The Dawson journal., 1883-05-10
SILK CULTURE.
A Million Silk Worm Eggs to be
Distributed to GeOrgIans
Who Want Them.

Yesterday Governor Boynton re.
ceived the following brief telegram
from Memphis:
81 have million silk worms egss
for distribution that await your ordel
by telegraph. ] W. MoKrrTR1cK."
The governor conferred with
Commissioner Henderson and tele
graphed that the eggs would be ac
cepted. A Constitution reporter
asked Commissioner Henderson what
it all meant. Said the commission
er:
ut is movement inaugurated to
make the production of silk more
general and to encourage it. The
eggs will be sent to me in very few
days, and will be distributed to ap-
plicants as far as they will go, and at
once
There is a demand just now for
silk worm eggs, great many peo-
pie having suddenly taken up an idea
that there is considerable amount
of amusement and not small
amount of profit in making silk.
Silk culture and honey making both
interest the ladies, and the industri-
Gus little bee and the useful silk
worm should belong to the same
family and receive honors alike.
There is no doubt that silk cul
ture will soon begin to interest the
people 10 a greater degree than ever
before. The production of silk is
very interesting and affords an ex-
cellent opportunity for studying ma
lures little workers. In Japan the
eggs of the silk worm are deposited
a kind Of thick, smooth paper, pre-
pared for the purpose. They are
deposited by butterfly, whick dies
as soon as it has performed this, the
sole function OF its existence. AS
soon as the eggs are laid they are
placed in thin paper sack which is
laid away in cool. clean, well ven
tilated place, where they remain till
the next summer. 1t is important
that they be not exposed to damp or
foul air, or to the odors of tobacco,
drugs orany oily or salty substances.
The eggs require the closest care, as
in tact the entire business requires
the incest management. Between
the Goth of March and the 5th of
April, or perhaps little later, the
papers holding the eggs are taken
from the sacks and hung up so that
the fresh air can circulate freely
about them, care being taken to
turn them upside down every other
day, in order that, being exposed
equally to the same atmosphere, the
eggs may all hatch out at the same
time. As soon as the worms are
Matched the paper on which they
are laying is doubled up and being
beaten gently with the hand
they drop into vessel placed for
their reception. The worms that
come out between morning and noon
may be swept off at midday, while
those hatched during the night are
not to he disturbed until the second
day after. The mulberry tree fur
nishes in its leaves the natural and
best food for the worms, but if the
leaves are not sufficiently advanced
to afford food at the time Of hatch
ing, the staminate flowers of this
tree, gathered for the purpose the
year before, may be fed to them at
the rate of about one quart of flow
ers to the worms on paper ones foot
square. In feeding leaves while
the worms are young the leaves
should be cut up and passed through
a sieve in order to insure the requ-
isite degree Of tineness. OF course
it requires experience and close OBJ
servation, and those who desire to
enter the business of silk culture or
to raise worms simply for amusement
would do well to buy a book on the
subject and to secure such other in
formation on silk culture as can be
obtained. In six or eight days af-
ter the worms have been swept off
of the paper they assume Whitish
hue, the head enlarges and they
cease to eat. That is their first
moulting period. Several of these
changes occur. Soon after the
fourth period the worms are seen to
crawl around anxiously for proper
place to make their nests and be-
gin to spin the cocoon in which they
envelope themselves, thus making
their dwelling places and their tomb.
1t is estimated that in prebafiug a
cocoonery that million worms and
a like ratio for d greater or less nun.
ber will require for the first age 20C
square feet of surface, for the sec
ond age 375, for the third 875, foi
the forth 2,062, and for the fifth
5000. In about ten or sfteen days
after the worm completes spinning
according to the warmth of the sea
son, the moth emerges from the co
coon in the form of a large butter
fly, of grayish white color. Sool
after they lay the eggs, and whet
they are done laying, they soon die
One hundred pairs of cocoons, weigl
ing about pound, will make abou
au ounce of eggs, which in turn viii
produce about fifty thousand sill
worms. The cultivation of sill
!, worms is troublesome but interest
ing.
! The Bothered Army Surgeons
1t was in war times. The Ono,