1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



485 



on are eomposed of various materials, and are as 

 various in form. The French and Italians use 

 brush of oak and various other kinds of trees, 

 from whicli ihcy construct hedijes across the hur- 

 dles, resembling miniature bushes set close to- 

 gether in rows, and pressing against the hurdle 

 alone. The worms climb these hedges, and spin 

 their cocoons among the branches. I always uped 

 ■broom-corn, and lound it to answer admirably. 

 The seed is carefully to be combed off, the stalk 

 cut ofi' close to the commencement of the straw 

 or brush; the top cut ofi" square, and spread out, 

 pressing against the upper hurdle or pnper shelf, 

 and the lower end resting upon the netting of the 

 hurdle. Rooms of these set across the hurdles, 

 six or eight inches apart, and as close together in 

 the row as the tops will admit, answered the 

 purpose with me. Of late, however, cocoon 

 frames, made of laths, have been used, and with 

 success, by many persons, I have never seen 

 them, and am unable to give such a description of 

 them as will enable the reader to construct them. 

 Various other contrivances have been adopted, 

 entirely different from either of the above, and 

 even fi-om each other; and, their authors assert, 

 equally effectual for the purpose. These facts 

 only prove that the silk-worms are not very par- 

 ticular as to where or on what they form their co- 

 coons. They will, indeed, spin them any where; 

 the only object to be attained by particular struc- 

 tures for them to spin on, is the prevention of waste 

 of silk matter in forming the outlines of the co- 

 coon. Where there is a space just large enoucrh 

 for the cocoon, very little silk will be wasted in 

 the form of tow, or refuse silk. If the space be 

 loo large, the worm is compelled to reduce it, by 

 filling it with loose fibres, to the proper dimensions 

 for the cocoon. 



As the worms on each hurdle begin to spin, the 

 hedges, or whatever else is to be used, must be 

 supplied; and the attendants should keep an eye 

 upon the worms, to see that they all spin in the 

 proper places. Some will not rise to the hedges 

 or other places prepared for them, but commence 

 spinning on the leaves in the corners of the hur- 

 dles, &c., they must be taken and placed upon the 

 proper place. Observe that they do not get crowd- 

 ed too close in the hedges or other places, so that 

 they will not each have room for a cocoon; for if 

 tliey dO; they will form double cocoons — that is, two 

 or more will join in forming one cocoon, which is 

 good for nothing, except for carding and spinning, 

 as it cannot be reeled. 



The worm is four days spinninjr its cocoon. 

 Consequently they should be left perfectly undis- 

 turbed during four entire days after they com- 

 mence spinning. On the fifth day after the whole 

 have commenced, the hedges or other support of 

 the cocoons may betaken down, and the cocoons 

 taken off. Select the number of cocoons you may 

 want for the production of ecgs for next 3'ear, and 

 prepare the others for reeling or for sale. If you 

 can do so, the best way is to reel them at once; if 

 not, the insect must be killed. 



Various methods of killing the insect are in use 

 In France they bake the cocoons in an oven from 

 which the batch of bread has just been drawn, or 

 which has been heated for the purpose to about 

 150O. If too hot, the silk will be scorched, and 

 thus ruined; if too cool, the insect will not be kill- 

 ed. In Italy they effect the object by exposmg 



the cocoons to the hot eun lor several days. 

 Others kill them by filling a vessel containing 

 them with hot steam; others with vapor of spirits. 

 I hav^ lately suggested that they may be eflisclu- 

 ally killed by the vapor of charcoal — carbonic 

 acid giis — and for this purpose they may be car- 

 ried into the hatching room; all the doors, and win- 

 dows, and chimney of which must be perfectly 

 closed. Dispose the cocoons about the room on 

 the net hurdles, one above another, similar to the 

 hurdles in the laboratory. Fill a common portable 

 furnace with charcoal, and set it on fire; j)lace it in 

 the middle of the room, and close the room per- 

 fectly. In a short time the room will be complete- 

 ly filled with the deleterious gas, and must of ne- 

 cessity smother the chrysalis in the cocoons. I 

 have heard of this plan having been tried in one 

 instance only; but, in that, it was perfectly suc- 

 cessful, and 1 have no doubt it will always be so. 

 If it is, it is an important improvement, not only 

 in saving much labor and time, as well as expense, 

 in this part of the business, but in saving a great 

 deal of trouble in reeling the cocoons, as it does 

 not harden the gum, as all other processes do, and 

 consequently they are easier to reel. Eesides, 

 there is no danger of injury to the silk, which is 

 always more or less depreciated in value by the 

 heat applied in killing the chrysalis. I am at pre- 

 sent clearly of the opinion that this process will 

 be universally adopted; but 1 have only theory, 

 and one experiment, for the basis of this opinion. 

 I am not now engaged in the business, and have 

 no opportunity to make the necessary experi- 

 ments. I would advise that a iew cocoons be at 

 first fried, say two or three pounds; that the co- 

 coons thus tried should then be spread out in a 

 warm niry room, for at least two weeks; if none 

 of the insects come out, the result will be conclu- 

 sive. The cocoons are now ready for reeling, or 

 for sale. 



Eggs for the next year's use are to be obtained 

 as follows. Spread out the cocoons selected for 

 the purpose on a large table, in any room that can 

 be kept warm and comfortable, and that can be 

 made dark. In about ten days fi-om the time the 

 cocoons were finished, the moths, or butterflies, as 

 they are sometimes called, will perforate the co- 

 coons, and come out. They will immediately 

 couple, and are then to be taken in pairs, and 

 placed upon the paper suspended for their accom- 

 modation, as described in the following paragraph. 



Stretch a small cnrd across the room, about as 

 hiixh as your head, then two others, two and a-half 

 feet apart, and one foot below the first cord, so 

 that the first will be o%'erthe centre, between the 

 lower ones. Then hang old newspapers over 

 the cords, and pin them to both top and bottom 

 cords. This will lorm a long range of papers, re- 

 sembling the roots of a long row of houses. As 

 the moths couple, place them on these papers ; 

 take them by the wimis between the thumb and 

 fincrers, as thev will not be separated by it. You 

 need not trouble them further; as after they sepa- 

 rate, the female will commence laying egirs, and 

 attaching them to the paper in a small spot about 

 as large as a cent. Put moths enough on each 

 paper to cover the whole sheet with eo'gs; but not 

 so many as to compel them to lay their eorgs on 

 those already there, that is, to pile the eggs on fop 

 of each other. 'I'Iuk they nrvor do unless from ne- 

 ce.qsity. After they havp done laying eggs, the 



