158 THREE ACRES AND LIBERTY 



thrives best on the leaf of the white mulberry tree. Until a 

 substitute is found, it will be necessary therefore to set out 

 young trees, which in two years will bear enough leaves to 

 supply food. The labor of silkworm rearing all comes in 

 one month. It can be carried on in any large, airy room. 

 The eggs are hatched by the summer heat, and the worm 

 does not become a heavy eater until the last two weeks. It 

 sheds its skin four times, and after the final moult it climbs 

 into loose brush prepared for it and spins the cocoon. These 

 are then dried and shipped. 



At the South, where the climate is well suited for silk cul- 

 ture, an obstacle has been found in the unadaptability of the 

 cheap labor, particularly colored labor, to the delicate han- 

 dling, and especially winding of the silk from the cocoons. 



Many people make money by breeding dogs. Not much 

 land is required and very little capital, as kennels can be 

 multiplied as demand increases. There is always a profit- 

 able market for dogs, and some of the lap species, like the 

 King Charles spaniel, bring fabulous prices. Hunting dogs, 

 such as setters, pointers, retrievers, really require a game 

 country and a practical hunter who can train the puppies, 

 to make much of a success of it; with these, if properly 

 handled, the business is a safe one, as there is little other 

 technical skill required beyond ordinary care, such as is 

 given to domestic animals. 



Cats are a better venture than dogs because they are 

 sold to women who will pay any price for what strikes their 

 fancy. Fashions in cats change about as fast as fashions in 

 coats, but cats breed faster than coats wear out, so it is 

 quick business. 



Just now, coon cats, tortoise-shell cats, and bizarre colors 

 of Persian cats are mostly in vogue, but the tailless Manx 



