1889] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



00 



ounces of eggs, the design was to reduce them 

 aderwards to tlie product of 5 ounces, by getting 

 rid, at each moulting, of" tiie worms in bad condi- 

 tion and of doubtlul health. It was believed that 

 there would be leaves (or no more. To-daj^, after 

 an examination of resources, and of the fine ap- 

 pearance of the mulberry trees, it was decided to 

 throw awa}' none of the worms. 



Third Age. — June 1st. The worms com- 

 menced their third age, and were changed to the 

 large laboratory in two hours of time. In this 

 new locality, at noon, the temperature was 73 de- 

 grees without fire. This first day, three repasts 

 only were given. 



2d. The weather is very fine, and the interior 

 heat was 75 degrees at half after 7 o'clock in the 

 morning. At 4 in the evening a storm occurred 

 which has very much lowered the temperature. 



3rd. At 5 o'clock in the morning, the ther- 

 mometer indicated only 59 degrees. The worms 

 then have experienced, within 24 hours a diminu- 

 tion of 16 degrees. It was observed that they 

 seemed a little benumbed, and that they ate the 

 leaves but slovvly. Many fires have been light- 

 ed, and notwithstanding, at 5 o'clock in the even- 

 ing, the thermometer has lowered still 2| degrees 

 more. Raining all the day. The leaves had 

 been gathered wet, but they had not been given 

 until after being dried upon the floor of a liigh 

 stage, in a brisk current of air. Notwithstanding 

 all these evils, the worms appeared lively enough 

 at the last meal, at 9 o'clock at night. 



4th. At 5, A. M., the outer air was cold, and 

 the thermometer indicated 55 degrees in the labo- 

 ratory. The fires have been quickened, and the 

 temperature was raised, in two hours, to 62 de- 

 grees. The evening was milder. The worms 

 are well, and eat wonderfully. 



5th and 6th. The weather fine, and the ther- 

 mometer at 66 to 68 degrees durinjjcthe 24 hours. 

 The worms doing as well as is possible. 



7ih. Rain all the day. The leaves gathered 

 wet, but dried around a fire. The moulting, 

 which ought to have taken place yesterday, is re- 

 tarded by the humidity of the weather. The 

 Avorms are becoming torpid but slowly ; yet they 

 have had all the day from (-6 to 68 degrees of 

 heat, by aid of continual fires. 



8lh. The weather fine enough, although the 

 sky has been obscured part of the day. Almost 

 no fire, and yet the temperature all day has been 

 from 66 to 68 degrees. The worms seem to be 

 all in their dormant state ; still, every two hours a 

 little cut leaves given. It was observed at the 

 time of this moulting, as in the preceding years, 

 that there were a few worms which did not become 

 torpid, and wliich wandered over the leaves, with- 

 out eating. Three hundred of these worms have 

 been put, for experiment, upon a little shelf to 

 themselves. Perhaps some curious observations 

 may possibly be made on them. 



9th. The weather very fine, and the worms 

 in the best state of healUi. At 5, P. M. they are 

 almost all awakened. Tlie temperature, without 

 fire, has been con>tanlly fiom 68 to 71 degrees. 



The third arre then has lasted nine days, and 

 has been sufficiently remarkable lor the incon- 

 stancy of the weather, and still more for the vari- 

 ations of temperature of the laboratory. The 

 moulting, however, has been very good, and the 

 worms do not appear to have sustained any other 



damage than being one or two days retarded in 

 their progress to maturity. 



Fourth Age. — June 10th. At 10, A. M., 

 the worms have commenced their fourth age. 

 They have had two meals, without counting in 

 the leaves of the twigs by which they were lilted 

 from the litter. The weather superb. The ther- 

 mometer has risen in the day to 77 degrees, and 

 has not been under 68, without fires. Never was 

 lliere a better promise of success. 



llih. Wind from the south, very strong. Still 

 68 to 71 degrees of heat. The worms increase in 

 size visibly, and still go on well. 



12th. The thermometer had sunk in the night 

 to 62 degrees. The wind is very cold. The fire 

 in the chimney has been lighted. To-day too 

 many leaves have been given ; the worms have 

 not eaten all. Orders are given to clean it away, 

 and to supply food less abundantl}^ 



13th. The worms eat heartily, and are growing 

 fiist. The temperature 64 degrees with fire, in 

 the morning; and from noon, 66 to 68 degrees 

 without fire. 



14th. Rainy weather all the day. The 

 leaves have been gathered part wet and part dry. 

 There was need of fire to keep the temperature 

 up to 64 degrees. 



15th. In the morning 62 degrees, and at noon 

 66. Weather gloomy. The state of the worms 

 shows that they aie about to make their last moul- 

 ting. 



16th. Almost all the worms assumed their dor- 

 mant state in the course of this day. The warm 

 and clear weather favors their sleep. At 11 at 

 night, a violent storm arose, with loud thunder. 



17th. The worms revive, all together. The 

 sky is clear, the air hoi and heavy in the labora- 

 tory. Notwithstanding the opening of the win- 

 dows, and of a large ventilator, (soiipirail,') the 

 heat could not be reduced below 75 degrees. Up 

 to this time there has been no unpleasant scent ; 

 persons unaccustomed to the air of a laboratory, 

 have not been able to discover any other odor than 

 ihat spread by the green leaves of the mulberry. 



The fourth age has been finished, and perfectly, 

 in 8 days. The worms entered and revived from 

 ttieir last moulting very equally. At this moult- 

 ing, there were fewer wandering worms, by half, 

 and these were taken out and thrown away imme- 

 diately. To this time, the rearing of this year 

 presents much less of loss than in any of the pre- 

 cedingyears. The season has been very favorable. 



Fifth and i.ast agk.— June 18th. All the 

 operations of changing the worms to fresh hur- 

 dles have been completed with rapidity, in a fine 

 day and with a natural temperature of 73 degrees. 

 Tliey have seized on the young branches of mul- 

 berry with the greatest eagerness. 



19th. In the morning, the temperature was at 

 66 degrees, at noon 71, and at 3 P. M., 75 de- 

 grees. The worms have had to-day four meals 

 and have eaten 8 quintals* of leaves. 



20lh. Cloudy ; 71 degrees. The appetite of 

 the worms augments, and the consumption (of all 

 of the three divisions; lias risen to 10 quintals. 

 The rearing goes on well. 



21st. Weather cold and gloomy. Tempera- 

 ture 62 degrees. The fires have been lighted, 

 and have increased the warmth to 66 c'egrees. 



The Paris quiatal is 100 lbs. 



