No. 85.] 487 



made by worms fed exclusively on the foliage of another variety. 

 The other experiment "was the result, without design, merely to grati- 

 fy the request of the feeders ; because, as they said, they found that 

 the worms were evidently more fond of one kind than the others. 

 In this experiment, also, the worms were much larger than usual, — 

 so much so, that the visitors said that it ought to be made public. 

 The difference of size was so evident, that, in another crop, I began 

 to feed a parcel of one and the same hatching, each upon a separate 

 variety of mulberry. The season of the year was so late, and the ex- 

 periment has not been resumed, having sufficient evidence by the 

 cocoons already made, that there was a manifest difference. The 

 examination was made by a large and respectable number of gentle- 

 men, and the clerk of the county was selected to make the test ; 

 who, after trying several experiments with the scales, found that five 

 of the cocoons of the worms fed upon one variety of the mulberry, 

 would balance eight cocoons made by worms fed upon the other va- 

 rieties of mulberries ; which is five to eight in favor of the mul- 

 berry used in both experiments. There has been some diversity of 

 opinion whether a large number of worms could be fed as profitably, 

 as in small parcels. A fact occurred last year in favor of a limited 

 number, when the eggs of five millers produced worms to make two 

 thousand four hundred cocoons, — which yielded one pound of very 

 superior silk. Those who fed larger and crowded parcels, did not 

 succeed so well in cocoons or health of the worms. Something may 

 be attributed to careless feeding, or neglecting to feed them when it 

 was necessary. The size and firmness depends very much upon at- 

 tention and constant feeding, whenever they will eat. Such is the 

 result of this year's experience ; having had worms of the same va- 

 riety and hatching, fed at two different places, and upon the same 

 kind of foliage. One parcel were fed attentively, from early dawn 

 of day to the shades of evening, by persons who were paid by the 

 pound for all the cocoons raised, and thus interested ; and the co- 

 coons produced were about one-third larger and heavier than tlie par- 

 cel fed by a person on monthly wages ; and in a cocoonery, too, con- 

 structed for open feeding, in the midst of a vigorous growth of the 

 best variety of mulberries, where fresh foliage could be gathered 

 with the greatest facility every hour in the day. But those who fed 

 and were paid by the pound, were often necessitated to feed with wilt- 

 ed leaves, or branches collected from a distance at mid-day, for next 

 morning's use ; these were sometimes sprinkled with water, to pre- 

 serve the freshness ; and especially those collected to be used on the 

 Sabbath. I have never known wet leaves injure the health of the 

 worms ; leaves gathered while moist with the dew, have been kept 

 good two or three days, fresh as when gathered. An experienced 

 silk grower has told me, that when he was a boy, it was considered 

 highly necessary to sprinkle the leaves with salt water ; and have 

 myself noticed that foliage so sprinkled has been preserved longer, 

 and the worms appeared to like it. A few years since, we were 

 visited with an early frost, while late crops were on feed. A silk 



