The Paducah evening sun., 1907-07-24
Great Place for silk Worms.

All through the northern part of
Italy the culture OF silk worms is a
great industry. This is probably due
to the fact that the mulberry tree,
the leaves of which constitute the
food of the silk worm, requires for
its perfect growth long con tinued
warm, dry weather and thereby suf-
fers in the rainy seasons of England
and France.
Italy, with the eternal blue in her
skies and perpetual warmth of her
sun is an ideal climate for its propa-
cation. In soil less rich and fertil-
lied, the mulberry trees exhausts the
earth so far as other vegetation ex-
lists, but in Italy the trees are used
as supports to the grape vines. The
branches are all ut off so as to shade
the vines-the leaves fed to the
worms and the twigs used for light
firewood. so uttilitarian is the Italian.
In addition, there is a crop of grain
between the rows of trees-thus
every foot of.ground is cultivated
The first interesting feature is the
manner Of planting the mulberry
trees as regards their mission in the
vineyards In Rome the grape vines
are supported by bamboo pole set up
like that of a wigwam, but in central
and northern Italy the useful null
berry trees are used-set out about
twenty feet apart. They are allowed
to branch once into five or six arms.
these arms being kept an equal
length all over the vineyard, only a
few feet long and the stump of each
arm is covered with young shoots
that produce the food for the worms
The tree increases only in its trunk
IL is never allowed to grow tall. The
grapevine is trained to grow to the
point where the branches diverge.
then is guided by a string to the next
tree, so as to form festoons of vines
from tree to tree all over the vine
yard. All the sap from the roots
goes into the comparatively few
leaves that are allowed to grow and
thus makes stronger fiber for the
silk. 1t is said that when the food is
poor or insufficient the quality of silk
is apt to be coarse and adherent.
The cocoons which are to be kept
to become butterflies next spring are
held in cold storaeg until then, when
they come out under proper treat
ment The eggs are sold to farmers
just as we sell grain. After the eggs
hatch the tiny worm Is put into a
drawer-like receptacle. layers piled
upon each other with plenty of space
for air between and fed upon finely
cut mulberry leaves.
The worm eat eight days then
sleep one day. at which time the
drawers are cleaned; then they eat
another eight days, sleep one. eat
still another eight days. when the
space between the drawer is in
creased to a foot and branches are
put up and down for them to cling to
and begin their spinning of the CO.
coon.
The spinning apparatus is near the
mouth and connected with the silk
bags, which are long and slender and
contain a liquid gum; they are closed
below and end above in slender tubes.
one on each side, which unite to form
the single spinning tube. The silk
thread is formed by the contact of
the air with the liquid gum and
elongated by the long glandular We
gars. Every thread of silk is made
up of two distinct strands.
When the spinning process is I'm
ished the cocoons are sent In baskets
holding several bushels to the village
where there are silk factories.
The process of unwinding is very
painstaking. The usual method is TO
throw the cocoon into boiling water,
which kills the chrysalls. A more
humane method is merely to steam
them over boiling water. which soft
ems the glue sufficiently to allow the
of the silk and permits
the moth to come forth alive from
the interior layer and deposit. the
eggs or prepare for a new brood.
The dnwinding is from the center
and one worm spins about 100 yards