340 FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 



SILKWORMS For raising these worms (says Mr. D 

 ]La Bigarre) the fir^t step is to procure the eggs, which 

 shouid be from a climate sim-l r 10 that where they are to 

 be hatched. Good eggs t.r:kc, successively, the colors of 

 gridelm, pucpl, and an ash-colored hue: They will crack 

 under your n.ai; while the bad ones will make no noise,,, 

 when pressed in the same manner. Leave them on the 

 cloth where they were \-M by tne female, and keep them 

 in a dry p\ c* where they will not freeze in Winter, nor be 

 too muuh heated in Spring. 



When about to be hatched, take them off the cloth ; and f 

 when the first buds of the mulberry come out, proceed to 

 hatching tu m Divide them into ounces, and put each 

 ottnce into little fl..t box* s, lined and made sott in the in- 

 sid^ , and let them be U< pt in a constant degree of warnvh 

 equal to ninety-six ot Fahrtnhtifs thermometer. Some put 

 them into little bags, and carry them under their cloihes in 

 the day-time, and under their pillow while sleeping; but 

 perhaps the better way is, to keep them in a small apart- 

 ment constantly warmed by a stove or otherwise. 



The bags must be opened every day to give them fresh 

 air, while hatching. When the eggs turn a whitish color it 

 is a sign the worms will soon come out ; and then, if in 

 bags, ihey mubt be stireJ up five or six tunes a day, to give 

 the young embryos sufficient air ; but, if they be in boxes, 

 they can be thinly spread over the bottom, and then open- 

 ing the boxes once or twice a day will answer. The time 

 usually required for hatching is about eight or nine days; 

 sometimes longer It too much heat be applied in hatching, 

 many of the worms will perish in raising. An ounce con- 

 tains about forty two thousand eggs; but among these may 

 be many bad ones, which, if they do not hatch in two days 

 after the first hatchings, may be thrown away. 



The eggs of the yellow cocoons are to be prefered, as 

 they give the most and best silk. 



If you hatch in bags, as soon as you find some of the 

 worms coming out, put them all into such boxes as before 



But times must alter. The wool of the Merino Sheep which are 

 reared in Greatbritain is found to be growing coarser, and in a few 

 years will be unfit for making the finest cloths. The climate and 

 most of the soil of that Country is only properly tiled for producing 

 large, coarse, longvvooled Sheep. 



Here, the quality of the Merino wool is found to be rather Improv- 

 ed. The British will therefore be soon compeled, in a great mea- 

 sure, to abandon their own slock of Merino Sheep, and to look 

 abroad for supplies of the finest wool. It is also to be expected that 

 further encouragement will be given to our own Manufactures, as 

 this is a policy that must be pursued, if we ever expect to become a 

 fcreat an4 independent People, 



