454 



JOUENAIi OF HOETICULTUEK AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 12, 1867. 



offered them for sale at present, as I am making some bar-frame 

 hives and thought of advertising them in your Journal next 

 spring. — A Midland Codnties Bee-keepek. 



SILKWORM REARING IN ENGLAND.— No. 2. 



The silkworm is produced from a small egg, about the size 

 of a small pin's head. On issuing therefrom it is a small, 

 blackish-looking, and very active kind of caterpillar, the size of 

 a small ant. The blackish appearance at hatching is caused by 

 the caterpillar being covered with innumerable hairs, and not by 

 the natural colour of its skin, which is really whitish. This 

 black gradually disappears as the worm grows larger, and is re- 

 placed by a very deUcate creamy hue, sometimes presenting a 

 shining appearance, or glassy transparency. Some breeds of 

 the silkworm are ornamented with stripes round the body, 

 termed "tiger-striped," and are very handsome ; others there 

 are naturally dark. I am inclined to believe these different 

 appearances are derived from mere sports in the breed, as is 

 the case in vegetables from intermixture. I have seen the 

 large Macedonian silkworm 4} inches long, and weighing within 

 a fraction of an ounce. Some of the smaller breeds do not 

 even attain 2 inches in length, but their silk is finer. 



The silkworm may be said to have four states — viz., the first 

 is the egg state, the second is the caterpillar, the third the co- 

 coon containing the chrysahs, and the fourth is the perfect 

 insect or moth, which latter deposits the eggs for future gene- 

 rations. It will be understood that the cocoon, or cone, is the 

 ball of silk produced by the worm in which to enclose itself. 

 The cocoon may vary in size from that of a sparrow's egg to 

 that of a pigeon's, according to the breed. 



The larger breeds are several days longer in arriving at matu- 

 rity than the smaller kinds ; but my remarks are applicable to 

 them all, with the exception of one small breed, which has 

 only three changes of skin instead of four. These changes of 

 the skin are preceded by sleep or a torpid state, lasting about 

 two days, during which time the insect does not eat. During 

 this sleep the insect undergoes preparation for shedding its 

 skin, which it does from off its entire body from the tail end, 

 with the exception of the covering or kind of case of the head, 

 which gradually falls oiif in front. This shedding of the skin 

 must be looked upon as a wise provision of Nature to add to 

 the comfort and cleanliness of the insect, and, doubtless, tends 

 to keep the breathing holes open, for there are no less than 

 eighteen of them, arranged along the two sides of the body. 

 Be it observed, the silkworm does not inhalo the air through 

 nostrils like animals. This number of breathing holes 

 should impress upon us how important it must be to keep the 

 insect abundantly suppUed with air, and pure air too. 



Each time the silkworm casts off its old skin the new one 

 below it appears too large for it, as though supplied with fresh 

 room for the insect to grow in. The skin is evidently of an 

 elastic nature, for as the worm grows it stretches, until, on the 

 worm arriving at its full size, it is again discharged to make 

 room for the new skin forming below it. It is also very con- 

 tractible, for on being cut it immediately shrinks. The worm 

 undergoes four changes of skin between the time of its being 

 hatched and commencing to spin its cocoon of silk ; but it 

 again sheds its skin inside its silken house. Having voided 

 all the silk from its body, and contracted itself into the form 

 of a chrysalis, its last skin may be seen on opening a finished 

 cocoon. 



After the worm begins to spin it never eats again, and while 

 the chrysalis state lasts, about fifteen days, it is like a torpid 

 grub, almost without appearance of life. If a chrysalis be 

 touched by the finger it will show signs of life by moving at 

 the tail end, or giving quick beating movements or kinds of 

 darts. From the chrysalis inside the cocoon issues the moth, 

 or perfect insect, bursting away its chrysahs form and shell ; 

 it wets the'cocoon at one end, and gradually pushes its way out, 

 leaving a hole, which spoils the silk for reeling. 



The moth having left the cocoon lays its eggs, and in a few 

 days dies. There are male and female moths. The males are 

 most active, and beat their wings when in search of the females. 



It is stated by many writers that the silkworm was origi- 

 nally brought from Asia, and from most accounts it seems 

 to have been reared in China in very remote times, and 

 also in India, and to have been first introduced at Constanti- 

 nople about A.D. 552 by two monks, who managed to bring 

 some eggs concealed in a cane walking-stick. These eggs were 

 presented by them to the then Emperor Justinian. The 

 monks, it appears, went to China as missionaries, and managed 



to elude the rigour of the laws there, that prohibited exporting 

 the eggs, it is said, under pain of death. Afterwards the silk- 

 worm found its way into Greece, Italy, and France. The pre- 

 sent century has opened up commerce with the East, and the 

 introduction of different breeds of the silkworm is going on 

 without interruption. France and Italy are importing largely 

 from Japan and other parts. — Leonabd Habman, jon. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



I\l4LT Dust as Poultry Food {A. B. C). — Malt dust is good poultry 

 food ; but it has a great drawback in the fact it makes the eggs taate. 

 We speak from experience. It is good food in this hard weather, and 

 fowls like it much. 



Brahma Cock (Dark Brahma). — Yon need not be uneasy. It is very 

 common at this time of year, and will likely remain the same for some 

 time. There is no age for tlie puUets, and that is not the cause. You 

 will see a change after Christmas, if not before, or a change of weather 

 would probably bring it about. It is bad mating to breed from brother 

 and sister. Tea leaves are quite safe j but they are bad food for fowls. 

 They fill crops without feeding. 



Poultry Confined (E. C, Yarmouth). — You may keep a cock and six 

 hens in each partition (18 feet long and 7 feet wide). Cinder sittings are 

 not the best bottom you can have ; road grit or scrapings will be much 

 better. Garden mould is a capital deodoriser ; but it need not be sifted 

 very line, nor need it be spread evenly ; put it in a heap and let the birds 

 scratch it about. To keep them in health you must supply them with 

 sods of growing grass and with lettuces. If you have uono of the latter 

 you may give a cabbage ; give it whole, and let them pick it to pieces. 

 It is well to rake the surface over frequently. Keep the Takings in a 

 heap, they are most excellent manure. Houdans are very good and hardy 

 fowls; they are excellent layers, but they do not sit. The other breeds 

 that would do well in such a space are Brahmas and Cochins. We can- 

 not account for the cocks dying, nor can we tmderstand what you do 

 with two in your confined space. If these die let the hens run by them- 

 selves for a time. 



Creve C(EURa {Young Exhibitor). — We do not think a shade of diffe- 

 rence in the colour of the legs would be essential ; but you must recollect 

 in both cases they must be blue. White legs are inadmissible. 



Food for Brahma Pootras {Gatlus). — .\ change of food is always 

 desirable. At this time of year they should have three meals every day, 

 because the earth yields them little or nothing. We always give meal in 

 the morning, whole corn at midday, and meal again j ust before dark. This 

 treatment is for fowls that depend only on the food given to them. If 

 they have anything lilie a farm-yard to run in, or access to a stable-yard 

 and its dungheap, two meals per diem are enough. 



Fowls Roupy, or Catarrhed (IF. Birkett). — Your fowls, snortineand 

 snoring, have incipient roup, or they are suffering from chill. Wash 

 the swollen eye with cold water and vinegar. Give them plenty of bread 

 and ale to eat. If this do not cure them, give them every night two 

 pills of camphor the size of a garden pea. Try Baily's pills. 



Weak-legged Brahma [J. D., A Constant Subscriber). — As all your 

 other fowls are healthy, it is probable the Brahma cock is suffering from 

 weakness, the result of quick growth. If this be not the case he is 

 cramped from being always on bricks. It is hardly possible for fowls to 

 do well if they are kept on bricks. They are damp, hard for the fowls* 

 feet, and they afford no scratch. 



Game Bantams (B. S.).— We know of no cure for the Bantam pnllet. 

 It is a great disadvantage for a Game Bantam cock to droop his wings. 

 They should " clip " tightly to his body, aud be carried " quite up." The 

 colour of the eggs is not material. Willow legs are preferred, but a yellow 

 tinge is not any disadvantage. The markings of Black Red Game Bantam 

 cocks and hens should be the same as in Game fowls. The cocks should 

 have red hackle aud saddle, black breast, thighs, and tail, no white or 

 partially white feather. The pullets should have brown bodies and tails, 

 partially yellow hackle, and lighter, almost wheaten breasts. 



Brindley's Incubator (Incubator).— If you wi-ite to Mr. Brindley, 

 St. Alkmund's, Derby, he will give you the information you seek for. 



Removing Bees (Northampton\. — We would not attempt the removal 

 until the winter was over and the bees in full work, say April or May if the 

 season be late, and then shift them little by little very gradually, until 

 we had every hive in front of the bee-house, close to and directly in a 

 line with the spot which each is intended to occupy. When the bees are 

 fully accustomed to their new position the hives may bo placed inside the 

 bee-house. 



GoLDlNG's Grecian Bite (Carolm).—Jis principle is good, inasmuch 

 as the combs are moveable. The size (11£: inches diameter at top, taper- 

 ing down to lO.J inches, by 9 inches deep), is, however, much too small, 

 whilst the bars are too wide apart ; 16 or 1&^ inches diameter, by 9 or 

 9i inches deep, would be a much better size^ and would accommodate 

 eleven combs. Moveable comb hives of a circular form must, however, 

 always possess this radical defect — that the bars being of different 

 lengths are interchangeable only within certain very circumscribed 

 limits, thus forfeiting nearly all the advantages of the system. It is by 

 no means unusual for the bees of healthy stocks to disport themselves 

 outside their hives on mild days during winter, and there can be little 

 doubt that their doing so is beneficial to them. Bees are unable to avail 

 themselves of an artificial supply of food during cold weather, so that it 

 may be deemed nearly impossible, as it is certainly most unadvisable, 

 to feed them during winter. 



POULTRY MARIOET.— December 11. 



There is a shght improvement, owing to the cold weather and the ap- 

 proach of Christmas, which somewhat diminishes the supply. 



8. d B. d 



Pheasants 2 6 ta 3 



Partridges 2 2 8 



Grouse fl 2 6 



Hares 2 6 SO 



Rabbits 14 15 



WUddo 9 10 



