The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1870-05-04
now TO RAISE TIE WORMS.

Many alittle boy has seen the long airy
stirring looking like the fibre Of q cobweb
as III hangs down maybe from d locust or
mulberry tree, and on il Ii attached i little
! round and long graylsh looking shell In
! Which there isa worm. We'll, that shell
| is called a cocoon. Now, the idea Is 10
raise the worms from this cocoon: how Ii
| 1t done? Nothing easier. You place this
cocoon On she'll in room well lighted and
aired upon clean white paper spread upon
u table. The chrysalis- the thing inside
will cut its way out Of this shell and come
forth beautiful butterfly about the size Of
q bee; and the female as soon as she cuts
out will commence dcpositing her eggs on
paper; and it is astonishing, the number
Of eggs one will deposit--a very few 81
those butterflies will furnish il sufficient
number Of eggs to produce worms BY the
thousand. These eggs you preserve BY
| folding up the paper on which they are
laid and putting them away In some cool
dark, dry place, in dry cellar for instance,
mulberry leaves come out in the spring the
eggs are put III Highland airy room and
the young worm will come out in few
days and have the appearance OF young
black ants.
HOW TO FEED THEM.
You commence feeding them as soon as
| they come out. They will do better ia
have fresh food all the time, but by feed.
ing them at bed time and early in the
morning and good supply through the
| day they will do very well. The manner
Of feeding is simply 30 spread the leaves d
the mulberry upon them and they will
soon eat throughs and come out on top.
Care must be taken to keep them clean
this you will find to require some labor UNI
less you have them placed in such man
ner that you can change them from ono
place 10 another with the least trouble. II
| Is good plan as any to have frames two
and halt feet square filed in with wire
Ortwine like a riddle to feed the worms
upon, and when you wish to change them,
place an empty frame over the one occu-
pied, near enough for the worms TO reach
it, and cover ii over with leaves, and they
will pass Into the upper one, leaving the
lower one empty; then, itcan be taken out
and cleaned and by thus alternating, your
frames can be kept clean without much
trouble.
HOW OLD BEFORE THEY SPIN.
The worm will complete IFS growth in
four and six weeks. There are two vari-
cites: the four weeks worm, and the six
weeks worm. The six weeks worms are
preferred, their cOcoons are larger and
more easily rcelcd than the four weeks
ones. When they are ready 10 90 10 spin
ming, soine preparation is necessary TO be
provided for them TO mako their eoeoons.
Some persons make up papers in conical
shape a half or two inches long with the
small end closed up, and the open end
about one inch In diameter. But the bet
ter plan Is to cut small bushes and place
tlcin in the sun until the leaves are con.
| traeted and eurled up by the heat OF the
sun, and then place the bushes where the
worm can reach them and they will crawl
up the bushes and make their cocoons in
| the hollow Of the leaves.
TO GET THE SILK.
The spinning process will be finished IN
n lay or two, and the cocoons intended fol
| manufacture must be exposed to the hot
sun several days, or steamed, in order Il
kill the chrysalis, otherwise, 1t will cut Out
and thereby cut the fibre in such manner
| as Il will beimpnssible 10 reel the SILK from
/ thc'cncooa. After the chFysalis il killed
I the art Of rceling the silk from the cocoon
\ is most beautiful work for the ladies, ant
We can make the finest and most substan
I tial material of silk.