The New York herald., 1874-07-09
CALIFORNIA SILK Gu lTURE.

Interesting Facts COH-arnirE the silk
WOrm-How 1t il Hatched and Fed
The sCocOons.
The San jose tUai.} Mei'eu,V gives the following
description OF serlcuture as carried on in santa
Clara county or that State:-Wtliam Paul's rancho
OF 260 is located on the northwestern border
OF the town. 1t contains 1000 mulberry trees, $50
fruit trees OF different varieties, 1000 grape vines,
about so acres IN grain and the remainder in hay
and pasture. For several years Mr.. Paul has made
specially OF silk growing for which business this
soil and climate Is specially adapted short
description OF the process may not be uninterest-
ing. We are to suppose that the mulberry trees
are sufficiently grown to furnish food Tor the
worms.
THE FIRST THING Is TO HATCH THE EGGS.
THIS " accomplished by placing them Sn IN case
Bookcase. This case is heated By means OF spirit
lamp placed unaerneath at first to twenty degrees
ceatgrade or seventy-fve degrees Fahrenheit;
the temperature Is increased each day by placing
q sheet OF paper under the lamp, thus gradually
eleyallng 1t until the thermometer marks the re-
quired heat Ii the eggs are good they VIII hatch
In from ten to twelve days. When they begin TO
hatch they will nearly all come out in one day; a
Il the eggs have been exposed 70 variable temper.
atuIe during the winter q longer time Will be re-
CURED Before the eggs ,p are PLACED S, in the case
placing them IN salt water, In the proportion Of
half pound OF salt to gallon OF water II the
onehaii, They remain in the oath about Ave
hours and ace then rinsed in fresh water seven or
AFTER THE YOUNG WORKS ARE OUT
they are placed on the shelves IN well ventilated
apartment with the temperature kept unlform at
from eighteen to twenty degrees Reaumur, and
fed every three hours during the day and at least
once in every iour hours during the nignt In
be cut up almost as aue halr. As they get
older and stronger the leaves are led with little or
hours Seere eans Every day or
tity OF refuse leaves accumulates on the shelves,
and must be removed. Inis Is done by laying
over the worms sheets VI thick paper perforated
with holes large enough or them TO pass through.
On the top OF the paper leaves are spread, and the
iced can DO lted to side and the shelf cleaned
out. The process also serves to separate the
healthy from the unhealthy worms. Ii worm is
enough to go through tho holes and can by TINS
means be detected and rejected: After the worms
have been led eighteen or twenty days
THEY WILL BEGIN TO SPIN.
This time is indicated by the appearance OF the
pears full OF water this Is the time Tor making the
web Mus ara stalks, with the brush on them, are
on them, spin a weD, roll themselves up in it and
spin another web on the INSIDE thus forming the
cocoon. With good attention and under favorable
circumstances this process requires about twelve
or thirteen days; II the weather is very warm 1t
Will require about eighteen days. This can be as
cerained by shaking the cocoon; II 1t rattles the
worm has finished 1t; ii not, 1t is either unfinished
or the worm is dead, and by opening one n two
cocoops you can tell waat IS inc mater. II silk Is
the OBJECT, the cocOOns then picked aud placed
in an oven with SUFFICIENT temperature to XIII the
chrysais, but II 1t Is attended TO raise eggs, the
cocOOns are placed on O table, the ragged ends VI
silk picked OF carefully ana the butterfly allowed
TO eat its way out
the males and females are paired of and placed
in a dark, cool room, on sheets OF paper, letting
them remain about six hours. The males are then
stretched vertically. They are placed on the up.
per edge of the cloth, about quarter OF an inch
aoa 10y e sgg a. nS
eggs are placed on it, and BY weighing it after the
eggs are deposited the weight Of the eggs can
only by boys or girls, their hands being more
tender than those OF adults. They are allowed 70
remain on the cloth out one day. One butterfly WIN
produce about 500 eggs. ahd there are about $4,000
THESE EGGS WILL KEEP
several years, and, Ii they are known to be good,
can be readily sold Tor IS per ounce; but ii they
are not well known, cannot generally oe sold at
any price. Three average trees w'll 'urnlsh feed
Tor an ounce oi eggs TIE supertn endent OF MIR.
PauPs SILK business Is Signor PaoIO Consonao,
whose family In Milan before the Garlbaldian
he says the climate and soil ID this locality Is
much better adapted to serlculture than that OF
France or Italy; that our leaves contain more
sugar and rosn-two primary eements-than
those OF any other country. lt Is necessary for
every farmer TO set out q few trees. and either
raise mis- own cocoons or sell the leaves to Others.
would, In q short time. work into an industry that
would give profitable employment to thousands OF
men, women and children and add immensely to
our general wealth. He estimates that all aver
age boy can thoroughly learn all tne details OF SILK
family Should take the trouble 10 do this he could
take charge OF q lew worms and trees on his
home place and teach other memters OF the family,
until, In o very short time, the whole household
win be skilul serlcuturlsts. This Is the way 1t is
done in Europe. and is the only way in when silk
growing and silk manufacturing can become an in
LARGO will set up, In hayfed, this fall, machine
for reeling silk.