

158 ON REARING SILK WORMS. 



The matron of the silk worms, (she who superintends the 

 raising,) must preserve them in order to hatch them the 



following; year. 

 7 J 



ON BATHING THE EGGS OF SILK WORMS. 



We only describe the methods which are followed in the 

 districts of Kia and Hou. In the former, the sheets of 

 paper covered with eggs are exposed to the dew of the 

 heavens, or else they are washed in lime water. In the 

 latter district salt water is generally used. Two chings, 

 (two tenths of a bushel) of water, that runs from heaps of 

 salt must be taken and poured in a vessel, and a sheet of 

 paper covered with eggs must be put there to bathe ; the 

 same is done with the lime water. The twelfth day of the 

 last month of the year, the leaves must be immersed, and 

 soaked until the twenty-fourth of the month, that is to say : 

 for twelve whole days, after which they must be taken out. 

 They must be drained and dried in a mild heat ; afterwards 

 they must be preserved with care in a box. They ought 

 not to be shut up together when the air is moist. 



The eggs will hatch at the time called Thsing-ming, (the 

 5th of April.) 



Those persons who expose the eggs to the dew, do it at 

 the same time with those we have just spoken of. They 

 put the sheets of paper in wicker baskets, which are hung 

 up at the four angles of the roof, and each one is loaded 

 with a small stone to retain them in place. They are thus 

 abandoned to the frost, snow, wind, rain, thunder, and 

 lightning. They must be taken down at the end of twelve 

 days ; afterwards, they are preserved in a box, as we have 



