The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-28
KANSAS NEWS.
Partially Successful Expert
ment in Silk Worms
Is Conducted This Season by a
Hutchinson Man.
TWO POUNDS OF SILK.
Started With Eggs from Gov
eminent Source.
Mulberry Leaves Used for Their
Feed.
TWO POUNDS OF SILK.

Hutchinson, July Essays the Bee:
b. f. Macklin, retired farmer living
at 400 Third street. has been conduct
ing a line of experiments in silk cul-
ture. Mr. Macklin noticed an article in
one of the eastern papers regarding the
raising of silk worms as an industry
and determined to make a trial. He
received a couple Of thousand eggs
from the department of agriculture ar
Washington and began raising silk
worms.
The temperature required for the
proper Matching of the eggs runs from
IS to n degrees, a rather limited range
OF temperature unless one has all the
appurtenances necessary, which Mr..
Macklin did not have. The result was
that the eggs Matched out sooner than
they should have done. When first
Matched the worms are about an eighth
of an inch in length, but the growth
is rapid and in less than sixty days
they average about 2z inches long and
as thick around as the finger.
The method of feeding. as described
by Mr.. Macklin, is quite interesting.
The mulberry leaves are scattered over
mosquito netting or something equally
close meshed and the worms crawl up
between the openings and feed or the
leaves. This method of feeding is con-
tinued until they become too large for
the netting, when paper pierced
through with large holes is substituted.
The white mulberry Is the one pre-
ferred as the leaf is more easily digest
ed by the young worm. Mr.. Macklin
was not able to procure the white null
berry to the exclusion of any other, and
this worked something of a hardship
also upon his experiment.
Every six or seven days the worm
sheds its skin, becoming sluggish and
inactive during the process, but as
soon as it has thrown off its old COW
ering it RECEIVERS its usual state of ac-
tivity, feeding on until the leaves have
entirely disappeared.
After IT has reached its growth the
silk worm starts to weave its cocoon.
throwing a silken web on either side,
then rolling over and over until the
familiar cylindrical cocoon is formed.
The worm is about to 21z inches in
length. while the cocoon varies prob
ably from an inch to 11z inch; it's for
the mathematician to figure out how
sion. After length of time the worm
turns into a dark brown colored bug
and within six or eight days thereafter
into a small white cOlored butterfly
which begins the work of reproduction,
laying the leaden colored eggs about
the size Of a small pin head.
Mr.. Macklin secured about 900 CO.
coOns out of a possible 1000 eggs The
cocoon is choked by being placed in an
oven; the word choked is used for the
process of killing the chrysalis in the
cocoon. The cocoons were collected by
Mr.. Macklin and shipped to the gov
eminent department of agriculture,
where he received S2.10 for 2.33 pounds
of cocoons. or a rate of IS cents per
pound. This is the price for second
class cocoons, the first class receiving
81 per pound and the third receiving so
cents per pound. The silk is secured
from the cocoon by a special process
In which the end of the silken web is
secured and the silk unwound con-
tinuously as from a spool