The union Democrat., 1867-10-26

of money by planting mulberry cuttings OF
young rooted trees in the manner described
and then keep the morning glory down by
hoeing one year; the second year it will no,
trouble you much and the third wear the mul.
berry will take care of it and send it where il
belongs, viz: out of existence. Severe over.
flows will kill cuttings if covered with water
IN the Spring for six or eight days. but when
once rooted they will stand water equal to the
willow. The morus morretta is considered
the best feed for silkwnrms, but the multi.
caulis is grown for the first feeding, while the
worms thrive better on it than any other fol
the first three ages of their existence, after
which the morretta or alba is fed to make the
best quality of silk. With these remarks up.
on the necessity of obtaining a full supply oi
the best variety of feed. which are, first, mo-
rus multicaulis, morretta and morus alba, ]
will proceed to give the method Matching the
eggs and treatment of the worms.
The eggs are usually laid by the moth on
sheets of white paper, in May, when the
leaves have so far matured that they will do
to feed. You take the eggs in proportion to
the feed. and subject them TO heat of about
eighty five or ninety degrees, either natural
or artificial. In the course of forty. eight
hours, if the heat has been uniform, they will
commence Matching. 1t is very important
that every days Matching should be kept on
napers and marked separate from the follow,
ing days Matching, and SO on until your eggs
arc all hatched. This is done in the follow.
ing manner: When you perceive the eggs
commence to hatch. place on them young
leavesof the multicaulis. Atnight remove a Il
the leaves from the eggs, place them on the
shelves, and number the paper. No. l or the
date of the month, and the next day No. > or
the date, and so on until all are hatched
Be very particular now. and upon no consid.
eration should they be allowed to get mixed
II will he seen from the following remarks
that this precaution should be strictly com
rlie'l with. The life of the silkworm is divid
ed into FIVE different ages, aud in entering up
on each of those ages it is to them n new life
10 run until again prostrated bv the death
ik torn;1 state which deprives them of all
mnsrular power, until they shall have passed
through safely its severe ordeal. This is
termed the moi'ing. At six DAYS old the
voung worm will molt. Upon the seventh
they recover and will come forth with new on.
erSv and strength. About the thirteenth day
from hatching they wilr molt again about
the nineteenth and twenty firth also. Upon
no consideration should the worms be remov
ed when they have commenced to molt, nor
should they be disturbed in any way. not
even to place food on them, for they require
nothing more than simply to be let alone un-
I'll you observe them coming from under the
old leaves and rubbish. where they will retire
to 90 through their molting, looking and beg
giag for food by stretching their heads very
high, which is sure sign that they are hun
gary.
If, from any cause, they are moved or dis
tur5cd during the process Of moting, it will
arrest and prevent the succussiul performance
of the process. and from which the worms so
disturbed will not recover. This is in no wise
disease, and will! not affect other worms
who have not been so disturbed. Each sue
ceeding molting seems to be more severe, and
in the last, or fourth moulting, great care
must be taken that they be not disturbed. as
any worm disturbed at this time will fail to
make a cocoon. The worms, as fast as
hatched are placed upon shelves Of any con.
venient hight and breadth, in a room well
ventilated and plenty of light, but so arrang-
ed as to prevent the rays of the sun from fall
ing directly on them. The feeding for the
first two or three ages is done by taking the
leaves of the muticaulis and placing them
very nicely over the worms as fast as they
consume them. After they have passed their
third moltng, young twigs or branches are
cut from the trees with the leaves on and la. d
on the worms in the form of triangle and
with each succeeding leaf forming triangular
pyramids, through which the worms like to
perambulate, and among which they viii spin
their cocoons when ready.
In thinning the worms from one paper or
shelf to another they must not be handled
with the fingers, but lay fresh leaves on the
paper that you wish to thin when those
leaves are covered with worms, take hold of
the stem of the leaf and move them where
you want them. Clean off the shelves in the
same way.
The quantity of feed that given number
will require, say for $4,000 worms, the first
week or age, will average about 10 pounds
per day; second age about 60 pounds per
day third age about 140 pounds per day
fourth age about 500 pounds per day fifth,
and lastage 600 pound per day. Now, allowing
seven days to each age, we have, in round
numbers. 1906 pounds of mulberry leaves to
make so, 900 cocoons. Twenty times this
amount will be l56, 100 pounds, which will
make one million cocoons. This calculation
is made to apply to the Chinese silkworms,
which make very large and valuable cocoons.
They were imported by Provost, the pioneer
silk culturist, six or seven years ago, and to
whom great credit and praise is due for his
preserving energy in keeping this most valua-
bic industry before the people of this State
under so many discouragements, until we
have become fully aware of its great import.
ance to us as an industry of great commercial
value. iondly hope that Provost, who is
now well advanced in wears. and in conse'
quence of his age is deferred from engaging
in the business as extensive ss We who are
younger, may live to see this, the crowning
effort of his life, prove an eminent success
Then will his fondest hopes be realized and
his soul be ready to depart in peace.
TIE Japanese silk worms, being of much
smaller variety, and consequently do not
make so large cocoons, will not consume
more than wo.thirds this amount of feed. 1t
will le seen that h We allowed thirty ise
davs for the worms 10 commence spinnig.
This is about the usual time when not fed at
night during the two last ages of their exist.
en- e; bur if properly treated and fed day and
night durieg the last two ages of their lives,
they will commence spinning in twenty eight
ba bofahlpr The