Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-05-20


factured in the United States is about
S34.ooO,O00; the leading article being
RIBBONS. next machine twist, dress
goods and handkerchiefs.
New York leads in it's number of
factories. having $50; New Jersey, 1O6;
Massachusetts, % and Maine l.
Massachusetts manufactures about
S3,5OO,O0O worth, employing over 1000
hands.
More than a million of human beings
depend upon the silk-worm for their
daily bread. and all the world owes to il
the splendor of its nightly gayety; its
products are found in the humble home
as well as in the palace; appearing in
the tWo-cent ribbon as well as in the
gorgeous apparel of a wedding trous-
Seau.
we VIII now give a brief description
OF TINS most valuable family of in
sects, ana outline few of the species.
Inc insect belongs to the family
bombicldae. only a few of which pro-
duce silk of sufficient value for
weaving.
among our native species may be
mentioned Samia cecropia, Telia poly
phelilas, Actlus luna and few others
as peliS the most snowy moths: none
Oh these nave been raised. to any ex-
tent Tor their value as silk producers;
put one company in France is now ex-
peIlraentlng with cocoons of II. poly-
phemas with view of breeding for
silk
A large per cent. of the silk of COM
merce is obtained from the Bombex
| mort, an imported species, which feeds
| upon the White Mulberry.
1t is small moth, producing a ra-
ther insignificant looking cocoon. as
compared with many OF it's related
species; the silk is of good quality and
| can be easily reeled, there rot being
much waste
The moth lays from 200 to 400 eggs;
| of these it takes about 100000 to make
| 4 pound, valued al S60
| The thread from a single cocoon will
| often reel 1000 yards, ana reliable ac-
| counts are given of one yielding 1895
yards: it is the longest known continu-
| Gus fibre.
1t takes at least $500 worms to raise
| 4 pound of silk
In describing the development of the
insect, or to give its life history from
the egg to the image. will take our
largest and commonest Species $. ce-
cropia.
In June the moth lays from 200 to
lCO eggs; this is done during the night
| upon the leaves of its food plant: they
are not over choice of their food as i
nave found them feeding upon birch.
poplar, alder. elder willow, apple and
pear.
| These eggs are about the shape of 4
number ten sho: slightly fiattened.
In about ten days these hatch into
small caterpillars. about 4 Of an inch
long. dark colored ana covered with
| black hairs.
| These feed for about ten days upon
the leaves of the plant on which they
were laid.
| During this time the little thing has
| increased in cOrpulence to such Il de-
| gree that her coat is rather tight
| across the back and under the arms.
Poor thing. She stops eating and con-
siders tie matter; her mind is quickly
made up. off comes her hat. SO she
| can have a better insight into the bus
mess. and then without the least anxi-
| ETY. as to consequences, to use Il slang
pin as" proceeds to got her back up.
1
tion proves too much for her thread
bare jacket and r-r-ip goes the seam
down the back. and off goes her coat.
| This skin is almost transparent and
fits so perfectly that the very faces of
the compound eyes can be distinctly
| traced.
She has lost, by this effort, twenty
| four hours of valuable time and her
| Il,-
but this season of fasting is quickly
made up by this voracious little fell
low; we see her now,in a light pea
| green coat. with ample room for anoth-
er season Of feastng.
This process is called moulting and
occurs three times before she reaches
hec full growth: at this stage our little
| acquaintance has matured into a large
| dark green caterpillar about three
| inches long and rs large as your
| finger.
| Now comes the most interesting
| process OF all. that of spinning the
| silk; along each side of the body is 4
tube terminating in the under lip:
during the growing period these tubes
have been gra ]lually filling up. row
they are full to the brinl. with thin
with q little muscular contraction the
lava forces this liquid through these
tubes, when this comes in contact with
the air it hardens into silk. thus
forming q double fibre; the end is at
tached to the surface of 4 limb and
yard after yard is reeled off covering
completely the larva in its slkcn
| house.
How, quickly would the lady of fash
ion scream and faint away at the sight
of one of these hcrrid creatures on her
arm. yet would go into raptures over
the texture of her latest ball dress.
This green monster all unconsciouslv
spins cut the thread that is to adorn
the queen in her palace. or the peasant
girl as she receives the bridal ring.
| Now comes another change; our
guest having constructed its silken
palace. and locked herself securely IN
for the winter throws off her cater
pillar suit and appears in an entirely
new form. or what we would call the
pupa state.