432 



JOUBNAL OP HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



[ Jane H, 186B. 



The consumption of leaves on the first and second days will 

 be about 30 lbs. ; on tbe third and fourth, 40 lbs. : on the 

 fifth, sixth, and seventh, 30 lbs. On the fifth day the removal 

 to fresh papers, and the clearance of the dirt, refuse, &c., must 

 be attended to. To facilitate this work the finer nets may be 

 used ; they can be laid over the worms and the leaves supplied 

 by their help. When the worms have all passed through the 

 meshes of the nets to the leaves, tbe nets can be raised and 

 secured to the stage above by means of small hooks, while the 

 space below is cleaned and arranged with fresh papers, after 

 which the worms are lowered, or some can be transported on 

 the trays to fresh compartments if necessary. 



Maintain the temperature at 70°, and keep the air of the 

 room pure by ventilation. Fresh air is life to silkworms, and 

 it cannot be shut out entirely from them without injury. The 

 ventilators should be opened more or less according as the 

 external temperature admits. Sometimes the doer may be 

 opened, and in fine, warm, calm days the windows as well. In 

 damp weather, a flame produced by burning straw, shavings, 

 &c., on the hearth will he beneficial, by promoting a change or 

 movement of air in the rearing room. 



It is not imperative to use the nets now, or, indeed, at all 

 for the quantity of worms of which I am speaking, but the ad- 

 vantages arising from their use become more manifest in 

 larger rearings. Many persons use no nets until the worms 

 are near the fourth sleep. 



Fuiirth Period and Sleep. — At the end of this period 200 feet 

 of space, more or less, are required, and from 200 to 250 lbs. 

 of leaves, which do not require to be cut before being given to 

 the worms. The day after the third sleep the change of papers 

 and removal of excrements, refuse, &c., must take place as 

 before. This must never he neglected, for the accumulation 

 of a bed of dirt under the insects is most prejudicial. This 

 period lasting seven days, it will be advantageous to perform 

 this operation three times. The consumption of leaves during 

 the first and second days will he about 50 lbs. ; on tbe third 

 and fourth days 100 lbs. ; on the fifth, sixth, and seventh days 

 it again decreases to 50 lbs. 



During this period gathering the leaves, feeding the worms, 

 and cleaning them will occupy the entire time of two women. 

 It would be well to have the assistance of two extra ones to 

 give the worms their last meal at night, or first one in the morn- 

 ing. Attend to the temperature and the ventilation by open- 

 ing the ventilators more or less. If the weather is sufficiently 

 fine during the day, open the door and windows. The fourth 

 sleep lasts somewhat longer than the preceding ones, and it 

 is also the most difiicult. While it lasts the temperature 

 should not be allowed to fall below 70°, night or day. 



Fiftli Period, and last before spinning. — This is the most 

 difficult period, for the rearer has to contend against a large 

 amount of watery vapour every day transpired by tbe 

 insects and evaporated from the leaves, likewise the putrid 

 emanations from the excrements, which much iucrease. The 

 thermometer and odour in the room must serve to indicate 

 ■when more ventilation is needed. At the completion of this 

 fifth period, occupying about ten days, from 450 to 500 feet of 

 space will be necessary on all the stages, excepting the top 

 cme of each castle, and altogether from 1500 to 1600 lbs. of 

 uncut leaves to be distributed in abundant meals, almost cover- 

 ing the worms from sight, every five hours. The day after the 

 fourth sleep clear away tbe excrements and provide fresh 

 space, repeating the same care every three days at least. In 

 this period the worms eat voraciously, grow fast, and, of course, 

 iheir excrements increase in proportion ; therefore, do not 

 neglect cleanliness and ventilation. During the first two days 

 about 100 lbs. of leaves are necessary, during the following 

 two, 250 ; in tbe next two, 400 ; in the next, 400 ; and in the 

 last two something under 200 lbs. When the worms consume 

 their meal within an hour and a half, a fresh one should be 

 given, or what I will term an intermediate meal. This is also 

 necessary during any of the preceding periods. 



During the whole time the ventilators should be con- 

 tinnally open, or partially so, and fire heat must maintain 

 the temperature at as near 70° as possible. It is never neces- 

 sary to exceed this degree, nor is it advisable to let it fall 

 below 60°. Sometimes from variations of temperature or other 

 Causes, this period is prolonged one, two, or more days, as in 

 the case of the preceding periods, but the maturity of the 

 worms ia very evident, for many may be seen crawling over 

 the leaves without eating, as though seeking for some retreat, 

 and many will be directing themselves to the edges of the 

 taUee or itages. They appear transparent when looked at 



against the light ; silk is seen issuing from their mouths over 

 the leaves ; the rings round their bodies contract, the skin 

 about their heads becomes crisp, and they evacuate soft greenish 

 matter. — Leonard Habman, jun. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Hastexiso Mori.TlNo (W. n. J!.).— Hempsoed will precipitate the 

 operation of moulting by destroying nil life in the old pluniape. Canary 

 seed will cause the feathers to fall off. That, however, wliich causes the 

 losb of the old feathers is sometimes anything but favourable to the new. 

 The heat of the hcmjiseed and the relaxing properties of the canary do 

 not favour growth, This is one of those cases in which we believe Nature 

 unassisted will do well; but endeavours to forestall or to retard her 

 operations end in failure. 



Moistening Eggs \vhile Hatching {St. Edmunds). — The waternsed 

 for moistening eggs may be cold. The process is a base imitation of 

 Nature. The hen of any sort leaves her eggs in the morning while the 

 gras? drips with dew ; she remains searching for her food till her breast 

 feathers are quite saturated with the cold dew water. She does not even 

 shake herself, but sits down ou her eggs. We believe that in five out ol 

 six cases the failure of eggs is from the neglect of damping. 



Geese Scffering from Weakness (M(?fn). — Your Geese are sufTcring 

 from weakness caused by insufhcient or improper feeding, or from being 

 shut up in a floored house at night. If they are shut up in a place where 

 there is stone, brick, or wooden flooring, goslings would suffer as you Bay 

 yours do. Feed on oats, oatmeal, bran, and gravel, mixed iu a trough 

 with water, and let them roost where they stand on bare earth. 



Pigeons not Sitting (J<;<'i«).— Mate your Pigeons afresh, dividing the 

 pair that neglects its important duty. 



Food Required by Fowls (T. T.). — We arc unable to answer your 

 question properly. To enable us to do BO you should describe the run 

 and the accidental food the birds obtain. At this time of year, when the 

 earth teems with vegetation, there are many things fowls find that are 

 better for them than corn. Where thrashing is going on, or where many 

 horses are kept, and the birds have access to the yard, they find helps 

 that should diminish the consumption of corn. If your fowls have 

 nothing but that which is given to them, and you give them nothing but 

 corn, each fowl must have two " grasp " handsful dailj'. We, however, 

 repeat that which we have often said, you must he guided by circum- 

 stances. 



Hull Poultry Show.— Tho first prize for Coloured Dorkings at this 

 Show was awarded to Mr. John White, of Warlaby, and not toMr. KobBon, 

 of Louth. 



The Black-breasted Red Cock, first at Birmingham in 1867, men 

 mentioned by " Newmarket." on May 2l8t, is not of Sir St. G. Gore's 

 strain. The bird was only his property, and is now in my possession. — 

 William H. Wheeler, Carlton, ntar Nottingham. 



Insects in Poultry House {Sitbscriber, Favcrshavi). — They are one o4 

 the Acari or mites. Limewash the interior of the house, adding half a 

 pound of flowers of sulphur to a bucketful of the limewash. 



Paduan Fowls (J. E.). — The following is their description as given in 

 the "Poultry Keeper's Manual." Size and shape of medium Dorkings; 

 legs short and white ; cock's hackle and saddle feathers bright orange ; 

 back and wings dark red ; breast chestnut, green iridescence on wings; 

 tail a rich greenish black ; comb single. Hen's breast chestnut or fawn- 

 coloured ; hackle golden, edged with brown ; back and wings brown 

 in shades, each feather marked like those of the Partridge. Excellen' 

 layers and Bitters ; good table birds ; eggs average size ; shell dark cream- 

 coloured. 



Fowls Eating Feathers (L. P. E.). — Where fowls take to eating 

 feathers, or picking each other's flesh, it is a sure sign they are in a very 

 pampered or diseased state. Purge them well with castor oil, a table- 

 spoonful at a time ; give them lettuce to eat ; feed sparingly, and let the 

 food he ground oats. Let them have dust in their house, and rub the 

 spots bare of feathers with compound sulphur ointment. They should 

 have no food by them at any time, and he sparingly served at each meal. 

 They do not eat each other or their feathers because they are hungry, but 

 because they are sufi'ering from a vitiated appetite. 



Kemoving a HrvE to a Bee House {Chatham).— We should transfer 

 the hive from its bracket to some kind of moveable support, and then 

 shift it little by little very gradually, until it reaches the bee house abont 

 20 yords off. 



Preserving Peas {E. A. S.). — They may be preserved until the next 

 spring if some of the summer crop are treated as follows : — " Pick them 

 when full grown, shell them, dry them gently bot thoroughly, and then 

 store them iu canvas baps in a dry place. When required lor use soak 

 them in water (or a few hours until plumped up, and then boil them." 

 The following mode has been reported to us by a person well qualified to 

 judge of such matters as being very Bnccessful : — Carefully shell the Peas, 

 then put them in tin canisters, not too large ones ; put in a small piece 

 of nlum, about the size of a horsebean, to a pint of Peas. When the 

 canister is full of Peas fill up the interstices with water, and solder on th® 

 lid perfectly air-tight, and boil the canister for about twenty minutes ; 

 then remove them to a cool place, and they will be found in January but 

 little inferior to fresh, newly-gathered Peas. Bottling is not so good— at 

 least, we have not found it so; the air gets in, the liquid turns soar, and 

 the Peas acquire a bad taste. 



POULTRY MARKET.-^UNE 10. 



There are indicatione of a better supply, and trade has somewhat 

 improved. 



s 



Large Fowls 4 



Bmaller do 4 



CbickcQg 2 



GoBlinRB 6 



DuckliugB B 



FlfleMi 



