Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-07-18
HINTS ON SERlCULTURE.
Interesting and Yllulbl5 Information
As 10 Tho Worms.
The Eggs. stages aud Ages Of the SIR
Worm, aud tue changes 30
strangely Passed Through.
Hbtor Dessret Neva

several enquiries from salt Lake CITY
In regard to the raising OF silkworms.
lnasmuch Hs THIS station has conducted
no experiments on suficulture, and ns
none Vi the other stations Of the coun.
Try have published anything on the
subject, We, ~ well a8 tho Queens.
land Department. Of agriculture, can
give no direct Information. The de.
partmont OF agriculture at Washing.
ton has ut different times published
articles on the subiost, anu 1t 10
tho ught that an abstract Of these, pub.
llshcd In the newspapers Of Salt Lake
Guy, will better roaoh those interested
thau by any other method.
Bulletin No. o Of the Division Of
Entomology T.. 3. department Of
agriculture, by &. V. Riley, constitutes
a manual Of instructions ia silk
culture. Bulletin 20 Of tho Queens.
land, Australia, department Oi agri.
culture, contuins Information on
sericul,urc much OF tho same nature.
From these We extract tho following:
STAGES Or THE HLEwoH1L
The mulborry.foeding silkworm OK.
Isis In four states or stages, via; egg,
larva or worm, ohrysslls, aud moth.
The egg, otherwise called the "socd"
by silk raiscrs, Is nearly round, slightly
tlattenod, aud about the sizs Of
turnlp seed. The color N usually
yellow on being frat deposlted, which
color II retains II unimpregnatoi. II
lmpfognaled tho color changes, nc.
c0rding To the variety, 10 grey, slate,
violet or dark green. IL also becomes
indenteu.
When diseased the egg assumes
dark snd dull tint, Near one end Of
the egg a small spot may be- observed,
known us the "mlUt0pylu", or OpcniBg
through which tue formulating liquid
h Injected, lust before tbs female moth
deposits IL. Tbs micrOpyle II closed
by gummy yarnlgh, with which
the egg IL coated, and which serves also
TO stick tue egg 10 whatever 10 has been
deposited on.
" AZ the Matching point approach,
thv cgg btcumtH GHtkUf In color, anu
eventually the worm makes IT, exit by
gnHwiug hole ht the miCTlpyIe.
Each female moth produces on an
average ifom BOO 10 400 eggs. In tine
stAndnTd ounce Of % grams there are
about 10000 eggs In the small japanese
races, 1900 in tho ordinary
yellow annual vnrietiet, aud from
$4,000 Up 20 $1,000 In the race
with large cOuU0ns. The specific
gravity OF the egg IL slightly greater
than water Experience has shown
mat tue color VI the albumiuous fluid
OF the egg corresponds 60 that OF tue
roc00us0 thht whom the iiuid ~ white
the cocoon produced 10 also white.
anu when yellow the cocoon will also
10 yellow; but this IL not alwuys tue
oa.r.
The worm goes through four mouths
OF alOkness, the peTioGi be ween thets
mIuits beiuR known as "Hgcs.n There
nre five OF these age: ~ Tue period
from the Matching out 10 the end Of tie
ntst mOult, usually Occupying i've 0f
ELK Gays. (2) From the cad Of the frst
moul, 10 the ed Of he second occupy
INK iuur Or nvo uHSs, 90 From the
end Of the second moult 10 the end VI
tue third, about i've days. ca From
tho end u the third monlt 10 tue END
OF the fourth, from Ave
"a xix days. (5J From ths end
o the fourth moultt TO the lranslorma-
ton Of the worm into cnrysalls,
u ually occupying about niue q ".
sIhcse periods vary sUmewuat, uus 10
climatic influences ami race OF sllk
worm. The lilo 0f the worm, then.
from lie hatchiug out to the lime u
apinnlng the cocoon varies from Thirty
g. forty days,aCcgriing % race, meth ID
VI rearing, temperature, etc.
Before each muul. tue worm gtue-.
ally insis for two or thee days. dufiug
which Time 10 attaches itself nrmiy by
tue abdominal prulugs, and hold up
the fore part Of TIC body. At thi.
ume OILY close inspecliou,a dark TITAN.
guar spot IL noticed Ia front Of
tho hut joint; this IL the com.
mencement Of tho growth Of the new
mead, anu then the Aickness ia
over the worm throws on ita old
skin, rests n litils while 10 recover
strength, anu then feeds vOTHcioutly 10
make up TOT lost time. These sicknerses
are, IN reality, the changing NJ tkina.
The worm usually consumes ils own
weight Of leaves every day it feeds, but
during the last few days before com
meuoing to apIl II consumes more
Than duTluE tho whole curse OF lie
previous existence. Another curious
TACT observed IN connection with the
worm Is that tue color OF the abdominal
pfolegs, at the commencement, anu
Just before the epinniug time, CORES.
pondo 10 tue color " the silk which
viii form the cUuOOus.
When tho worm has attained it, full
growth n Is ready 90 spin. Before
starting, however lt shfinks up la siz
Bit, vOids a deal Of eXuttmeut. Nv.
sumea q clear translucent, oilea pink sl
~ amber color, becomes very fostipss,
stops feeding, and throws out AlIksp
threads. The spinning OF the cocoon
usually oCcupivs from three 10 five
days, ana, after another three dRyf, hy
a final aiCAnts7, IN trsn.ilrmrd Into a
ohrysalls. The chfgtalis is "a brown,
oval body, very much smaller iu length
than tho ulEKtOwm worm, auI 10 the
future moth. The ChTyBHlis State con,
upues tor from two 10 three weeks,
when thg SKIN bursts and inc moth
omoIges. The moth, iu order 10 fluid
IN way out OF tho cocoon, Is provided,
ia two glRuda near the obsolete mouth,
with au 8lsalino liquid solution, with /
which it moistpns tue end OF tho
Cocoon, diss0lyinE tho Eummy linz
lug. Then by forward Hud backward
movement thOsilken threads are pushed
aside and the moth escapes. Tho moth Is
usually ufa green color, with moro OF
less distinct hrOWnish markings aCFOsa