210 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Another question of interest to silk growers is, the proper season of 

 feeding. Again we say, that nowhere in Europe, or throughout France, 

 Germany or Italy, is the hatching or feeding of silkworms prolonged 

 beyond a pertain season. 



Commencing with the first growth of the leaf, or as soon thereafter 

 as a continued supply can be relied upon the eggs are hatched and the 

 hatching is continued from day to day until all that are to make the 

 season's crop are produced and set to feeding. The first worms are ready 

 to cocoon about the first of June, the last from the fifth to the tenth of 

 July; this closes the season with all the French or Italian annuals. 



It it was. desirable, as a profitable application of labor, to prolong the 

 season of hatching and feeding the worms through the heated term of 

 summer and into autumn, would not the silk growers of southern 

 France and northern Italy have long since demonstrated the fact and 

 established it as their system? 



Edward Muller, of Nevada City, a successful silk grower, commences 

 early, and closes the season before or during July. His leaves are grown 

 on a dry, gravelly soil, the health of his worms is always perfect, and 

 the quality of his silk unsurpassed. 



As a result of this system of feeding, it as apparent that to make silk 

 growing a specialty is a matter not to be seriously entertained by the 

 farmers of California or any other country; but, as an auxiliary, an 

 adjunct to the general production of farms, the silk business will unques- 

 tionably, at no distant day, rank among the foremost of our valuable 

 and profitable industries. 



Another matter of discussion among silk growers is, as to the propriety 

 of feeding whole or chopped leaves to worms in their earlier stages of 

 growth. If young worms a day old could gobble up the finely cut leaves 

 as a horse does chopped carrots, then it might assist them somewhat in 

 the mastication of their food ; but when their mode of eating is quite 

 the reverse of this, and confined to the nibbling of only the edge of 

 these small fragments, it can be of no possible assistance to the worm 

 that they are cut fine. But there is a reason why they are highly inju- 

 rious. Whenever a leaf is cut or broken, the juice exudes from the cut, 

 and if not at once eaten by the worm, combines with the oxygen of the 

 atmosphere, fermentation commences immediately, producing an acrid 

 substance poisonous to the worm, and if eaten, la.ys the foundation of 

 disease almost sure to develop itself in some one of the after stages of 

 its growth. 



L)id space allow us, we w T ould like to give our views on a variety of 

 subjects connected with silk culture, the form and extent of cocooneries, 

 the" proper material for the same, the benefit, indeed necessity, of a moist 

 atmosphere during the greater heat of the day, and how to secure it, 

 and the best French and Italian methods of feeding, as derived from 

 personal observation, but we have already too greatly extended this part 

 of our subject. 



In regard to the present condition of the silk intei'est in California, it 

 can safely be said that, though there has been individual failure in a few 

 instances the present season, which failures can be directl}" attributed to 

 plain and palpable causes, as a whole, the silk interest is prosperous, and 

 with perseverance on the part of our silk growers, they have every rea- 

 son to look with certainty for a brilliant future. 



W, WADSWOETH, 



Chairman of Silk Committee 



