Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-07-10
SIX Culture at the South.

she Montgomery 1apertsSer OF the
3Oth ult., contains letter from ,.Mr,
3lount, of Mobile, who has been in Eut
rope during the past eighteen months;
The letter is addressed to Cow. Patten,
end accompanies atpackagesaof japanese
silk worms, to be distributed, according
.toshis. Judgment, swiitl1 aQie@ to. exhibit
ing an interest in the production of silk
in Alabama. which Mr.. Blount thinks
might be made asproitable industry. :
Meshave; something better than mere
hypothesis on this subject. Below We
give an article on the management of
worms and the manufacture of thread,
every statsmeftof Which has been proved
by years of experience About the prac-;,
ticability Of making silk in Alabama and
as to its quality, there isssn6tS,the a1east;
doubt. We can, say. nothing as to the
profits on jt.boSahStlfis oecupason,S odf
informant not having engaged in it to
make money, but simply ior amusement.
if he were not so avcrse. to seeing his
name ia print, We would tell our readers
that they are indebted for the following
facts to our friend, NJ L. Stinson. The
worms were tended, and the silk, OF which
we have beautiful specimens, black and
white, spun by his mother - =
sf, CARE OF SILK WORMS.
aThcr eggs should be kept in a,dfy,
dark place, until it is wished to hatch
them This is done by simply exposing
them to light . Aslthe hasc:ing proceeds,
mulberry leaves should be laid over the
eggs. etfheSstrong goc worms Will cling seD
these :sthe eSw@akcr and less healthy Should
be carefully placed upon 1them,.. as.they
dic very sooa Of. starvation. After close
inspection. every evening the papers Of
unhapasa eggs'shopld be carefully folded
and put away, and the young worms pro-
+.tec:ed ffen-too- -@wsa a-tempera:ure.s The
hatching process should be commenced
as. soon as the mulberry has well defined
pkhest4s thay are5 Better, food for young
EStarms w!iiei tendtr. ;' - - -
Remove the worms rs hatched to tables,
where they may be fed BY placing mui-
berry leaves over them, still observing
the caution to pacesrthose,S tp% wear to
feed themselves. on the leaves. Three
times dag is often enough to feed the
worms while youngg-ottener as they.
grow older u %--.,ss S->''<4-se =!
The worms. must be..kept.. perfectly
clean. All trash and litter must be re,
moved every Sothcf' day. This is a task
which willitry5the patience and ,Persever-
ence of. the most willing, bus one that
must be done, or the worms die.
F. .SFi:hFproper attention,s1he worms will
begin to make silk at one month old, but,
if neglected in the least: they:will remain
idle six or eight weeks. They allow
neither holidays nor Sabbath, and no Wis.
|sitiug.s You}5canaell swhen they wish to
web by their quitting to cat, appearing
very restless, holding their. heaas;up1 1Ias
an Old lady describes it by g looking like
they wanted to go up" Immediately
prepare for their. webbing, by standing
on the table anulnber of short and scrub
by bIshesAas we use runner bushes.
Add more, as the first is filed. Your
worms. will give. you time, as they don't
all take the notion to web at the same
period, - = j. / =
Spinning should be done in the course
of eight or ten days, or the worms will
cut out the cocoon, thereby spelling the
silk. If necessary to delay spinning, the
worms should be killed by scaIding. Hot
sunshine will not kill webbed worms
every time. The spinning is done as fol
lows:
Fill an oven-the larger the better,
about, two-thirds full Of water. Bring to
| nearly a boiling heat, at which tei9pera-
ture it must be kept. Use bark or GOALS
for heating, as large blaze would inter
ftrc with your work. Iuto this, having
removed The floss, for very fine thread,
put one hundred cocoons; for common
sewing thread, one hundred and fifty.
The hot water kills the worms and un-
gIues the silk, leaving the ends. loose and
| floating. Collect these with q common
toothbrush, giving an occasional jerk to
unroll the gouty or knottcd silk. Drop
a ring-a common fiuger;ring-ov them
to co1.fine them. Place your wheel near
l.the oven, and commence Spinning. An
ordinary spinning wheel will answer.
Keep watch on the oven, whenever q
cocoon stops revolving, hmt tile end with
vour brush and twist into The thread.
Replenish the cocoons as they give out.
Double and7twist,as other thread. Three
plies are still better. ! u
>. CAUTION.
Keep your worms clear of mice, rats
and cats, as they and the worrs. DO ret
keep vel together. Watch your cats,
especially while spinning, if you care
anything for,then, as the coceons"areeas
certain death as strychnine. Never let
the sun shine upon the;s Worm.-Bnion
Springs Times. z 4 -
FIRE PRooF PAISr-The following re-
cipe for fire-proof paint is recommended
''by an engineering-iirm in New York, and
endorsed by 4insertion:in good English
authority; the B.ilaing Ners TO-
pound best ,blacklead, ! pound of
fine giIders' whiting, and ] pound Of
Quarterman's patent dryer, the whole
ground together, with linSeed Oil alone,