53 



with the leaves on, answered the purpose for these arches 

 very well, as the leaves are strong and do not crumble 

 in taking off the silk. They should be cut some days 

 before hand, and be dry when used. Some prefer to 

 have the brushwood, entirely stripped of its leaves. Mr 

 Smith of Baltimore, uses and recommends the broom 

 corn. 



SEED COCOONS. 



Those cocoons that are intended for seed may be 

 stripped of their tow and strung upon a thread care be- 

 ing taken not to pierce entirely through the cocoons and 

 hung up until such time as the moths come out,* which 

 will be in one or two weeks, when the males and females 

 will couple ; they may be taken by the wings in pairs 

 without separating them and placed on large sheets of 

 paper, (old newspapers will do,) where they are to re- 

 main ; as many pairs of moths as can conveniently lie on 

 the papers may be placed there. The room in which 

 these are placed should be secure from mice and ants, 

 and the sun should not be permitted to shine on them in 

 any stage of their existence ; as soon as the moths on 

 one sheet have done laying their eggs, it should be folded 

 up and put down cellar, or in some cool, dry place until 

 wanted for use the next spring. 



The moths (see fig.) are in the form of a grayish 

 white butterfly and generally begin to lay their eggs in 

 24 to 36 hours, after leaving the cocoon. Each female 

 moth will lay from three so four hundred eggs, general- 



* See the Fly, Fig. 8, Plate 1. 



