The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-09-18
SILK WORKS.
How They Should be Fed and
Matched.
CHINESE AND ITALIAN METEons
WHICH HAVE BERN ADOPTED WITH
SUCCESS.

NAoV ALL POL GSbnCS All bl0
production of silk that one in partic-
MAR OF the many species of null
perry should be cultivated and that
1T should be so favorably situated in
regard to climate that it's foliage
will be in readiness for feeding the
young worms when they are first
Matched from the egg. The species
best adapted is the white mulberry
(9,sorass alba. The extreme lateness
OF season at which the black mul.
berry produces its leaves prevents
its employment generally, while it
10 said that this tree does not bear
the loss of its leaves as we'll as the
other. In some parts of China the
sllkworms are easily reared upon the
trees IN the open air, and so little
have they o tendency to wander
away from the place of their birth. if
food be at hand, that it only requires
a warm and dry atmosphere to bring
them to perfection. In other coun.
tries, however, it is thought desira-
BILE to raise them in properly ar
ranged buildings where thew are
supplied with leaves gathered from
day to day. In tropical countries
the eggs hatch readily at the proper
time by the natural heat, but artifi-
clal heat is almost always required in
Southern Europe. Formerly the
heat of fermenting dung was used,
and the warmth of the human body
was found servicable, the eggs being
carried in. little bags in the bosom Of
the cultivation The present custom
is to hatch them by stove heat, be-
ginning with a temperature of 81
degrees, f., which is gradually in
creased through, ten days to SO de-
grees, at which it is maintained un-
til the eggs are Matched. Expert
.ence has shown that the operation is
facilitated by washing the eggs in
the first place with clean water, and
some cultivators also wash them in
wine, the use of which is, however,
questionable. Water has been found
useful in removing a certain gummi-
ness and other impurities from the
eggs, which would otherwise impede
the Matching. When the silkworms
have been regularly developed as
thus described it is usual to place
above the trays upon which they re-
pose little contrivances in which the
caterpillar can spin. The contriv-
anoe used by the Italians consists of
number Of thin slips of wood
about an inch and a half broad, all
cut sufficiently long to reach across
the trays. They are cut, at inter-
walls of an inch, half through so that
one will fit into the other, and when
complete they ell form a series of
cells which, set in a tray, form the
best receptacles for the silkworm to
spin in. When not in use the whole
arrangement can be compressed into
a very small compass for conven-
fence of storage. In other coun.
tries the weavers use little cones of
paper, or small twigs, among which
the cocoons are spun.
In feeding the worms great care
should be taken to SO distribute the
food ON the shelves or in the trays
that the insects will not crowd to.
gether, and to prevent this the most
careful cultivators chop the leaves
small and strew them very evenly
about. Care should also be taken to
keep the worms of the hatch from
mixing with those of another, unless
of exactly the same age, otherwise
the stronger insects will deprive the
younger ones of their food. Many
other niceties of attention are re-
quired, which altogether render the
auccassfnl rearing Of ailkworma a