Evening star., 1936-02-16

messenger for the Federal entomolo-
gists One of his duties was to feed
and care for large number Of ex-
perimental silkworms, a scientific
throwback to the ''Morus multicaulis
craze"
Prof. C. V. Riley, then chief en-
tomologist, eventually determined by
practical research that the less said
about the silken spinners as source Of
revenue in this country the better.
The experimentation resulted mega
lively in so far as the Department Of
Agriculture was concerned; in the case
of Tom" Keleher, however, the re-
suits were positive as he reacted favor
ably to the lure of silkworm culture,
home hobby which has occupied his
idle hours from then until now.
When Uncle Sam abandoned silk
culture research, young Keleher pur-
chased the worms, eggs, moths, cocoons
and hand reels, removed them to his
household attic, which he equipped as
laboratory and miniature silkworm
farm. There he studied the life cycle
of the industrious silkworm. Although
admitting the impracticability of COM
mercial silk production in the United
States via the natural method, Mr..
Keleher has gained incalcuable enter
tainment and recreation from his
spare-time amusement. A dozen white
mulberry trees, which he has nurtured
from seedlings in his backyard, pro-
| vide Succulent feed for the intriguing
worms.
A WASHINGTON school teacher,
during a chat with Mr.. Keleher
about his recreative pastime, men,
toned the difficulty she experienced
| in producing cocoonS, worms and spec
linens of silk to show to her pupils.
That conversation laid the germ of a
new idea which Mr.. Keleher ultimately
developed into attractive educational
exhibits. which he has since supplied
to schools and colleges. His attic farm
has also been the source of eggs, CO.
coons and other Unconstitutional and
experimental material. Like various
others who ride hobby horses for the
pure fun of it, this WaShingtonian has
been generous in the extreme in dis
seminating educational information in
every way possible about the amaz-
ingly adept Silkworms.
During his so years experience Mr..
Keleher has raised in excess Of TOO, 900
silkworms, at a rate of from 10000 to
to $4,000 worms annually. The eggs
occupy minimum space, as they are no
larger than pin points; in fact, it takes
| $4,000 to weigh one ounce. A silkworm
attains maturity in 80 days, when it is
about 3 inches long and approximately
"a times larger than at emergence.
Representatives of this species are
champion consumers as well as record
producers, dining five or six times
daily on mulberry leaves.
After maturity the worms start
shrinking in size, retire to their for
est" of midget brush, and discharge
huge amounts of silken threads from
their spinnarets. During the sue
| ceeding three days each worm spins
cocoon and produces between 800
and 1900 yards of silken thread. Then
the worker, apparently exhausted,
metamorphoses into the chrysalis, or
resting stage, which lasts for two
weeks. Ultimately the cream white
moths emerge from their cocoons.
Originally a vigorous flyer, the silk
worm under so centuries of domesti-
cation has lost its power to navigate
the atmosphere. The male, the smaller
In size, can fiutter feebly and futilely;
the female is unable to lift her own
body weight by wing power. The mother
moth deposits 400 eggs. and then lit
orally eats herself to death, drawing
nourishment from her bodily tissues
and substance. The quality Of the silk
produced depends on the variety OF
the worm and her management; prop
erly handled, she converts white null
berry leaves as raw material into
silken strands of fine thread.
Mr.. Keleher, although he has ex-
perimented with silk production, now
restricts his diverting chronological
activities to the output of educational
exhibits and specimen materials, in
cluding worms, cocoons and eggs.
Mr.. Keleher, with the rare artistry
and skin Of long experience, arranged