144 [Senate 



and raising the front edge up to the underside of the hurdle above, 

 which is held lo its place by two small wire hooks attached to the 

 euge of the hurdle. Showing an end view thus : 



A covering of paper or cloth should be applied to the upper side of 

 the frames. In using the hurdles and screens before described, 

 remove the screen from the underside of the hurdle turning the other 

 side up, and let it down directly upon the winding frame. This 

 affords double the room for the worms to wind in, and serves for a 

 covering to the frames, answering at the same time as screens to catch 

 the litter as before. Lath frames of this description have advantages 

 that no other fixtures for winding possess, that I have ever seen tried. 

 The frames resting upon the back side of each hurdle, renders this, 

 side more dark, which places, the worms instinctively seek, where 

 they at once meet with the ends of the laths, and immediately as- 

 cend to convenient places for the formation of their cocoons. From 

 these frames the cocoons are gathered with great facility, and free 

 from litter and dirt ; and w^hen they are required, they are put up 

 with great expedition. 



Where branch feeding has been adopted by some, no other accom- 

 modation has been provided for the winding of the worms, than that 

 afforded them by the branches from which they have fed. This is 

 decidedly objectionable, as the worms are always disposed to rise 

 until their course is obstructed above, and when this is not the case, 

 they wander about for hours upon the tops of the branches, and only 

 descend after their strength becomes exhausted, and the result is the 

 production of a crop of loose inferior cocoons. 



Next to the lath frames, small bunches of straw offered the best 

 accommodation for the purpose. Rye straw is preferred. Take a 

 small bunch about the size of the little finger, and with some strong 

 twine, tie it firmly about half an inch from the cut straw, cut the butt of 

 the bunch off about half an inch longer than the distance between the 

 hurdles or shelves ; they are thus placed upright with their butt-ends 

 down, and their tops spreading out interlacing each other, and press- 

 ing against the hurdles above. They should be thickly set in double 

 rows about 16 inches apart, across the hurdles. They may be pre- 

 served for use a number of years. 



