Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-02-10
BUSY WORMS.
A Lecture by p. Wallace MeKittriek on
practical Silk Culture in the
South" Last Night.
The Subject Exciting Great Interest
Here-Silk Eggs Shown by
the Lecturer.

| Mr.. p. Wallace McKittrick delivered hi
lecture on practical Silk Culture in tn
South" last night at Free Trade Hall befor
a good audience, who received him enthusi
astically. Nearly all OF those present wen
upon the platform when the lecture wa
through to inspect the silk-eggs, feeding sack
and silk-cocoons The following a full re
port Of
The Lecture.
The silkworm proper, which makes tn
| silk OF commerce, is the tdTp0 OF small
| moth known 10 scientific men as selicdrit
| naOTi. 1t is popularity known as the mulberry
silkworm. Its place among inssets il witt
the tepidopteTd, or scaly-winged insects, family
| bODlbycid9 or spinners, There are severa
| closely allied species, which spin silk of diff
| ferent qualities, none of which, however
unite strength and fneness in the same ad
| mirsble proportions as that of the mulberry
| species. The latter has, moreover, acquired
| many useful peculiarities during many cen.
! turtles of cultivation. 1t is now a true comes
tic animal. The quality which man has
selected in breeding this insect is that OF silk
| producing; and so we find that, when we
compare it with its wild relatives, the silk
cocoon is greatly disproportionate to the size
of the worm which builds it, or the moth
| (silk-butterfiy) that issues from it. There
! are as many varieties or races OF silkworms
| az there are kinds of birds The white color
of the species, and its seeming want of any
desire to escape as long as it is supplied with
leaves, and the loss of the power OF flight on
| the part OF silk-butterhies, are surely the re.
| suits of domesticatiOn.
THE sILKwoRM EGGS.
The egg of the silkworm butterfly is
called by silk culturists ''seed." 1t is nearly
| round, slightly hattened, as you see, and in
| size resembles turnip-seed. Its color, when
| first laid, is yellow; it soon acquires gray,
slate, lilac violet, or even dark green hue,
| according to variety or breed. 1t also be-
comes indented. In some varieties it is
| fastened to the substance muslin paper
upon which the female butterfly lays her
| eggs by gummy secretion, which securely
| fastens it. As the Matching point approaches
| the egg becomes lighter in color, which is
due TO the fact that its fluid contents become
concentrated, az 1t were, into the central
forming worm, leaving an intervening space
between it and the she'll, which is semi
transparent. Just before Matching, the worm
within becoming more active, slight click
ing sound is frequently heard, which sound
| is, however, common to the eggs Of many
other insects. After the worm has made its
exit by enawing Eole through one side of
the shell this last ecomes quite white. Each
female lays quantity OF eggs. An ounce
| of silk eggs contains from thirty eight to
forty thousand eggs, and each egg produces
a silkworm.
THE sILKwoRM.
The time from the Matching to the spin
ming of the silk-cocoons is thirty days. HAY
ing attained full growth the worm is ready
to spin up-it shrinks somewhat in size, ac-
alp of ipEi
amber colored hue; becomes restless, quits
eating, and commences to build its cocoon OF
silk. The silk is elaborated in fluid condi-
ton in two long, slender, convoluted vessels,
one upon each side OF the alimentary canal.
As these vessels approach the head they be-
come slender and finally unite within the
spinneret, from which the silk issues in a
glutinous state and apparently in a single
thread. The glutinous liquid which COM
bines the two, and which hardens immedi-
ately on exposure to the air may, however,
be dissolved in warm water. The worm
usually consumes from three to five days in
building the silk cocoon, and then passes
three days more, by final tnolt, into the
crysallc state.
THE SILK COCOON
The silk cocoons consist of an outer lining
of loose silk known as "hoss," which is used
for cardiDg, and is spun by the worm in first
amount of 'foss varies according to the
kind OF silkworm. The inner cocoon is
tough, strong and compact, composed OF a
firm, continuous thread, which is, however,
not wound in concentric circles, as might be
supposed, but irregularly in short figure
IS" loops, frat in one place and then in an
other, so that in reeling" several yards of
silk may be taken off without the cocoon
turning round. The color Of the silk cocoons
depends upon the family they belong to.
1t is very easy for experienced silk-grow-
ers to distinguish the sex of the contained
insect, from the general shape OF the cocoon,
those containing males being slender, de-
pressed in the middle and pointed at both
ends while the female cocoons are of larger
size and rounder form, and as you see, in
shape OF a hens egg with equal ends.
THE CRYSTALS INSIDE THE sILK-CocooN.
The crysalis is brown, oval body, consid-
erably less in size than the full grown silk
worm. in external integument NAV be
traced folds corresponding with the abdom-
inal rings, the wings folded over the breast
the antenDs, (the feathery feelers upon the
head of the silk-butteTfy), and the eyes of
the inclosed insect-the future silk butterfly.
At the posterior end of the crysalis, pushed
closely up to the wall of the cocoon, is the
last lUSo skin, compressed into dry wad
of wrinkled integument. The crysalis state
to prevent cutting out and make the silk
cocoon more valuable) when the skin bursts
and the moth energies.
THE sILK-BUTTERFLY.
With no jams, and confined within the
narrow space of the silk-cocoon, the silk
butterfly, or moth, finds some difficulty to
get ont. For this purpose it is provided
in two glands near the obsolete mouth
with a strongly alkaline liquid secretion
with which 1t moistens the end of the silk
cocoon and dissolves the hard, gummy lining.
Then by forward and backward motion, the
prisoner, with crimped and damp wiDgs,
gradually forces its way out, and when once
out the wings soon expand and dry. The
silken threads are simply pushed aside; but
enough Of them get broken in the process to
render the cocoons, from which the silk-but-
terhy, or moth, escapes, comparatively use
less for ruling (but are carded and worked
the same as wool, made into silk floss, etc.
The males have broader dntenn1, or feelers,
than the females, you see, and may by
this feature as well their size, be at once
distinguished. Neither sex flies, but the
male is more active than the female. In a
short time the female begins depositing her
eggs. and dies from exhaustion.
VARIETIES OR RACES OF sILKwoRIs.
The most valuable variety of silkworms
are the "annuals, which produce once a
year. Others, known as biroItius hatch twice
year; the first time IS with the ANIMALS"
in March, April or May, according to the
climate, and the second in eight or ten DAYS
after the eggs are laid by the first brood,
The eggs OF the second brood only are kept
for the next years crop, as those of the first
brood always either hatch or die soon after
being lai3. The hsrolftls produce three
annual generations. There are also
quadreroitius, which hatch four times a
year, and in Bengal q variety known
as ddcey which produce eight generations, or
eight crops a year. Some varieties molt
but three times instead of four especially in
warm countries and with treroLtius. Experience
has proyen-tsking into consideration the
size of the silk cocoons, quality of silk, time
hardness, quantity Of leaves re-
quired, etc.-beyond doubt the ANIMALS to be !
more profitable than any OF the polyroItius |
Il. G., kind of silkworms that hatch more
than once in year.. Any and all kinds of |
rooms will do to raise silk in, providing they |
are dry and airy.
SIIKwoRM FOOD.
The traditional food of the silkworm is the |
tree leaves. The white mulberry |
tree Ian. albul and the Usage orange makes |
the finest quality of silk cocoons. Those /
who use the Usage orange leaves for silkworm |
food must, however, bear in mind that the |
shoots from a hedeeroW become very yteor-