SILKWORMS. 117 



If in twenty-eight days, only twenty ounces can be obtain- 

 ed. If the time be one month, or forty days, one hurdle 

 will furnish but ten ounces of silk. 



Those persons who feed silk worms ought to endeavor 

 not to sleep. Laziness has serious inconveniences. 



Every time the silk worms are fed, all the hurdles must 

 be visited with the greatest attention. It is essential for the 

 leaves to be distributed in an equal manner. If the wea- 

 ther be dark and rainy, if the exterior air be cold, before 

 feeding the silk worms, dry branches of mulberry trees must 

 be taken, or rather a handful of rice straw, stripped of all 

 its leaves, fire must be put to it, and the flame put around 

 and above the hurdles in order to dissipate the cold and 

 damp which benumbs the silk worms. After that operation 

 they must be fed. In that manner they do not contract any 

 disease. The time of their general moulting must be ob- 

 served, and then the feeding must be suspended. After- 

 wards nothing is given them to eat, until they are all recov- 

 ered from their torpid state. If food is given them, when 

 there are. but eight or nine-tenths of them recovered, they 

 will not arrive, all together, at maturity ; besides, great num- 

 bers of them will be lost. 



From the second to the great moulting, (the third moult- 

 ing,) when the worms assume a glossy yellow color, and 

 when they are disposed to moult, the nourishment must be 

 suspended, and they be transported to other frames. Af- 

 terwards, when they are all recovered, they must be slowly 

 fed, that is to say : they must have their repasts given them 

 at long intervals, and leaves must be spread on them in very 

 light layers. If the leaves were distributed too abundantly, 

 they would eat without appetite and become sick. Now, 

 as it is the food which gives strength and life to the silk 



