110 ON REARING 



NONG-TCHING-TSIOUEN-CHOU. 



In the work entitled Sse-nong-pi-yong, we read : 



" To make silk worms hatch, the degrees of heat and 

 cold, proper for them, must be known, and the manner of 

 hastening or retarding their hatching, in order that not one 

 may hatch before or after the others. 



" The following method must be pursued : 



" When the eggs have assumed an ash color, the leaves 

 covered with eggs must be united two by two, and extended 

 upon a clean frame. Afterwards they must be rolled up 

 tightly and the two ends tied with a pack-thread, (of cotton 

 or bark of the mulberry tree,) and the rolls placed upright 

 in a clean, cool room, where there is no smoke. 



" The evening of the third day, the rolls must be taken, 

 unfolded, and extended on the hurdles. It is a very happy 

 circumstance if none of the worms are hatched. But if by 

 chance there are any hatched before the others, they must 

 be taken and thrown out. Afterwards the leaves must be 

 taken three together, rolled in a loose manner, and deposit- 

 ed in the room newly warmed for the silk worms. The 

 time of the rising of the sun must be attentively observed, 

 then the leaves must be unrolled, and spread, one by one, 

 upon hurdles in the middle of the yard. If there is any dew 

 the hurdles must be placed in a cool room, or under a kind 

 of tent. Some time after, the leaves must be transported 

 to a room prepared for the silk worms, and they must be 

 spread, one by one, upon hurdles placed on the ground. 

 After a few moments the silk worms will hatch all at once, 

 looking like small black ants. There will not be one that 

 will hatch before or after the others. The hatched worms 

 must then be weighed with the leaves of paper, to know the 



