108 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



Bly Chinese sow " PlentifaV — a fine breeder, 

 from stock originally imported into Salem — on the 

 16th ol'this month, dropped twelve pigs (out of my 

 Berkshire boar) every one of which came, dead ! 

 and from present appearances, I liiar the mother 

 will soon Ibllow. 



Thus you see, sir, I have met with several se- 

 vere losses, and I cannot conceive but the cause of 

 all these mislbrtunes is the same. The object, 

 therefore, of this communication is not to assert 

 that hay tea has killed my hogs, (alihoui^h 1 liave 

 abandoned the use of it, at least, lor the present,) 

 but simply to state facts, and inquire of you, whose 

 opinion in regard to this subject will be authority, 

 whether or not it is probable that the astringent 

 powers of the article herein named (hay tea) are 

 such as would produce these disastrous results, 

 and, if not, whattlie cause can be, judging, as we 

 only can, iiom the symptoms produced previously 

 to, and the condition we find the body in after 

 death. 



Your opinion will greatly oblige one at least, 

 and I doubt not that it will be thankfully received 

 by all the readers of the Farmer. 



1 have the honor to be. 



Your ob't servant, 



George P. Burnham. 

 JRoxbury, Mass., Jan. 20, 1840. 



BEST FORM OF A COCOONERY. 



From tlie Journal of the American Silk Society. 



We are frequently called upon for our opinion of 

 the best form of a cocoonery. After much reflec- 

 tion, and consultation with men of experience 

 on the subject, we have arrived at the conclusion 

 that the best form, under all circumstances, is that 

 ol" a rope-walk; that is, long and narrow, wide 

 enough lor two rows of shelves one story high, 

 and as long as may be required to accommodate 

 the number of worms required. In this form, in 

 places where lumber is plen!}', it can be construct- 

 ed very cheaply. The roof and weather board- 

 ing can be supplied with slabs, and the frame 

 may be made of very light limber ; and the whole 

 work could be done by a very rough carpenter. 

 The shelves should be about three feet wide, with 

 a^fbur feet passage between them, and a three 

 feet passage between them and the walls. Cross- 

 passages three feet wide should also be provided, 

 at distances that might be indicated by the length 

 of the plank out of which the shelves are tormed : 

 thus, if the plank be fifteen feet long, then the 

 cross passages would occur every fifteen feet, or in 

 other words the shelves should be fifteen feet long, 

 and an interval of three feet between each range 

 of shelves. The shelves should also be conve- 

 nient as to height; they ought not to be higher than 

 can be conveniently reached and attended to by 

 the attendants ; and hence, five shelves one fcDot 

 apart will probably be the most convenient number 

 as to height. A cocoonery upon this plan will ac- 

 commodate 12,500 worms to each range of fifteen 

 feet shelves ; or every eighteen feet of the cocoon- 

 ery will accommodate 25,000 worms ; and seventy- 

 two feet long will accommodate 100,000 worms. 

 We will remark here, that our allowance of space 

 for the worms is very liberal ; but as it is of great 

 advantage to the worms to be allowed plenty of 



space, it is deemed best to allow them, as above 

 indicated, nearly a square loot to 50 worms. There 

 are many conveniences and advantages attending 

 this plan. The shelves are more convenient of 

 access ; the light Irom either side operates equally 

 on all the shelves ; while on the old plan, the out- 

 side shelves receive too much light, and the centre 

 ones too little. In case of contagious disease 

 attacking any portion of the worms, they can be 

 more readily &eparated from the others, and the 

 air in the room is not so liable to become Ibui. 

 The cocoonery can be built in the midst of the 

 mulberry trees, and the leaves can be carried into 

 it through the doors in any part of its whole length. 

 Windows should be made at every nine ieet, so 

 that each range of shelves shall have two opposite 

 to it ; and doors should be opened at convenient 

 distances in the sides, and one at each end oppo- 

 site the middle passage. The windows and doors 

 should be made to close tightly, that the light may 

 be partially, and the cold and damp air entirely 

 excluded, when necessary. If stoves or fire-places 

 be provided, to guard against cold and damp air, it 

 will be a great advantage in bad weather, and the 

 careful attendant will realize the more profit Irom 

 his labors. But in the middle and southern states 

 fire will seldom be necessary, especially alter tlie 

 first crop of the season. 



Many persons have too many shelves in the 

 range, thus making it difficult to feed on or clean 

 the upper ones. The attendants must either carry 

 slepping-stools with them, or place their feet on 

 the lower shelf to enable them to reach the upper 

 shelves, thus often crushing worms, injuring the 

 shelves, and at last attending the upper shelves 

 very imperfectly. It would be better economy, we 

 think, to erect the range of shelves only as high 

 as above indicated. The site of the cocoonery 

 should be high, as it of course will be if the trees 

 are growing on their proper situation. 



The costly buildings and fixtures so often de- 

 scribed, that have been erected, and recommended 

 as patterns, are, in our view, worthy of any thing 

 but imitation. All that is required by silk worms, 

 are proper food, shelter, and protection from the 

 inclemency of the weather and the sun, and li-om 

 vermin ; no matter how simple or cheap the build- 

 ing may be, if it accomplish this, it is all that ia 

 required. G. B. S. 



GREAT WALL OF CHINA. 



From the New England Farmer. 



Even when united under one emperor, China 

 trembled at the Tartars of the desert. About two 

 centuries before the birth of Christ, She-hwang-te 

 (the brook-burner,) constructed the great wall of 

 China, to prevent their incursions. The wall, 

 which has always been considered one of the 

 world's wonders, is 1500 miles in length, of great 

 height and thickness, furnished with fortresses and 

 towers innumerable, and is carried with singular 

 skill over mountains and rivers, as well as across 

 the plains and valleys. Lord Macartney exclaim- 

 ed on seeing it that it was certainly the most 

 stupendous work of human hands, and he ration- 

 ally concluded that at the remote period of its build- 

 ing, China must have been a very powerful and 

 civilized empire. Dr. Johnson was accustomed to 

 say of itj that it would be an honor to any man to 



