The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-12-11
ycof 9 grown to
As the sistpre

yofp Tue udrVeSU rs Nhrly rs
hey inserted shoots In the
found, which Immediately took root,
and in a3very short time leaves could
be gathefed without injury to the young
trees. About January the eggs began
changing into worms. The sisters gath
cred tho youngest and tenderest leaves
and placed them over the eggs. As soon
\ as they we're Matched the worms began
to. eat with great voracity, clinging to II
leaf until nothing but bare tibers re-
NAMED. Then they would be supplied
with fresh leaves The room where they
were stored, was always kept at an
even degree of temperature. They ate
night and day for one month. Then
they commenced their cocoons. In
three days they were finished, and the
q worms were completely buried in the
production of their own labor. In Or
der to make the cocoons of any value
the worm had to be destroyed. This
was done by leaving them in moder-
, ateiy warm oven for fifteen minutes.
Z Some. were left undisturbed in order to
furnish the eggs for the next years
! crop. These latter cocoons were left
untouched for exactly q week. By this
time the. worms had worked their way
out again, and had changed themselves
into. a variety of butterflies. The CO.
coons Atgf,the worm has come out, is
of. but little value. but in France they
are used in the manufacture of an in
ferior silk, with which parasols are
covered. These butterflies were kept in
a darkened room, the walls Of which
were linedl with dark flannel, and on
& this flannel they laid their eggs. These
were of alight bluish-brown color, and
/ slightly. concave at the ends. The sis
G,tr1in N ont ft,1 hn,
efforts. There tire now about dozen
large Mulberry trees in the convent
grounds Twice their crops of silk
wprms were failures. but both times
through accident. Once some coffee
was placed to parch upon the same
stove that served to heat the room
where the worms were kept, and the
: strong odor killed them. On the other
occasion fire was kindlcd by day, and
the room left cold and open at night.
and the change of temperature caused
The destruction of the sensitive crea-
lures. t
AboH four years ago the sisters car
ried offS.wo gold medals at the indus
trial exhibition. Again, one of the sis
tiers Wishing France, displayed some co.
cOons there. They were found to CON-
pare Very favorably with those in
fe and soul of this coterie o.
/ silk workers was the venerable superior
Sistel Theresa. She is now too aged tc
4 superintend the labOrs, and nearly a.
5. the material and the worms were sent
y to, the Thibodaux convent, where a sis.
ter proficient in the culture of the
worms iiesides. -
SisterTheresa still keeps a quantit,
of eggs. and raises: the worms rs a past
time. The sisters nladc only silk threat
from their cocoonss Some roses mad,
with this and dyed were really beauti
full. Tie silk cords which bear tn,
crosses were also woven with threa,
made by them and dyed The clotl
could not be made on account Of thC
lack OF the necessary machinery.
The superior is enthusiastic over TIN
thought that there is possibility o
silk cnNure becoming one of the cs
~ tablisheq llandiworks here, and prom
! ises to give all those who wish it tn
benefit Of her knowledge and expericnc
in THAT line.