OF SILK. 283 



the great caufes of putrefaftion, and confe- 

 quently of diflempers -, but never offer tO; 

 clean them while they are m then- moul-^ 

 ting ficknefs, for it is then very detrimen- 

 tal to diftmb them -, yet at other times, 

 when you find them come lazily on the 

 frefli leaves, and eat languidly, it will be 

 ufeful to make their hurdles clean at that 

 time in order to excite and roufe ttiem. 



But the great bufmefs of cleaning is from 

 their fourth and laft moulting, to their 

 time of fpinning containing about ten days, 

 they will then require to be cleaned every 

 fecond day, or oftener, otherwife their ht- 

 ter, being nov/ in great quantity, will foon 

 create moiflure and mouldinefs, and in- 

 fedl both the leaves and the worms. 



Whatever contrivance can now be found 

 to lighten the frequency of cleaning them 

 would be of great ufe : it is very obferv- 

 able that at this age, their bodies being 

 very heavy, they frequently prefs down 

 and flatten great part of the frefh leaves, 

 and that, after having lain on them, they 

 feldom care to eat them 3 nor indeed can 

 they readily get at them, while thus cover'd 

 with worms and flattened to the hurdle : 

 this occafions both waile of food and in- 

 6 creafc 



