impurities; and
these 18 ounces of pure cocoons give about 8 ounces of
spun silk. The proportion of the weight of the cocoon
to that of the leaf is thus about I to 90; tho proportion
of the spun silk to the weight of the leaf about 1 to 150.
The price of cocoons range per pound from 2 franca to
2} francs.
In the breeding of silkworms the metayer system is
not uncommon; the farmer fiads the work, and the pra-
prietor the leaves—the two dividing the proceeds.
France annually produces about 8,000,000 kilogramme,
of raw silk, and of her 84 departments, as many as 60
grow mulberries, to a greater or less extent, for the use
of the silkworms bred within them.

THE GREAT EXHIBITION,
(From the Expositor.)
The following suggestion from a pamphlet published
this day, entitled " A Moral and Religious Guide to the
Great Exhibition," by the Rev. J. A. Emerton, D.D.,
Principal cf Ilanwell Collegiate School, appears to us
worthy the deep consideration of the Royal Executive
Committee of the Great Exhibition. The inscription,
" Glory to God in the Highest," entirely forbids the
chance of uny man, whatever his peculiar religious opi-
nions may be, taking offence. The motto is the sugges-
tion of one who combines the rare character of a very
worthy and high-minded divine with that of a liberal
on,
citizen of the world:—
hgaehlnit
aa theffidv
ix:eat:mei:tr.
was
aaitneedl elevated,
fa
raisedttehdol
‘,
u.
di;eAnstiothnes obpeenria'nigsedon,
hthaevilusgt oufpolnayitletatltefliangscerfi
GLORY TO GOD IN THE 11.torrEsT. It would add to the
flags representing the various kingdoms and nations of
effect if, at the moment it
itsth e
place. earth
mighte red
band r
repeated,
every morning.
"The most religious mind would be thus satisfied, . in-
asmuch as it would be almost a literal fulfilment of the
prediction, All kings shall fall down before Him, all
nations shall do him service, whilst there is ' no °not he
he Catholic or Protestant, Greek or Jew,folio-wer, of
Mahomet, or disciple of Confucius, who would not join
in the adoration of his God."