141 [ 175 ] 



To bake Cocoons. 



In five or six days after the cocoons have been detached from the 

 branches or frames, carefully pick out all the spotted cocoons, and put 

 the rest in long flat baskets, filling them within an inch of the top; 

 cover them with paper, and a wrapper over it; put these baskets in 

 an oven, the heat of which must be as near as possible to that of one 

 from which the bread is just drawn, after being baked.* After the 

 cocoons have remained an hour therein, draw them out, and to ascer- 

 tain if the worms be dead, take out from the middle of the baskets a 

 dupion, and open it; if the worm be dead, it may be concluded all the 

 rest are so, because the contexture of the dupion being stronger than 

 that of the other cocoons, it is consequent] v less easily penetrated by 

 the heat; it ought to be taken from the .r.i idle of the basket, because, 

 in that part the heat is the least perceptible. After the baskets have 

 been drawn out of the oven, cover them with a thick woollen rug, 

 leaving the wrapper as it was; and pile the baskets on one another. 

 If the baking has succeeded, the woollen cloth will be covered with 

 large drops of water, the thickness of the little finger. The baskets 

 may stand covered thus for five or six hours, in order to keep in the 

 heat, which stifles those worms which have resisted the heat of the 

 oven. It is a favorable sign when some of the butterflies appear 

 alive among the baked cocoons, because it is certain tlie others are not 

 burnt; and in the attempt to kill the last worm, many cocoons mio-ht 

 be burnt, as they would be exposed to more heat than that particular 

 worm. If there be some strong and some weak cocoons, and there 

 has not been time to wind them while they are fresh, (that is, without. 

 baking,) give the preference to the weak cocoons for winding, and 

 bake the strong ones; because the latter, containing more gum, sup- 

 port the baking better, and suffer less than the weak ones. If the 

 cocoons are bought, put them into baskets,jj and set them in the sun- 

 shine, (if any,) in case the oven be full, in order to stun the worms, and 

 prevent them from injuring the cocoon during that time; place them 

 also for an hour or two, in the open air, before they are put into the 

 oven; because, when they are brought in and heaped on each other, 

 they become heated and soft, and the exposure to the air restores 

 their firmness. When the cocoons are thoroughly baked, spread them 

 in thin layers on shelves, distributed into as man}- stories as the cham- 

 ber will admit, two or three feet apart, above one anofiier, and turn 

 them every day; for, if this be neglected, they would become mouldv, 

 and moths would destroy them. It is necessary to pick outtlie spot- 

 ted cocoons and the bad choquettes, which would communicate their 

 infection to all the rest that may be nenrthem; these should be wound 

 as soon as possible, to prevent them growing worse. 



• The heat should be a Few degrees under lliat of boiiin;^ water, or 212° of Tah- 

 r>inheit; 80° rif lJ;';tr,m'.'>r- Th? qvcn phouH not be hot eny:ic;'h to scorch a shoet <* 



