STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 267 



punctually bo on band and separate them. Taking hold of the wings of 

 the male with one hand and thoso of the fomalo with tho other, pull 

 them slowly and carefully apart. You have no further uso for tho male 

 unless, as sometimes is the caso, thoro should bo a greater number of 

 females tho next morning thiyi males. To moot such a contingency, it 

 is prudent to keep some of thorn over by putting them in a box, which 

 cover over to keep them in, giving them plenty of air. Lay tho fomalos 

 on soft paper of uniform size and thickness, such as you want them to 

 deposit their eggs upon. Very soon after being separated from tho malo 

 the female oxudes a drop of yellowish matter, which will stain the paper, 

 and in order to have your cards of eggs look clean and tidy, it is well to 

 keep a sort of common blotter, on which all tho females may bo laid 

 until they have freed themselves of this filthy substance, and then 

 remove them to tho egg card. This having been done, tho female com- 

 mences her last act — depositing her eggs. They lay on an average 

 about three hundred apieco, and they will lay nearly all of these between 

 the time of separating, say at two o'clock p. m. and dusk. The eggs laid 

 during this period aro generally considered tho best and most vigorous, 

 and that they may bo kept separate, it is well at this time to transfer all 

 tho females to other cards, on which to deposit the balance of their eggs. 

 Mark the first cards No. 1. and tho cards on which tho moths lay tho 

 balance of their eggs mark No. 2 ; and if your worms be of tho annual 

 variety, or if they bo of the trivoltino variety, and you do not want to 

 produce another crop of rAvorms tho same season, lay them into a box, 

 which with care fasten up so as to keep tho mico out, and put them 

 in a dry, cool place to winter over. If they be of tho trivoltino variety 

 it is safest to put them in an ice house, especially if it bo not as lato in 

 tho fall as October. This variety will not generally hatch later than 

 this month. A tin or zinc box, perforated with holes so as to give tho 

 eggs plenty of air, is the best. This same routine of pairing and sepa- 

 rating the moths and securing the eggs must bo gone through with each 

 day, until all the moths have come out of tho cocoons and laid their 

 eggs. Having performed these last acts and loft their eggs bohind them 

 for the propagation of their species, having, as it were,' outlived their 

 usefulness, tho moths, both malo and femalo, die a natural death. If 

 your worms aro of the trivoltino or polyvoltino varioty, and you wish to 

 produce another crop of silk in tho same season — and in this State three 

 crops in a season may successfully be raised — you have but to let your 

 eggs remain in a warm place, and in about eight days they will hatch, 

 and you can conduct the worms thi'ough tho same process again and 

 reap another harvest of cocoons. I should- have mentioned that tho 

 room in which the moths como out of the cocoons, are paired and lay 

 their eggs, should be kept somewhat dark ; especially should it bo dark 

 while tho moths aro paired, or they will become separated beforo tho 

 proper time. The malo moth is of a darker color, smaller and more 

 active than the femalo. 



