72 SILK GROWER'S GUIDE. 



Something also depends on the species or variety of 

 mulberry which is used. The Morus multicaulis hav- 

 ing no gross or coarse fibres, it is found that a less 

 quantity of food of this species, will suffice for the pre- 

 cious insects. 



SECTION XXV. 



LABOR AND ATTENDANCE. 



Mr. D'Hornergue has stated, that where the mulberry 

 trees are convenient, as they always should be, two wo- 

 men are sufficient to gather the leaves, and attend to 

 four ounces of eggs, making, at thirty-five thousand to 

 the ounce, one hundred and forty thousand, until the 

 fourth moulting, when more will be necessary, especially 

 in the last ten days. Mr. Duponceau, says Mr. Cobb, 

 raised in the city of Philadelphia, seven ounces of eggs 

 with the labor of two persons, and those not fully em- 

 ployed except the last ten days; and some occasional 

 help, who were employed to bring the leaves from the 

 country two miles distant. Mr. Smith, a gentleman 

 who has paid much attention to the subject, and one on 

 whom we may rely, has assured us, that the labor re- 

 quired to attend one million silk-worms would be, in 

 the first week, two persons ; for the second, four ; for 

 the third, eight; for the remaining two, fifteen to twenty. 

 Most of these may be boys, girls, or aged women. 



The gathering of seventy-five pounds of leaves is con- 

 sidered a day's work, for a child of from nine to twelve 

 years of age in Connecticut, where the trees are large. 

 But thrice this amount might be gathered, or even more 

 than four times, from Dwarf Mulberry tree plantations, 

 in their prime state; and especially hedges of the new 

 large leaved varieties, 



