40 



COST OF RAISING SILK WORMS, BY MR D'HOMERGUE. 



Four ounces of eggs, each ounce containing about 

 35,000 eggs, making, in all. 140,000 eggs. 



If the mulberry trees are on the farm where the eggs 

 are raised, two women are sufficient to gather the leaves, 

 until the fourth moulting. The worms should be fed 

 three times a day, and cleaned once after each moulting. 



In the last ten days additional help is necessary, as 

 the worms require more frequent cleaning, in consequence 

 of the greater quantity of leaves which they consume ; 

 and to prevent fermentation, and consequent sickness, 

 more attention is required at this time. 



Mr Du Ponceau has raised seven ounces of eggs with 

 only the labor of two persons, and these not employed 

 the whole of each day, except on the last ten days, and 

 some occasional help, who were employed to bring leaves 

 from the country, two miles distant. In the three first 

 weeks, one person could have done the whole business, 

 except gathering and bringing the leaves. This was 

 done in the city of Philadelphia. 



The following is the calculation of Mr D'Homergue.* 



An acre contains 45.537 square feet. 1500 mulberry 

 trees, six years old, will produce each 30 Ibs. of leaves, 

 which makes 45,000 Ibs. An acre will contain 1500 

 mulberry trees, planted at the distance of twelve square 

 feet from each other. This is in case it is wished to 

 grow corn or wheat in the intervals between the trees. 

 But if the ground is to be devoted to mulberry trees alone, 

 3000 trees may be planted on an acre at six square feet 

 distance, and these at six years old will produce 90,000 



* It is evi lent that Mr D'Homergue does not mean the 

 one. 



