[ 175 3 94 



The portable trays are put on the edges of the wickers, and when 

 the leaves are loaded with silkworms, they are put in single layers on 

 the portable trays. When several of these are filled, the litter, with 

 or without the sheets of paper, must be carried off in square baskets, 

 which are hung near the wicker trays; the litter being removed, the 

 paper should be swept and cleaned with light brooms; the sheets of 

 paper are laid down again, one after another, and the leaves, with the 

 worms, replaced on them. This is repeated until the litter has been 

 entirely changed throughout the laboratory. 



Upon a small scale, the shelves or hurdles may be cleaned by placing 

 a line of fresh chopped leaves the whole length of the hurdles, 

 near the worms, which will immediately attach themselves thereto. 

 They may then be taken up by means of the leaves and stalks they 

 cling to, and be removed to another hurdle or shelf, when the litter 

 they have made can be swept away, and removed from the room. 



When one basket is full, it is carried out, and another substituted. 

 Great care should be taken not to hurt or bruise the worms in re- 

 moving them. Six persons, at least, should be employed to perform 

 this cleaning of the litter expeditiously, and in their number are not 

 included those who carry the litter out. 



The silkworms that have been cleaned should be fed, and those that 

 are to be cleaned last, may be fed before they are cleaned, that none of 

 them may fast too long 



It must not be forgotten that, during this period, as the case may 

 require, there should be light blazing fires burnt; the fumigating bot- 

 tle* should also be passed twice round in the laboratory, and the win- 

 dows and ventilators opened according to the state of the exterior at- 

 mosphere; but, in all cases, the ventilators in the ceiling and floor, and 

 all the doors, must be open. If the exterior air be very damp, the 

 ■small blazing fires may be frequently repeated; and if they raise the 

 temperature too much, it may easily be lowered by opening the ven- 

 tilators and windows, being guided by the thermometer and hygrome- 

 ter.* 



Sixth day of the fifth age. 

 (Twenly-eighth of the rearing of the silkworm.) 



The silkv.'orms should have 975 pounds of picked leaves, divided 

 into five feeds; the last of which should be the most plentiful. The 

 silkworms now eat most voraciously. 



If, after having distributed the leaves, the quantity appears insuffi- 

 cient upon some wickers, and it has been devoured in an hour, an in- 

 termediate meal should be added. 



Knowing the quantity of leaves to be given in the day, it is easy to 

 distribute them either into four or five meals, as it may appear tosu4t 

 the silkworms best. If the wickers could not be all cleaned in the* 

 preceding da}', the operation may be finished this day. 



v.(.^ tlie chanter on the d;.*e.T?cs of s'lkworm^. 



