484 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[Na. 8 



in this sickly state Irora 24 to 36 hours, and their 

 recovery from it will be immetliately observed by 

 their activity, and increased size, and considerable 

 change of color. They should be led immediate- 

 ly with fresh leaves. I'he first and second change 

 is so imperceptible as to require a close observer 

 to discover them. 



Strict attention to cleanliness, and ventilation, 

 and undeviating regard to keeping a full supply 

 oflresh leaves on the hurdles, are all that is meant 

 by me when speaking of care and attention. II" 

 the above rules be completely carried out, the 

 worms will begin to spin in from 25 to 28 days. 

 If the worms are not thus carefully attended to, 

 they will begin to spin at any time within 60 days, 

 and then their cocoons will be the less valuable 

 for every day their spinning is protracted beyond 

 30 days from the time of hatching. 



The air of the worms must always be kept 

 sweet and pure. If from any cause whatever, a 

 stench be observed, sprinkle the floor with a solu- 

 tion of chloride of lime, and set cups ot it about 

 the room. It is a good plan always to keep a 

 stone jar of it sitting in one corner of the room, 

 and frequently changing it todiflerent places, even 

 when no foul air or disease is present ; for it is al- 

 ways better to prevent than to wail to cure dis- 

 eases. All the diseases I ever discovered in silk- 

 worms are readily cured by the free use of chlo- 

 ride of lime or soda. The tripes is a disease in- 

 duced by foul air, and is closely analogous to the 

 plague in the human species. I have known it 

 to destroy a whole laboratory of worms, consisting 

 of about 500,000, in one night ; and have myself 

 lost_ at one time about 100,000. Since, however, 

 I discovered the preventive and curative powers 

 of this most excellent article, I have never lost a 

 worm by any disease. All that is necessary, 

 usually, is to keep the chloride of lime in the roorn, 

 as above stated, and occasionally sprinkling the 

 floor with a solution of it. A table spoonful, put 

 into a pint of water, is a good quantity to use. If, 

 however, the disease has commenced "its ravages, 

 lose no time in removing the hurdles containing 

 the diseased worms, from the room — tlien take 

 half a pound or so of the chloride, put it into a 

 gallon of vvater, sprinkle the floor well with it ; put 

 a spoonful of the chloride in each of several 

 saucers, with a gill of water, and set the saucers 

 about the room, particularly where the disease 

 was first observed. As these diseases always, or 

 at least generally, appearindamp, cloudy, or rainy 

 Weather, make a brisk blaze in the fire-places o'r 

 Btoves. Throw open all the windows and ventila- 

 tors ; and take care that all the filth, if any there 

 be, be removed. In a few hours you will find the 

 disease checked. If there are any dead worms on 

 any of the hurdles, they must- be removed forth- 

 with. 



Here I must be indulged with an explanation 

 of a circumstance of a rather laughable nature, 

 though it is as much at my own expense, as any 

 body's else. It is in relation to the discovery of 

 the valuable properties ofchloride of lime, in pre- 

 venting and curing disease in silk-worms. It is 

 well known, that Ihave often claimed the discove- 

 ry of this most valuable agent, and that some 

 years ago a scientific Frenchman read a paper be- 

 fore a learned society in Paris, setting forth the 

 important fact of its then recent discovery, and 

 elucidating its great value to the silk growing inte- 



rest. What will the public think of me, and of 

 the Frenchman of science, and especially of the 

 learned society of Paris, when informed, that we 

 are noxe of us entitled to the credit of disco- 

 very ; that it is an old remedy — an old agent, used 

 and recommended by Count Dandolo himself, 

 whose writings we all of us had read, whose 

 writings were and had long been familiar as house- 

 hold words to the savans of Paris ! Yet, such is 

 the tact, though I never was aware of it until this 

 present writing, when I discovered it while look- 

 ing over a translation of the writings of Dandolo 

 in the Silk Manual, published by order of Con- 

 gress, in 1828, in which work it will be found at 

 page 119. The article chloride, it is true, is not 

 mentioned by Dandolo at all, but its elementary 

 principles are described and recommended, for the 

 purifying of noxious air, very distinctly. I had 

 often read the passage, and understood something 

 of chemistry too, but never suspected that the 

 combination of a portion from Dandoio's bottle of 

 common salt and black oxide of manganese, and 

 another of sulphuric acid, would produce chlorine 

 gas. It is true, had I reflected a moment, I should 

 have discovered it; but all of us are in the habit 

 of considering things themselves^ not the individu- 

 al materials of which they are made. Hence my 

 oversight, and of course that of the learned men 

 of Paris. For my own part, I ask pardon of Dan- 

 dolo for the claim I have heretofore set up to his 

 property; but would recommenc4 him to be a little 

 more explicit in future, in his descriptions. But 

 the fumigation of Dandolo, though it be chlorine 

 gas, is not as good as the chloride of lime or of 

 soda; as the gas evolved is not pure, but contains 

 large portions of deleterious gases whioh are ne- 

 cessarily evolved with the chlorine. Besides the 

 chlorides of lime and soda are infinitely more con- 

 venient, and even cheaper. 



It seems necessary to recur to the temperature 

 of the room, for the purpose of noticing an omis- 

 sion while treating on that head. In very high 

 temperatures, the French recommend sprinkling 

 the room with cold water, for the purpose of cooling 

 it. I have often done injury by doing so, and re- 

 commend that it be not resorted to. It of course 

 creates a dampness in the air, which is injurious 

 and often dangerous. If the weather be dry. free 

 ventilation is all that is necessary, where proper 

 cleanliness is observed, let the weather be never so 

 hot. Darkening the room, has a good efllect in 

 hot weather; and at no time must the sun be al- 

 lowed to shine upon the worms. A twilight is 

 preferred by the worms. 



The worms will begin to spin cocoons from tfie 

 25th to the 35fh days from the hatching, depend- 

 ing on the care with which they have been at- 

 tended to. As before observed, if carelessly at- 

 tended to, they may not begin before the 40th or 

 50th day; but generally the 35th day will be the 

 time of commencement. Their readiness to spin 

 will be immediately observed by their transparent, 

 slightly amber color, by their ceasing to eat, and 

 wandering about, leaving fibres of silk on the 

 leaves, and by some of ihem actually beginning 

 to spin cocoons among the leaves and rubbish on 

 the hurdles, in the corners of the ft'ames, &c. It 

 is then necessary to prepare ihe hedges lor them to 

 spin on, or such other contrivance lor the purpose 

 as has been determined on. 



The hedges for the worms to spin their cocoons 



