Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-03-14
AGRICULTURAL.
From the American SIX Gro,tr.
SILK

from INC American tSHh UFoLtf.
SILK
The following communicative is Gom a gentle.
man who has been successfully engaged in the oul.
lure Of silk for several years. and the information
which he Civ. = may he relied upon as correct il
is very important 10 beginners, and viii save them
much troublesome inquii,. In The spring Of 1898.
we had the pleasure Of examining lot OF silk raised
and reeled by Mr.. Smith. and even at thai early pc
Rod alter comparing with the best specimens oil
Italian silk in the market, II WIS pronounced By
good judges to be superior article. 1t was suld 10
n manufacturer for seven dollars = pound when
the best imported silk was selling for four dol
lars
To he Editor tde YaHtee Farmer:
Dear Sir-As have been engaged fr several
years IN The business e growing silk am If course
particularly Interested and also feel interested for
those no may be engaging III the same. !, there
fore, offer ior communication IN your valuable pa
per- the following as the result oil my experience
have fed worms to some extent cor the seven
past years al the first the business was perfectly
new, and therefore, had every thing to learn from
experience and have asecttaned TO my own sat.
isiacton, That being supplied with mulberry trees
which will produce both early and late food. the Ino
10 commence Matching the eggs is the first OF June.
] commence, therefore, as the leai begins to
unfold, "hchis generally the first week IN June, by
exposing quantity of eggs 10 tho air and oonliu-
ne TO expose them for Matching every ten days nm
III the first OF August IN tins WAY have successive
crops. which take The feed grows, and also lc-
qure aboutthe same amount OF labor through the
season, which is ir preferable TO having large crop
OF worms which at drs will require the help OF one
OF two, aud at tic last age. require twenty or more
When The worms begin 10 appear winch is gene.
rally early 10 The morning. place on them lender
leaves TO which they viii sooa adhere then draw
thcn Oh on D paper and keep each DAYS Matching
by themselves, placing the day OF the month upon
me Iaper-iot cocooncry, almost any out bu lilne
wiz answer Tho purpose. | build my shelves IN
simple manner, by making use oft~o inch scantllnr
for posts | nail on Stats TO receive the shelves one
loot 5pa., giving them four feet in width a, IN, bat
tom, making each shelf two inches narrower as |
ascend, tia, The worms falling from one shelf may
lodge on the next below. We ,cmove the wo,ms
from TIE utter immediately after the first, secoud
third and fourth nIoulIines. aud also when they
arc ready TO wind their cocoons, we remove them 10
shelves prepared. Alter irving the various methods
IN use Tor tie accommodation Of the worm TO wind
weexpefim~ntfd wih straw IN various WAYS and a.
the result Of our experience have found thar thr
best method Tor using II is To rye straw one inch
and halt longer than the distance between she yes
lying II IN punches OF some twenty 10 a bunch from
one to two inches from The bottom placing them
between the shelves aud spreading them II The ton
-ihave pfaetsed putting up straw in this way the
TWO past seasons, and ind The worms will wind IN
them very readily, aud the cocoons are gathered
with the greatest ease and ncatuess. Win regard
10 reelins, consider ii III poftant that the cocoon
should be ieeed before II becomes necessary 10 s.
Tic the ehfy salis-iur this reason-thcy will Weld
more silk and is stronger aud more NICE have
pactised reeng IN tins way the two past seasons and
therefore Judge for myself.
offer this for publication for the benefit Of those
~ "e eo,oe INTO 'he business OF growing silk and
VINO have had no experience.
Respectfully yoprs
,, TIMOTHY SMITH.
Amherst, Mass, Dee. 2d. 1883.