American watchman and Delaware advertiser., 1826-10-17
THE SILK WORM.


writes as follows:
U0scameR, Sept. 26, 1926.
DEAR S1R-In answer 10 your request respect
inc the SILK Worm, and the raising OF SILK, cal
give but little information. except what nave ob
tared BY experience
About thirty years since, | brought youni
shoot of the white mulberry from the State o
Connecticut. 1t grew rapidly and in a few yea
began to shade my garden, so chat cut down abou
half OF what had grown from that root. Abou
twenty wears since, brought from the state o
Connectit Ut some eggs OF the silk worm and tron
that Time to the present have raised silk iron
that one tree. | have aised rich supply for tn
use Of my family, and some years more than w
found use for. Ehe quantity has increased as h
Tree has grown larger, and we made use o! h
leaves Judged hat The last year we had about
pound of siik, alter fitted Tor use; this presen
year Judge that we have abou, two pounds OF raw
silk, although We did not all the leaves which
the tree produced ! should suppose we led b'
tween three and four thousand worms.
shall now make few observations from m,
own experience aud conjecture on this subject.
/. According to my observation on the growth
OF this tree, believe that such soil as is suitable
Tor The apple will produce the mulberry tree.
2 ishInk that the best method OF pfopagatlng
the mulberry tree, is BY he seed which 1t produce
in great plenty The berries should be gathered
led.
4. find that the tree is so constituted that III,
leaves may all br gathered in June Jolly, ant
not essentially iniure lis growth For about twenty
years have gatheted the most OF the leaves from
lie tree yea,ly after which, il would flourish will
new set of leaves; and for about thirty years, i
has lot been injured by the wioter, except some
twigs ot The later growth. | think. however, tina
The climate here will not admit the sraherng ofthe
4, -.
be carried on largely, the eggs might be hachee
earlier aud some later.
4 It appears TO me, from what have ooaeryed
respecting the properties Of the tree, and the labor
10 gathering Of the leaves that, If were TO lay GU
for the making Of silk, should set the trees very
thick, leaving OILY room 10 pass between them
then ] would gasher the young shoots, to prevent
their owing high 10 this way, femaies and chill
dren might gather the leaves.
5. The silk worms for HE twenty years that
have cultivated them have nol degererated. have
taken care TO select the hest balls for preserving
seed think that the balls are lat ger and the SIR
better, than when ! first had them When ths
milltis have h4iched, or come out OF the balls
they soon denoalt their Gags on paper. then roll
The paper up, 10 keep The eggs from the air ant
lay the paper IN safe place till spring. Wher
The weather grows warm, ! carry them into the
cellar, here i, is cool, lest they should hatch be
fore the leaves open.
6. As 70 tae method Of treating The silk worm,
hatch the egg by exposiag them to the air in ;
warm room. Eight days are required TO ha'ct
them. My object is 10 batch !hem as soon as he
leaves uniold-some years sooner than others. A,
soon as they begin to hatch, apply 10 them the
mulberry leaves; and when they have eaten and
extracted The moster OF those leaves, | add fresh
leaves, wihou' removing the former and so con.
tinue TO do, till the old leaves become SO thick as 10
cause heat. Then | take of The top laying with
theworms and remove the others. Thi. will be
needu 10 be done iise or six times within The three
irst weeks. Then il will become needlu TO spread
them on shelves Within six weeks they viii be.
gin to wind their balls. To provide for them, |
before hand six OF eight days. cut oil some lrafy
bnuehs Or twigs u the beech or chesnul, that they
may have time 10 6ty q htrwise they will cause
heat, so inlure The worms in winding. These
bushes spread over patt OF The worms Of hfst.
about two inches from the shelf leaving the other
part ull they shall chiefly have done ea.ing-then
spread over the whole. then let them rest, about
tour days after the noise of their winding has gen
orally ceased then take the balls from the bush
es--slrip Oft the loose tow--and within nine days
The balls must be feeled or the millers will hatch.
and spoil the silk
Z. reel the silk BY putting the balls into hot
water let the water lust begin 10 boil then
gather the ends, as many as want 10 make a
thread then reel ii.
9. The worms, from the time Of Matching til
they have finished their work must be carefully
Kept from vermin and especially from ants mice
cats and fowls, which will feed on worms. find
thst warm air suits them best especially while
young and taking pains to have them in room
that IS VAIN, when The air abroad is chilly ard raw
ihey gro" much larger and make better silk. For
"hie they are small and bcnumhed with cold, they
VIII eet out little and grow but lttle yet the time
OF age IS running %. ! make il point to forward
their growth as fast as can II will be profitable
to give them as much as they will eat without vast
ing and they viii waste but little If properly fed
alter they are three weeks old The last week
they will eat very greedily, and they should have as
much as they will cat. The worms SHE'D their