SILKWORMS. 103 



must be taken out at the expiration of one clay. The 

 twelfth day of the second moon, a bath must be given to 

 the eggs, on the morning of the period called Thsing-ming ; 

 then they must be wrapped up in cotton paper, and deposit- 

 ed in the kitchen. Wait until the mulberry leaves are as 

 large as a tea-spoon, then envelop the eggs in cotton : 

 at night they must be covered with warm garments which 

 have been worn during the day ; in the morning they must 

 be wrapped in blankets. When the eggs are hatched, the 

 worms must be warmed by artificial heat ; but so long as 

 they are not out of the egg, they ought to be well taken 

 care of, and hatched by the heat of fire. 



When it is desirable to soak the leaves of paper, covered 

 with eggs, the ashes of the mulberry tree must be used ; 

 the leaves should be moistened, and powdered with the 

 ashes. Afterwards they must be rolled and soaked in the 

 water where a certain quantity of salt has been dissolved. 

 If it be apprehended that the rolls of paper will swim, they 

 must be kept in submersion, by placing them under a china 

 plate. The paper ought to be taken out the twenty-fourth 

 day. 



The leaves must be washed in running water, to remove 

 the ashes, or they may be washed in a basin. Afterwards 

 they can be newly hung up in the cool air, and the eggs 

 hatched in the beginning of Spring. If part of the eggs do 

 not hatch, they must be kept in darkness, and nothing more 

 is to be feared from a useless expense of leaves. 



The twelfth day of the second moon, leaves of plants 

 called thsai and ye-thsa'i, blossoms of the leek, peach tree, 

 and white beans, must be taken. They must be crushed in 

 water, and afterwards the leaves must be bathed in it. 



When the females lay eggs, they generally stop at the 





