San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-26
Foxy Grandpa's
Stories
Some Little Manufacturers
Who Don't Eat When
They Work.


Forty thousand eggs to the ounce,
Foxy Grandpa" exclaimed Bobby as
he sat lingering a new silk handker-
chief, which had just been given to
him.
"Yes. SIR" / declared. "There are
10000 eggs Of the silk moth to the
ounce"
I'D like to know something about
how they make the silk" suggested
Bobby.
IT'S very simple" I said.
"The eggs are kept in box at an
even temperature not lower than 62
degrees nor higher than so degrees
to get the best result. In fact, many
poor people who have raised silk
worms carry them around their necks
to keep them at an even temperature
until they are Matched, warming them
by the heat from their bodies.
Now the next thing-and the most
important is to have mulberry leaves
ready for the caterpillars when they
hatch out from the eggs. The little
fellows will eat other leaves but they
will not spin good silk unless they
get all of mulberry leaves they want.
And they have terrific appetites. I've
heard that 10000 caterpillars who are
getting ready to make silk will use
up over a thousand pounds of null
berry leaves.
"Um," said Bobby. "Think of that
How long does it take them to eat
that much, Foxy Grandpa?"
During the eight weeks that they
are in the caterpillar STAGE" L ex-
planned, but then something happens
and they lose their appetites."
Il should think they couldn't look
a mulberry leaf in the face, Foxy
Grandpa" Bunny broke in.
why do they stop eating?" asked
Bobby, who could not imagine such a
things as losing ones appetite.
Because they lose their SKINS" l
said, but when they get a new skin,
which they do four times, their APP
petite returns, but only to be lost en-
tirely when they start to work"
What work." asked Bobby, max
ing silk, Foxy Grandpa?"
Exactly" I replied. "Now comes
the busy time for the little worm. He
starts to spin his cocoon. Out of
two glands on his sides, which are
called spinnerets come two fine
streams of sticky fluid. As they come
out of the tiny spinnerets, they are
joined together into one beautiful
silken thread, because this stuff
turns into silk as soon as it reaches
the air.
"Then the little worm works and
works-never even stopping to take
as much as look at his favorite null
berry leaves, because he is building q
house for himself to sleep in until he
grows into a moth. So he doesn't
think of food.
"Then, when the cocoon is all made
the silk manufacturers take the cocoon
and unwind the silk and wind it on
great spools and then finally weave
it into silk, like your handkerchief.
"But. Foxy Grandpa, what becomes
of the CATERPILLAR" asked the boy.
only enough are allowed to como
out in moths to lay eggs, Bobby. You
see for every yard of silk that is made,
thousands of little silk-worms have
had to die before they reach the moth
stage. But this is not cruel BECAUSE
they are in state of stupor while they
are asleep in their silken-beds."
I'm glad they are" said Bobby.
Il suppose they are just worn out
with working and not eating anything.
Because workmen usually have big ap-
peties."
Il wouldn't be surprised if that
were the reason, Bobby" laughed.
Copyright, 1925, International Feature
Service, Inc.)