West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-11-14
Snk-worms.

The writer has had some experience
IN raising silk.worms, aud has found,
from the egg 20 the moth, abundant
food for curiosity and instruction. and
would add testimony TO that of others
that this worm is wonderfully fashioned.
and that the Empress. Sizing Chi. who
discovered lis use, should not bo forgot
ten 10y mankind.
The white mulberry, or morus alba
Is the proper food for producing tho
best silk; and light, loamy soil on Gle
waited land is favorable 10 the growth OF
the tree.
Seven or eight hundred trees may grow
Upon one acre of land, and in three
years a single tree will yield ten or
twelve pounds of leaves.
The cocoorory, or feeding room. should
be FREQ from ants, spiders, or other
IN urious insects, and should be proyid-
ed with ventilation. and means for keep
ing the temperature between SiNty-fivo
and seventy-fivc degrees.
For mere experiment. lorg table.
with strips around the edgcS TO keep he
worms from falling TO the ,oor, is sufi-
ciently large for two or three hundred
worms.
The eggs are of a grayish color and
about the size of mustard seeds. I he
worms, which generally come from the
eggs early in the morning, are small
black spe ks, and at first need tender
leaves To feed upon, that are free from
dust and moisture.
About the fifth day after Matching.
the worms stop eating and with heads
raised FOR air, sleep Tor thirty hours or
more, during which time they should
not be disturbed. On awaking. they
leave behind, on the dry leaves. ther
first black skins or coats. and come out
in lighter colored garments
They have become larger than before
sleeping. and their appetite has in
creased so that they make larger open
ings in the leaves.
The silk-worms have four such moult-
Ing sleeps. with week or moro be-
tween them, during thoir short lives.
and at last they are of n pearly white
color.
After the fourth sleep the worms will
eat constantly night aud day for about
ten days, and should be constantly sup
piled with leaves, being fed six or eight
times during twenty-four hours with
fresh leaves and small branches.
The period for feeding is usually
about thirty or thirty-ive days; aud at
length the worm is seen To look up.
crawl around from place to place, aud
IS evidently hunting for spot to spin
It's silk cocoon.
Sometimes, branches OF oak. rye or
wheat straw will serve their purpose;
but in our own experience preference
was shown by them for little round
cells made of pasteboard.
Whpn rpa,ly for g,,ft,,;,,. 4, ~, ,..,......
three or three and halt inches i'm
length, showing a very rapid growth for
toe five or six weeks Of its life
After the worm has fastened itself TO
tho branch or cell by zoos, texture Of
silk, 1t begins TO make its silk co Don
around itself. There are two ducts,
near each other, in the head of the
worm, from which is elected the silken
thread. BY the yibratory motions of the
head these unite into one. and the silk
cocoon is continuous thread from ten
TO twelve hundred feet i'm length.
IL Is from three TO five DAYS in spin
ming its nest, which is, when finished.
an inch or more in length, and imper-
vlous 20 water on account Of gummy
substance with which the silk is covered
The shape of its nest is much like a
peanut There, curled up i'm the co
coon, the curious worm again sheds its
outer coat and assumes the crysalis
state for about three weeks Then the
cream colored moth emerges from one
end Of the cocoon, lays about four hun
dred eggs, lives for n few days. and
its life work being done, it dies Of old
age at the end Of three months from its
birth.
But the moths are not all allowed TO
come out Of cocoons. In doing this
they break many threads and destroy
the cocoons for reclng. Therefore it is
necessary in some way 10 Kill the
chrysalides
This is generally done by heating
them In an oven Orsmothcring them by
steam. The oven heating inures the
gloss OF the silk; therefore, the better
way Is 20 place the cocOons I'm close
covered basket over the steam OF boil
ing water for an hours time. After
spreading the cocOons out TO dry they
may be gathered into bag, and are
ready for reeling. ~ T. I,tdcpcndcnL