1B38] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



471 



trict, a public hot-house, for hatching in common 

 the eggs belonging to all the neighboring cuitu- 

 rists. There is no iloubt, but that in thus charg- 

 ing with the business an intelligent man, well in- 

 structed in the art of hatchinij the eggs, it would 

 contribute much to diminish the losses met with in 

 every year's stock of eggs ; which losses occur for 

 want ol' care, or in consequence of the procedure 

 under a blind routine of practice, established by 

 custom, and adhered to through ignorance or pre- 

 judice. 



CHAPTER II. 



Of the small laboratory. 



r. If the too great heat, accompanied by dryness 

 of tlie air which surrounds them, is injurious to the 

 worms, when about to hatch, it is not the less ne- 

 cessary to use the utmost care that they may not be 

 exposed to the least cold, even though it should be 

 for but forty-eight hours. The place in which they 

 are to pass their lives will be proportioned in size 

 to the number of worms which are to be collected 

 there ; and it should be calculated in advance what 

 space they will require to occupy, in proportion as 

 they grow larger, and also what space will be re- 

 quired, so as not too much to affect the purity of 

 the air. It is known by experience, that the new- 

 ly hatched worms of as many eggs as would have 

 weighed an ounce, will occupy a space of 7 or 8 

 square feet to the time of the first moulting; that 

 it must be extended to 15 or 16 feet to the second, 

 and then to 35 Jeet to the third moulting. The 

 number of shelves, or of frames or hurdles, should 

 be in proportion to these measures, so that the 

 worms may neither be troubled, nor heaped on 

 each other. The shelves or hurdles should be 22 

 inches apart, in perpendicular distance, and fur- 

 nished with paper with upright borders, to prevent 

 the worms fallmg off. These sheets of paper, as 

 well as of the boxes, should be numbered, in order 

 that no error shall be committed by changing 

 their places, and to be able to attend to the worms 

 in the proper order of their age, until their com- 

 plete developement. 



In the first or small laboratory should be placed 

 two thermometers. It is to be so arranged as to 

 be suitably heated, either by a stove, or by two 

 email chimneys at the corners. The windows 

 and doors will be placed so as to give enough 

 light, and permit sufficient ventilation. The tem- 

 perature IS to be kept constantly at 75 degrees, al- 

 ways from 5 to 7 less than in the hatching room; 

 and progressively according as the worm ad- 

 vances in age and becomes strong. But when 

 the season is cold, and the leaves backward, this 

 heat is lowered to 71 degrees, and even to 68, 

 which is the lowest admissible temperature. 



The prudent culturist, says M. Dandolo, has 

 done all that depends upon his care, when he has 

 put the eggs into the stove-room at the time that 

 he saw the sprouts of the mulberry trees well de- 

 veloped, and the weather fair and warm. If, af- 

 terwards, the weather suddenly changes to cold, 

 aB took place in 1814, it is a highly' important 

 power to be able, without danger, to retard the 

 hatching of the worms, and to prolong for some 

 days their two first ages. To obtain 'this great 

 advantage, there is nothing else to do, if it is the 

 first day that the worms are placed in the small 

 laboratory, but to lower, after four or five hours, to 



73 degrees the temperature which before stood at 

 75, and four or five hour^i alter to 71, and the next 

 day to 68, if that should be necessary. This cool- 

 ing of the air diminishes the appetite of the 

 worms, gradually and without danger; and by 

 this means are hindered the modifications which, 

 a,t the 75th degree, would have led sooner to the 

 moulting. At 75 degrees, the first moullin^ (or 

 casting off the first skin of the worms) would be 

 accomplished in five days; but six or seven are 

 necessary at the reduced temperature. The se- 

 cond moulting is completed in four days at 75 de- 

 grees; but requires more than six days, if the 

 temperature is between 68 and 71. Thus it may 

 be seen how the culturist, who is prudent and in- 

 telligent, by thus prolonging the two first ages, 

 may gain seven to eight, days of time to ward oft" 

 the dangers of an inclement season. There may 

 be also gained some days in the course of the 

 other ages, as will be seen hereafter. This gain 

 of time for the leaves to grow, as will be readily 

 perceived, may be a very great advantage. 



The tables annexed at the end of Dandolo's 

 work show that in 1813 the worms had climbed 

 (to begin to spin their cocoons,) in Rl days; and 

 that 38 were necessary in 1814, to give the time 

 required for the mulberry leaves to ripen. I do 

 not include in these seven days of gain the three 

 of retarding the hatching of the eggs, which 

 might have been used, when delay is required 

 still earlier. 



Those persons who will not take this care, and 

 who do not employ any of the means indicated by 

 art to prevent the ill effects of inclement xveather, 

 would be obliged to throw away all the worms 

 hatched too soon, or otherwise to strip the mul- 

 berry trees so completely, that they would offer 

 leaves of bad quality for the adult age of the 

 worms. 



These considerations ought to cause to be ofene- 

 rally felt the necessity for retarding, rather^than 

 hastening, the putting the eggs to hatch; especial- 

 ly as knowing that, with a good method of takino- 

 care of the worms, there is nothing to fear from 

 some days of hot weather; which would have no 

 other effect than to complete the last moultings 

 some days sooner. It is besides certain, that the 

 silk-worms which are retarded choose the leaves 

 suitable to their age, and particularly the ripest 

 leaves, when they are in their last age; the time 

 decisive of the profits of the proprietor, as the 

 worm then acquires all its value. 



II. After being hatched, if it is intended to raise 

 the silk-worms in the same place, the little branch- 

 es of mulberry, scattered over the whole extent of 

 the perforated papers, which cover the little boxesi 

 after being filled with worms, are placed in the 

 boxes, upon the little table, (or board, suspended 

 by a wire, or by strings,) which is to serve to 

 transport them to the small laboratory. There, 

 upon other and thicker sheets of paper, numberecl 

 and marked like the boxes, should be taken thop(y 

 boxes which bear the same numbers; and the ta- 

 ble being placed upon the edges of the hurdles, it 

 will be easy to lay hold of the perforated paper 

 upon which the worms are, and, by means of th b 

 the branches which support them, to make thern 

 slide off, to the papers placed upon the hurdlew. 

 To effect this more safely than with the finger? 

 (which always endanger the worms,) a little hool ( 

 made of wire, may be advantageously used. Caie 



