O F S I L K. ^ 105 



CHAP. VI. 



I'he manner of gathering the mulberry leaves, 

 and keeping them Jrefi. 



'T^HE hands of thofe that pull the 

 -■■ leaves fhould be very clean, as alfo of 

 thofe who attend and feed the worms -, they 

 fhould not have handled any thmg that 

 has a flrong offenfive fmell, fuch as leek, 

 garlick, and fuch like ; neither fliould they 

 have eaten them, nor ufe tobacco, efpe- 

 cially in fmoaking, when they feed the 

 worms. 



The time in which they fhould pull the 

 leaves, ought to be as foon as the dew is 

 off them in the morning, for they ought 

 never to be puil'd with moiflure on them. 

 As the worms ought to be fed wdth leaves 

 which are tender and young, in propor- 

 tion to their tender age, therefore you 

 fhould begin by pulling one tree regularly 

 after another j you mult not begin to pull 

 a fecond tree till you have puil'd all that 

 you ought to do of the firil, for you mufl: 

 not quite difleaf a tree for fear of hurting 

 it J nor muft you pull the fame tree twice, 



though 

 z 



