New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-01-21
BREEDING OF SILK WORMS.
shipments of Eggs from Japan.

Shipments of Eggs from Japan.
A large cargo of silk worms eggs was
shipped from Yokohama on the steamship
City of Picking, and reached San Francisco
on the fourteenth instant; thence they were
sent by rail across the continent, and ar
rived last Friday at the Union Line Dock,
Jersey CITY. About half the cargo was
shipped yesterday by the City of Berlin,
via Liverpool, for Havre and Paris, The
remaining portion will be forwarded next
Saturday by the steamship Labrador direct
to Paris and Havre, where the eggs will be
distributed through different parts OF
France Italy and Switzerland. The eggs,
which are placed in 1872 bales or cases, 90
cupy seven cars, and their value is esti-
mated at 100000. The agent OF the
Union Pacific railroad Mr.. Nolan, says
that the cargo arrived in good eondi.
ton, and that the eggs are healthy and
have not been injured by their long jour
uey to this city. A regular trade in the
transportation Of silk worms has been es-
tablished for several years between Yoke
hama and Europe. The steamer Gaelic,
which arrived at San Francisco from Yoke
hama on the sixth instant, had on board
cargo of 2s7 bales of the silk worms eggs
en- route to Europe. Large as these con-
signments are, the trade is increasing daily,
and the supply OF silk worms shipped this
year exceeds that of any previous year.
This is owing to the fact that there has
been o great shortness OF the crop IN the
siIk-worm producing countries of Europe.
The decrease in France within the present
wear has been at least one-half, and the sap
Div in Italy has fallen of fully one-tenth,
making q short crop Of 10000 bales Of
silk in Europe this year. This failure
ia attributable to frOsts and wet weather,
and has increased the value of the
raw material fully 100 per cent What is
known as "the silk worm disease" broke
out in Europe with great virulence last
year, and destroyed large number OF the
worms. The silk worm seed shipped from
Yokohama for the European market is
round, slightly fattened, and as small as q
turnip seed. The seeds will stick wherever
they have been laid by the female moth, as
if glued on pasteboard, paper, cloth, or
even the very cocoon. But the SEED OF
other breeds will not adhere, such as those
that come from the Caucasus, Persia and
European Turkey, among which are the
white of Adrianople and the yellow OF eau
cacus, from NOuka. The eggs are by natural
law submitted to period of seemingly life
Iess inactiOn, and so, during the whole sum-
mer, they will stand degree Of heat much
greater than the one needed to hatch them
in spring. But after December 1t becomes
possible, by giving them that same amount
of heat, to secure nearly perfect Matching
Therefore, if silk worms were kept in winter
in q heated room, there lie no doubt that
they would hatch or spoil. In shipping
them by railroad or steamboat care must be
taken that they are not placed in heated
cars or too near the boiler. The most in
tense cold does not hurt them, and there
would be less danger IN having then buried
in ice than exposing them TO high degree
of heat after the month Of October.
Mr. Franklin Allen, secretary Of the Silk
Association of America, related 20 q Times
reporter some curious facts connected with
the habits and pecuharities of the silk
worm. He explained that there are five
different ages in the life of q silk worm,
from the Matching, according to the number
of times they change their skin. These ages
are also termed mOulting OF sleep. Mature
gave the worm the faculty of spinning the
cold cocoon in which 1t wraps itself, secure
against all dangers that might hurt it as
soon as it is transformed into chrysalis-a
state Of insensibility which 1t preserves
from eight to twenty days, according to
breed and climate, before 1t emerges aa
3 moth. The age of silk worms is
counted by the number of meals they
have eaten, and not by the days. spent
from their birth. At each molting the worm
changes the whole of its outer envelope.
When just matched it is not One-twelfth of
an inch long, but from the instant Of its
birth, even before its first meal, it begins
to spin. When the eggs are on the point of
Matching, they undergo marked change Of
color; they pass from dark lilac TO ashy
lilac, and become quite white when the
worm Is out. They eat more OF leas In pro-
portion to the degree Of activity impaired
70 them by the haAt. At cold tamper-
atHre they are benumbed, and sat little or
nothing. Hence il IL necessary il warn
= weather to feed them frequently. Some
Leading breeders maintain that fire, sir and
Leaf are the three essential requisites
to sustain the eilk-worm. Great cara
a = urnII nmmntnaHltw anamf6 "a r.f.
served in feeding them. The mulberry
leaves shOuid be spread very evenly, 30
that one worm can not eat more than an
other. After eighteen meals most Of them
will be buried beneath the leaves; the
others, as many g can BE- seen, win have
short, thick-set bodies and large heads. By
and By the worms begin 10 thicken, and IN
eighteen hours they viii All come out, If the
tempeTature be warn. At every melting
It's color Of the worm crows dimmef, and
whiton1 gradually. At she fourth and last
stage che worm e lean and feeble; as soon
s. 4 e veil out, It is necessary 60 give them
light meal with Wild leaves. Later on
plenty Of leaves ahould be supplied them
three times day. when this is done .
noise similar 70 a heavy shower falling
On foliage Is heard, which 10 produced By
ttheir chewing the leaf. which fhsy gnaw
Gloss to the wood. For eight DAYS they re-
quire constant attention. Six days alter
she last silk worms have come up, the ool-
forting Of the eeeeone may be commenced.
H1o asst thing ID Re take apart the bushy
cabins where the worms frat climbed up.
Is1 nest Important points Necessary 10
breeding, and &c prevent disease, arc attan.
zion Is aaanlI1esr. proper ventiatle., reEu-
lafity q fdin1- end care ageinss Geld
at4lF 0f I'll 8 eudtan ohanQ1E Of s11eeEN,
tnre II1 1ItarrV gIik vera being par
&nIIg fo1scsI m ila h1hii1 lo1d i111 greater
s61t thar the n1r1F races Of gCHnl tnaf are
S1endfH4 UNI1r fAei9 topper tAa worms
se be lua1i ta1 ll1lr aprsfiis Increases