The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-29
SILK CULTURE IN Utah.
A Subject OF Especial Interest
Just Now.
MATCHING OUT THE EGGS,
HOW TO USE AN INCUBATOR WITH
SUCCESS.
Proper Care of the Worms Is All Inn
portant-Hovv to Feed Them In
Order to Obtain the Best Results
The Thieving Period-The Profit.

The great importance of the subject
of silk growing to the people of Utah,
and the fact that the industry is just
now being. inaugurated upon an extern
sive scale make the following article of
especial interest at this time;
In former article gave something
Of the life history of the silk worm,
cleaned from writer's on the subject.
From the same authors we summarize
the following in regard to the winter
ing and Matching of the eggs, and the
rearing of the silk worms.
The success of silk worm rearing de-
ponds largely on the treatment the eggs
have been subjected to after being
laid. When the eggs are first laid they
breathe with activity, the oxidation
causing them to change in color from
yellow to purple. This absorption of
oxygen is very active At this stage
the forced suspension Of vitality by the
application of cold is hurtful, but after
a period of three weeks or q month the
eggs enter into a state of rest, and can
then be subjected without harm to cold
which is necessary for starting the fur
Their development of the embryo the
temperature required to accomplish
this being from SO to 40 degrees Fair
When. once the eggs have been through
or kept at this temperature for a GER
tadn period, the development of the en-
bryo proceeds regularly, and any at
tempt to retard Matching will end in
possible failure.
/ The great object to be attained is to
have the eggs hatch uniformly, hence
those laid at one and the same time
should be kept together. The eggs
should be kept in perforated boxes in
thin layers, in a cool, dry cellar, or any
cool room. When the winter has
passed, the eggs should be brought
into Well-aired room, and, if loose,
spread out evenly on trays. The tenn
perature of the room should average
about rs degrees Fair Eggs should
never be exposed to the sun.
AS the Matching period arrives, if the
weather be very dry, water should be
J sprinkled about the room to keep the
atmosphere moist. This enables the
tiny worm to eat through the she'll
readily. 1t is necessary that the eggs
should be kept below the Matching
temperature until the period when the
leaves on the mulberry trees are ready
FOR gathering. The egg: should he
Placed out of the reach of ants, mice
or other vermin which are very des-
tructlve, and should not be kept IN a
room which becomes cold at night
If the eggs have been uniformly KEEP
during the winter in a very cold place
il will take from two to three weeks
before they hatch out. If the winter
has not been severe, they will hatci
out in five or six days, when placed il
a room having the proper temperature
ARTIFICIAL MATCHING
can also be resorted to, if necessary
by means Of an incubator. But if the
eggs are placed in a cool place from
the period when laid till the close 0.
the winter and then brought into al
airy room having the proper temper
ature no further trouble need be taker
in the matter; the Matching viii pro
coed naturally.
The chief conditions of silk-raising
are, % the use of good eggs; (2) prop
er care of the worms. The eggs wher
about to hatch should be brought int
a cool, airy room, and spread out even
ly- on a sheet of paper and placed OF
one of the trays, or if the eggs are
already adhering to a piece of pape
or cloth this has only to be spread
piece OF coarse mosquito netting, anC
on the netting some finely cut-up mul
berry leaves The tiny little worms
will come up through the netting ant
settle on the leaves. The reason why
these leaves should be cut up yer!
fine for the first moult is to give the
worm more edges to feed on, and s.
: lessen its work at the start. 1t is no
absolutely necessary to cut up TIL
leaves, if buds and tender young leave
are supplied, as nature has provided
the young worm with d pair of stron:
horny m3ndibles for the very purpose
but it would be necessary in case tn
leaves were large and coarse. Afte
the worms are through, the nettin!
he nv
. corners, and the contents tumbled Oh
, on to another tray. The netting i
again put on to the egg tray, and tn
same operation gone through, placini
, the worms on a second tray, and s.
/ on till all the worms Matched out ar
recovered.
FEEDING
, Experience only will teach wha
! amount of feed is wanted. The leave
, should be renewed when they becom
: in the least dry A feed should b,
last thing at night always, additional
meals being given during the day a
it is seen the leaves are eaten. Do no
: heap too much food on the worms
l otherwise they get buried and ar
! lost; besides the leaves ferment and in
duce disease. AS the fifth day ap
} proaches the worm begins to lose it
= appetite-the first sign of it's sickness
? When the first worms show signs @
moulting. leaves should be sparingl,
: given, and must stop altogether as tn
= first ones get ali right again, until tn
1 others in the same tray get right also
, But some are sure to be weakly, an
: should be thrown away or kept Of
: separate trays. During the period O
moulting no food is required. AS 500
e as the majority are again active fee
: them well, as they grow rapidly afte
every mOult. Give them plenty of room
and here the use of the transfer ira
5 with larger mesh, before mentioned
= comes in. Place this tray over the on
= from which the worms are to be re
a moved, sprinkle some leaves on it, anC
n after the worms come through, remoy
n to another tray. The worms should b
: handled as little as possible. TIL
i second and third moultings take plac
: in due time, and with little difficulty
i but the fourth and last moult is NOR
/. laborious, and the worms take ionge
i in going through it and often die. A
: this moult it would be wise to give th
: ones that recover first light feed. All
Il ter the last moult give as much as tn
S worms can eat, for they will eat vorac
ously just before the time for spinnin
e their cocoons. AS the worms fncreas
: in age and size, feed them with mature
: leaves, as these contain more nutriti
{ material.
q Give the worms plenty of room, an
: one rule never to be forgotten is
clean up the litter before and afte
each moult. Cleanliness is absolutel
! necessary for the development
= healthy silkworms.
e THE SPINNING PERIOD.
!. follows eight to ten days after the la.
moult and the worms should be ker