94 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OP 



•fire creates. Buildings erected solely for feeding purj^oses, should combine 

 these requisites. The feeding may be done on shelves or tables or in trays j 

 but the wood should alwa^'S be well seasoned, as green Avood is injurious to 

 the health of the little si^inners, which must fi*om now forth be Avell supplied 

 with food and guarded from too much moisture or too much light. 



Each day's hatching should be kej)t separate, in order that the worms 

 may be of a uniform size and go through their different sicknesses with 

 regularity and uniformity ; and all eggs not hatched after the fourth day, 

 from the appearance of the tirst, should be thrown away as they will be sxjyt 

 to contain infei'ior, weakly or sickly worms. It is calculated that one ounce 

 of eggs of a good race, will produce 100 lbs. of cocoons; while for every addi- 

 tional ounce the per centage is reduced, if the worms are all raised together, 

 until for 20 ounces, the average does not exceed 25 lbs. of cocoons per oz. 

 Such is the general experience throughout France according to Guerin- 

 Meneville, and it shows the importance of keeping the worms in small 

 broods. Indeed, nine-tenths of all the silk produced in Europe is raised in 

 small quantities, i. e., in separate households. 



The young worms may be removed from one place to another by means 

 of a small camel's-hair brush, but should be handled as little as possible. 

 The best mode of managing them is to spread over the hatching eggs a piece 

 of netting or mosquito-bar, upon which are to be placed either plucked leaves 

 evenly scattered or a few leaf-bearing sprigs. The worms will cluster 

 upon the leaves, which, when loaded with them, may be removed from 

 time to time, either by taking the twigs, upon which they do not collect,, 

 separately between the fingers, or by lifting altogether with the netting. 



This feeding net, which must have larger me'shes as the worms increase 

 in size, may be used ever}^ time fresh food is furnished, and will save a won- 

 derful deal of time. It entirely obviates the necessity^ of handling the 

 worms, and enables the person having charge of them to keep them thor- 

 oughly clean; for while they pass up through the fillet to their fresh 

 food, their excrement drops through it and is always taken away with the 

 old litter beneath. It really acts as a detective of disease, also, for such 

 worms as are injured, feeble or diseased, usually fail to mount through 

 the meshes, and should be carried off and destroyed with the frass and other 

 debris. 



So important is this feeding net or fillet as it may be termed, and sa 

 much does it facilitate the caring of the worms, that for many years in Eu- 

 rope it has been made of paper, stamj^ed b}" machinery with holes proj^or- 

 tioned to the size of the M^orms. The paper has the advantage of cheapness 

 and stiffness, the latter quality enabling its removal, when loaded, without. 

 lumping the worms all in the middle. But with a little practice this can be 

 avoided even where other more flexile netting is used ; and it is the princi- 

 ple which I wish to lay before the reader — the details of material and 

 method will suggest themselves according to the circumstances. 



It is important to get the same batch of worms to go into their sick- 

 nesses simultaneously, and as soon as most of those constituting such a batch 



