106 ON REARING 



They have the grief of seeing their silk worms tormented 

 by hunger ; the hurdles are strewed with worms that lan- 

 guish and die. Thus, by their want of forecast, they use- 

 lessly sacrifice the lives of a great number of these precious 

 insects. 



NONG-SANG-TSI-YAO. 



It depends on one's self to retard or hasten the changing 

 of colour, in the eggs ; but care must be taken to change 

 them in a natural manner, and not to compromit the life of 

 a silk worm enclosed in the egg. 



When the leaves of the mulberry tree are grown, at eight 

 or ten o'clock in the morning, the sheets of paper must be 

 taken out of the vase, unrolled and hung up. There is no 

 rigorous rule to determine the progress of the eggs. Only 

 the first day, their color must be changed to three tenths, 

 the second day to seven tenths. Then the leaves must be 

 rolled, they must be put in a paper tube, with the two ends 

 well pasted, and they must be replaced in the vase. The 

 third day, towards twelve o'clock, the rolls must be again 

 taken out of the vase and unfolded. Their color will 

 then be completely changed. 



NONG-SANG-PI-KIOUE. 



The art of raising silk worms begins with the choice of 

 the eggs, and the preservation of the cocoons. Select in 

 the cocoon room, the cocoons that are turned towards the 

 light (that is to say, those from the top of the cocoon room) 

 such as are brilliant, neat, and of a firm texture. 



