FARMERS' REGISTER 



215 



made cocoons of which Ihe hundred weighed but 

 1 oz. 6 gros* The eggs of these cocoons having 

 been preserved and hatched, we succeeded so (iar 

 in regenerating and improving the stocl< ihat in 

 1S27 the worms descended from them made co- 

 coons of which the 100 weighed 6 oz. 1 gros 24 

 grains; and in 1829, 100 cocoons, still of the same 

 race, weighed 6 oz. 4 gros.'''^ 



This last paragraph presents several curious 

 facts, which may be very usefully applied by the 

 practical culturist. But we have no liiiih in the 

 utter condemnation of the moras rubra (our indi- 

 genous red mulberry,) which is implied in the au- 

 thor's words, and in which he but accords with 

 many other auihorities. We admit fully that this 

 tree is much inferior to the white mulberry, and 

 still more so to the morus multicaulis, for furnish- 

 ing food to siilc-worms. But the inferiority is not 

 eo great as to prevent the worms feeding on it 

 heartily, and their forming good cocoons and good 

 silk. This we have long ago and repeatedly as- 

 serted, and now repeat our advice to ail who may 

 possess this tree only, to plant a better kind, but 

 not to wait for its growth and product before com- 

 raencing their (eedmg operations. In addition to 

 other facts and proofs formerly advanced by us in 

 this journal, we will adduce another of later oc- 

 currence. In the family of Col. C. Hamblin of 

 Halifax county, N. C. silk-worms had been rear- 

 ed successfully in 1837 and 1838 exclusively on 

 leaves of the common red mulberry, and without 

 a doubt being raised as to the food being altoge- 

 ther suitable. The daughter of that gentleman, 

 now Mrs. Mettaur, continued in Petersburg, last 

 year, this employment, which she had gained 

 some experience of at her former residence. She 

 raised last year a brood of about 30,000 silk- 

 worms, under all the disadvantages of a town lo- 

 cation, confined space, and great difficulty in ob- 

 taining food for the worms; and yet with as much 

 success, at least, in regard to the health of the 

 worms, and the quality of their products, as in any 

 case that we have known. The leaves used were 

 almost entirely of the red mulberry. The worms 

 were perfectly healthy, the cocoons of good qua- 

 lity, and we have seen the silk reeled from them, 

 (by a negro girl who had learned at home, and 

 who used a reel made by a plantation negro car- 



* Tho gros is the eighth part of the French ounce. 

 Of the French pound (poids de marc) 92,64 are equal 

 to 100 lbs. avoirdupois, American weight. 

 The French pound in American grains = 7561 

 American pound ----=: 7000 

 The French ounce - - - = 472.5 



American ounce - - - . ^ 437.5 

 The French pound and its parts are used throughout 

 the extracts from the French work. — Ed. 



t The Paris pound of the lightest of these crops 

 contained 914 cocoons, and of the heaviest, 247. — Ed. 



penter,) and it is of excellent quality, both as to 

 material and manufacture. Mrs. Mettaur even 

 prefers the leaves of this despised tree to any other, 

 because they keep fresh longer than others after 

 being gathered ; and no doubt also being preju- 

 diced in favor of what she has had experience 

 of only, and which had served so well. And though 

 we are sure that this preference is misplaced, 

 the very fact of its being entertained, after the 

 experience of three seasons, is a strong proof 

 that the value of the native tree is much greater 

 than is generally supposed. 



"The eggs naturally and spontaneously begin 

 to hatch when the temperature has been main- 

 tained for about 15 days, at from 55 to 59 degrees 

 [Fahr.] But then the worms come forth at dif- 

 ferent times during many successive weeks, and 

 there would be no means of making the rearing 

 regular or profitable. To obviate this inconve- 

 nience, the eggs should be kept at the lowest pos- 

 sible temperature until the time when the buds of 

 the mulberry trees begin to open ; then the eggs 

 should be gradually brought to a higher tempera- 

 ture for hatching," &c. 



We pass by the directions for the artificial heat 

 necessary to be used in Europe for the hatching, 

 as that is altogether unnecessary in our belter 

 climate. 



In the genera! directions for feeding and man- 

 agement at the commencement of each age, the 

 weights and sizes of the worms are stated, as fol- 

 lows: 



" The silk-worm, at the moment of its coming 

 forth from the egg, is 1,^ lines in length, and 

 weishs y|^ of a grain, poids de marc.''^ 



"Immediately after the first moulting begins 

 the second age ; the worms are 3^ to 4 lines in 

 length, and weigh |^ to ^ of a grain." 



" Measured and weighed immediately after 

 changing their skins, the worms in commencing 

 their third age are 7 lines in length, and weigh 

 each, one grain." 



" At the beginning of the fourth age, they are 

 one inch in length, and they weigh 4 grains." 



■' In beginning the fifth age they are from 20 

 to 22 lines in length, and weigh from 14 to 17 and 

 even 20 grains." 



And when at the greatest size, and about to 

 commence spinning, " their length is generally 36 

 lines, [3 French inches,] and with some it is even 

 40 lines; their weight generally is from 72 to 80 

 grains and sometimes 100 grains or more." 



The reader in applying these and other French 

 weights and measures, should not forget that the 

 value of each denomination of pound and ounce, 

 or of foot, inch and line, a little exceeds that of 

 the same denominations of this country. 



These weights and measures may be useful for 

 comparison, to the young culturist. From the 

 figure given of the perfect cocoon, it appears that 

 the worm spoken of is the kind that produces the 

 '•' pea-nut cocoon."' This is also important to be 



