Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-08-18
PROPAGATING
SILK WuRMs

this summer took up the propagation
of the silk worm with the govern
ment. She has had a valuable ex.
perienoe, both as to the amou mt of
care and work involved and the re.
muneration that is in it,
Mrs. Gademan last winter learned
that in instances where persons desir-
ed to raise silk worms the Government
would furnish the eggs and that when
the worms had left their larval state
would pay certain price for the CO.
ooons.
Mrs. Gademan wrote the department
for information and in reply received
a package of eggs accompanied by full
instructions how to proceed to raise
silk worms.
This was during the early part of
June and from that time until the
present Mrs. Gademan's cozy home in
Riverside has been the center Of re-
markable interest. The quantity of
eggs was infinitesimally small, yet
they were sufficient to produce be-
tween two and three thousand worms.
In Matching, all that Is necessary ia to
spread the worms out on paper and
the action of the summer atmosphere
does the rest. Eighteen days is the
period required.
1t was the last of June when the
worms made their appearance. From
that time OH Mrs. Gademan found her
hands full, indeed, and her house was
visited by hundreds Of people attract
ed by the interesting object lesson
showing how the delicate threads
are produced from which the silk of
commerce is prepared 1t was truly a
wonderful sight. AS the.worms made
their appearance it was apparent that
the one room set apart for the useful
little insects was not sufficient two
other apartments in a short time had
to be added and the silk worms were
masters of the premises.
1t was just about this time that Mrs.
Gademan began to fully realize what
she had on her hands. AS is we'll
known the silk worm subsists upon
the mulberry leaf. which is by no
means a plentiful commodity in this
section. Mrs Gademan was we'll in.
formed on the subject and she under
stood that the mock orange leaf is q
satisfactory substitute for the null
berry leaf On the farm of T. H.
Kimbel nearby one of these trees is
growing, which was finally set apart
for the silk worms. When 1t is stated
that one ounce of eggs will produce
forty thousand worms and that this
number of worms during their larval
state will consume over a ton of
leaves the contract that the Riverside
lady had on her hands in supply ying
the several thousand worms in her care
will be readily appreciated. Forum.
ately the mock orange tree held out.
although now that the worms are done
with it it looks as il it had been rid
died by hail storm.
| Under their Usage orange diet the
worms grew rapidly and soon Mrs.
Gademan found the three apartments
of her house full of worms two inches
or more in length. Two weeks ago
they started to spin their cocoon, a
sort Of an oblong case in which the
worm lies during its chrysalis state.
Those who missed seeing the silk
worms in this interesting stage of their
existence certainly missed great
deal. About one week was occu-
pied in spinning, after which moth
ing remained but to cure the cocoons
and prepare to ship them to the de
partment. The process of curing con-
sists in exposing the cocoons to a
moderate heat either artificial or that
of the sun.
A word as to the remuneration. The
government pays from seventy cents to
one dollar per pound for cocoons. AS
these must be thoroughly cured it is
evident that when they return to the
government they do not weigh very
much. Over six hundred are required
to make pound. 1t is very easy there
fore, to figure on the remuneration
that Mrs. Gademan will have for the
most strenuous summer that she ever
spent in her life.