264 Journal of the progress of Silk JVorms. 



I do not aim at such operations. I intend to prove to 

 farmers, how easy it is to raise silk without expense, and 

 Avith little trouble- Therefore I continue my adopted 

 plan of entrusting to nature my success. Notwithstanding 

 the coldness of the nights, I suffer the upper window of 

 my nursery to be open. 



May 28th. This morning at six o' clock, the thermo- 

 meter stood at 43°. The worms on every frame looked 

 benumbed. They had left untouched the leaves given 

 last night. 



May 29th. To day, finally, the warm season opened. 

 The thermometer at six in the morning stood at 64^, 

 the worms v.ere active, and so voracious, that treble 

 the quantity of leaves hardly were sufficient to their ap- 

 petite. 



May 50th. Some of Alexander's worms began to crawl 

 up the bushes to spin. Owing however to some hidden 

 cause, itbandoning the bushes they ran away in quest of 

 other places. I presume this was occasioned by my hav- 

 ing used for bushes, the green branches of the mulberry 

 trees, from which the leaves had been taken oiF. 



May 31st. I'he night has been pretty cold, and the ther- 

 inometer stood at 56° early in the morning. All the worms 

 were benumbed by cold. I changed the bushes given to 

 Alexander's worms, and substituted myrtle branches. 



June 2d. The change of the weather has been very- 

 extraordinary ; the thermometer which stood yesterday 

 at 68° in the morning at five o' clock, and raising to 

 90° during the day, was this morning down to 50°, and 

 never went higher than 62°. It made a stop to eating 

 by the worms. 



June 3d to 13th.' 'iSa'mp and cold, sunshine and heat 

 succeeded one another without interruption, during these 

 days. The worms followed these changes, benumbed 



