FARMERS' REGISTER 



99 



Hie management of the silk worms on this plan, 

 may be ad Ibllovvs : Expose the eggs to hatch in 

 the usual manner. Pay no attention to those that 

 hatch tlie first day. Those that hatch on the 

 second (lay, should be placed on the first range of 

 shelves ; those that halch on the third day, on the 

 second range ; and those ihat hatch on the fourth 

 day, on the third range. Pay no attention to the 

 few that hatch after the fourth day, they are too 

 dilatory to be profitable. The young worms are 

 very easily removed from the hatching table, by 

 laying small nmlberry leaves upon them, and 

 when they attach themselves to them, take each 

 leaf by the stem, and lay it on the shelf where 

 you want the worms. Feed the young worms by 

 laying on them a few fresh leaves (bur or five 

 times a day, or oltener, if they consume them, or 

 the leaves become wilted. During the first age, 

 if the leaves are large, they may be torn, or cut 

 into small pieces ; but if you have plenty ofleaves 

 it is not necessary. After they have moulted the 

 first time, lay on leaves, and when the vi^orms 

 become attached to them, lift them by the stems 

 and lay them on a clean place on the shelf, allow- 

 ing them about three times as much space as they 

 occupied before. You may then clear oflFthe shelf 

 previously occupied by them. The same operation 

 may be perlbrmed after the second, third and 

 fourth moultings, extending the space they occupy 

 each time, as in the first, and clearing off the litter 

 in the same way. 



In feeding the worms, from the beginning to 

 the end, it is of importance that they be fed often 

 and in small quantities. If you lay on too much 

 ibod a considerable portion will be wasted; but 

 that is the least consideration — the shelves will 

 become loaded with rubbish, which will remler it 

 necessary to clear them often. We have always 

 found it to be a good plan to keep the attendant 

 continually feeding — always passing along the 

 shelves with a basket of leaves, and whenever any 

 of the worms arc (bund without food, or nearly so, 

 lay on a (ew leaves, and thus keeping them con- 

 tinually eating (resh leaves. We know it is the 

 practice, almost universally, to (eed at stated times 

 — three times a day, or four, or five, and to weigh 

 the leaves, giving at each feeding a certain quan- 

 tity ; but all our experience goes to prove its im- 

 propriety. Late at night a full supply of leaves, 

 according to their age, ought to be given them, 

 that they may have plenty during the night. 

 Strange as it may appear, many persons suppose 

 the worms do not eat much at night ; the truth is, 

 they eat rather more at night than in the day-time, 

 ae do all caterpillars ; and they ought either to be 

 fed occasionally during the night, or have a supply 

 given them over night sufficient to last them till 

 morning. 



Wet leaves should not be given to silk worms, 

 nor those having sand or dirt on them. If it 

 cannot be avoided during long rains, necessity of 

 course will compel the feeding with wet leaves ; 

 and generally this may do no harm ; but I have 

 seen very large quantities of worms destroyed by 

 it. It should always be avoided, if possible. 



The moulting of the worms will occur four times, 

 but unless closely observed, and the several days' 

 hatching have not been kept carefully separate, 

 these changes will be scarceij' noticed. The times 

 of moulting vary, according to the treatment the 

 worms receive. If fully fed, and a proper temper- 



ature be kept in the room, they will moult about 

 every 5 or 6 days ; if a contrary practice be pur- 

 sued, they may do so every 7, 8, or 9 days. If 

 each day's hatching have been kept by themselves 

 and they have all been properly fed, all the worms 

 of one hatching will generally moult about the 

 same time, and they should not be fed while they 

 are in the moulting state. They generally re- 

 main in this state from 18 to 36 hours. As soon 

 as they revive they should be led as above directed, 

 with large leaves, or even branches, and as soon 

 as they attach themselves to the leaves, they 

 should be removed to a clean shelf. It is frequently 

 the case that only a part of them moult one day, 

 and the balance the next. In this case the two 

 moultings should be carried to separate shelves, 

 and thus be kept separate in future, aa they will 

 otherwise not spin cocoons regularly. As the 

 space occupied by the worms must necessarily 

 be extended as the worms grow, the moat 

 convenient time for doing it is after each moulting. 

 And if this be properly done, all the worms on 

 each shelf can be made to spin at the same time, 

 and thus save the attendant much inconvenience. 

 To effect it all that is necessary is to separate 

 the several days' hatchings, and at each moulting 

 to collect all that revive at one time, and place 

 them by themselves. Those who observe this 

 precaution will be well paid for their attention. 



After the (burth moulting, if you have plenty 

 of trees, and do not care about the cuttings, you 

 may cut ofi" small branches with the leaves on, 

 and lay them on the shelves. In feeding in this 

 way, you can save much time, the leaves keep 

 from wilting longer, and more worms can be ac- 

 commodated on the same space. The branches 

 should be laid first across the shelf, say six inches 

 apart ; at the next feeding they should be laid 

 lengthwise of the shelf; and the next, crosswise 

 again, and so on alternately crosswise and length- 

 wise at each feeding, so that the pile may fbrm a 

 mass of crib- work, affording a free passage for the 

 air, and accommodation for the worms, into which 

 they will descend, to form cocoons. The objec- 

 tions to this plan are, that in damp weather the 

 mass of rubbish and dung of the worms, ia apt to 

 ferment, and thus produce disease ; and also the 

 loose tow of the cocoons is lost, ae it becomes so 

 filled with dirt and fragments of leaves, that it is 

 not worth saving. It ia believed, however, that 

 the value of this tow is less than the trouble of the 

 ordinary fixtures for the worms to spin on is worth. 

 The writer of these remarks, raised his eilk worms 

 one season on this plan, and the cocoons produced 

 were equal to any he ever raised. Care should 

 be observed in ftieding in this way, not to lay on 

 so many branches ae to raise the pile too hi^h ; 

 as, if it approach near the bottom of the shelf 

 above, before the worms are ready to spin, it will 

 be very inconvenient to feed them. Not more 

 than lour or five courses of branches should be 

 laid on each day, and the intermediate feedings 

 should be with clear leaves, so that the pile may 

 ascend not more than an inch and a half each day, 

 and that the height of the pile on the shelf when 

 the worms begin to spin may be about nine or 

 ten inches. If, however, the pile should get too 

 high, or if it gets damp and mouldy, the lower 

 part can be easily removed by passing a couple of 

 smooth sticks through the pile two or thrculayem 

 below the worms ; and by means of tbe^, gently 



