The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-30

rection OF what seened TO me the most
authentic of the magazine articles which
my friend had sent me. as soon as a tray
was one-third covered with the little worms
! would move it carefully to the shelves
in the rearing room and put another in its
place over The Matching egge.
The time for Matching is early in the
morning, usually between s and s o'clock.
Az | am a farmers wife and nave to rise
early, that time suits me very well. Each
days hatch should he kept separate, as the
worms will moult differently Eggs not
Matched on the third day should be thrown
away. az the worms that come from them
will he weak unhealthy and often die before
they reach their second moult. There are
five of these moultings and each separates
what we worm cultivators call the ages
Of the silkwnrm.
During the first age worms should he
fed every hour during the day. The null
berry leaves should be young and should
be finely chopped. After the first moulting
they should have about five meals a day
and the leaves need not be chopped. n
one has the time and wishes to chop the
leaves it may be done, but | stopped chop
ping mine after the first age fully five years
factory, After each moult, as the worms
grow very rapidly, they will have to be
spread out.
There are two points about which all
who wish TO grow silk worms must be par
ticular. Worms must be kept with scrupu-
lous cleanliness and must have a plenty of
room. Perhaps ! should add that they
must also have plenty Of fresh air, but /
think that is understood to be essential to
the well being OF all animal life. After the
fourth moult the appetite of the silk worm
can only be described by the word voracious.
AS they are only machines for producing
sllk and the more they eat the more silk
they make ] have always been careful to
ntnaH THAR -ANtN W. G--l -
had to call on the mulberry trees Of my
neighbors to help me do it, but ! pulled
through and the result was so satisfactory
that since then have always made a point
of being prepared.
After the fourth moult when you notice
that they have stopped eating and that
they show an inclination TO climb tina
means but one thing. They are getting
ready to spin. The grower should have
ready a supply Of small punches Of dry
twigs. They must be OF an odorless shrub
and entirely free from gum and moisture.
Place these over the trays in which the
worms are and they will soon climb up
and begin to spin their cocoohs. Now is
the only time when the silk worm needs
anything like close attention. They should
he watched constantly while they arc maxi
ing these preparations, lest they get in
punches and spin double cocoons. The
hlaments from double cocoons cannot be
successfully reeled, so they are only salAble
when moving a silkworm IL should
never be touched with the fingers. Use
a soft camel's hair brush, a leaf or the eoft
end OF a piece OF broomsedge. The CO.
coons intended for reeling should be gath
cred ten days after the spinning begins.
They must be graded as to size and color
and hrmness. II handled too roughly
the chrysalis will be injured, the cocoon
stained and only fit for waste. Imme-
diately after gathering they must be'choked';
that means killing the ~ohrysalis. | nave
always done this by putting them in pans
In the oven OF my cooking stove and keep
ing them at a temperature Of about 40
degrees for five or six hours. Ihave known
where they were put in a perforated vessel
over boiling water for a shorter period
with equally good results.
Il have found II best TO raise my own
eggs, 30 for that purpose | always select a
number Of the largest and best oocoona
and allow the moth TO mature. II takes
about two hundred cocoons to produce an
ounce Of eggs.
when reeling il done at home the cocoons |
must be put in hot water 10 loosen the gum
which binds the hlaments together. From
twenty 10 thirty hlAmcnts are used 10 make
one thread, 50 you may judge how fine
and delicate they ere. Wooden reelb cost
about $40 and the best metal reels