26 



The fifth da}^ after the mounting the worms that have not begun to 

 spin should be placed in bundles of twigs and covered with straw or 

 leaves, or put in a basket of shavings, where the}^ will be forced to 

 spin. 



The temperature during the spinning should be T5° F., and the 

 humidit}" throughout the rearing about 65°. A good practical test of 



Fig. 11. — Arrangement of spinning places. (Redrawn from Pa.steur.) 



humidity is a saucer of salt; when the salt is moist, reduce the humid- 

 ity. Carefully avoid disturbing the worms while spinning, and then, 

 as during all the ages, keep the room as quiet as possible. The most 

 scrupulous cleanliness should always be observed, both with regard 

 to the quarters and the attendants; to keep from raising dust, wipe 

 the floor with a damp cloth instead of sweeping it. 



PREPARING COCOONS FOR THE MARKET. 



The transformation of the larva into the chrysalis is, according to 

 the temperature, completed in from seven to ten days from the time at 

 which the first worm begins to spin. The cocoons are then said to be 

 mature, and this is the best time to gather them. If gathered earlier, 

 the producer will run the risk of having his cocoons rejected in the 

 market; and if later, he will sustain a A^ery sensible loss in their 

 weight, as they grow lighter from the time of their maturit}' until the 

 moth comes out. The best authority estimates the minimum loss as 

 4.1 per cent, and the maximum as 23.3 per cent. To avoid the risk 

 of soiling them, gather the cocoons from the lowest shelf up. They 

 may be freed from the web or floss by a very simple instrument 

 (fig. 12) or b}" hand. 



After the removal of the web the cocoons are sorted into three 

 classes: (1) The perfect, (2) the double, and (3) the defective or 



