No. 105.] 141 



out and placed in the hatching room, upon a table or trays made for the 

 purpose. When artificial means are employed, the temperature should 

 be gradually raised until the time of hatching — which will be in about 

 ten days — to 75 or 80 degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer. But few 

 worms will make their appearance on the first day, but on the second 

 and third, the most will come out. Should there be a few remaining 

 unhatched, on the fourth day, they may be thrown away, as they do 

 not always produce strong and healthy worms. When the young 

 worms begin to make their appearance, tender mulberry leaves, cut 

 into narrow strips, should be laid over them, to which they will readily 

 attach themselves. These should be carefully removed, and placed 

 compactly upon a cloth screen, or tray, prepared for them, and other 

 leaves placed upon the eggs for the worms that will still remain, which 

 should be passed off as before. 



A singular fact will be observed, that all the worms will hatch 

 between sunrise and before noon, of each day. Care must be taken to 

 keep the worms of each day's hatching by themselves, as it is of the 

 greatest importance to have the moultings and changes of all the 

 worms as simultaneous as possible. It is also important that the worms 

 that have been transferred to the trays should not be fed until the hatch- 

 ing of the day is completed, so that all may be fed equally. Young 

 and tender leaves should be selected to feed the worms with ; these 

 should be cut with a knife into pieces, not exceeding a quarter of an 

 inch square, and evenly sifted over them. They should be fed in this 

 way six or eight times in twenty-four hours, as near as possible at 

 regular and stated periods. 



It will be impossible to lay down any definite rules for the quantity 

 of leaves necessary for a given number of worms for each succeeding 

 day, through every age. After a little acquaintance with their nature 

 and habits, the intelligence and judgment of the attendant will be the 

 best guide. They should, however, have as much as they will eat ; 

 but after a few days, care should be taken not to give them more than 

 they will generally consume, as this will increase the accumulation 

 of litter, which will endanger the health of the worms. In the last 

 age they eat voraciously, and a supply of leaves should always be 

 on hand in case of wet weather. 



When the average range of the themometer is between 70 and 80 

 degrees, the several moultings will take place near the 5th, 9th, 15thj, 



