1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



315 



The old litter accumulated on the paste-board 

 trays since first moulting and removal, and now 

 an inch or more thick, is to day damp enough to 

 be pliant, instead of being crisp with dryness, as 

 heretofore. This is the effect of damp weather sole- 

 ly, and not at all of the excrement of the worms, 

 which is always firm, and seems scarcely moist 

 at first, and not at all so after a few niinutes. 

 The great difference between the present damp 

 and previous dry stale of the litter is a striking 

 illustration of the prodigious difference in results 

 between rearing silk-worms in climates varying 

 even but a little in their different degrees of dry° 

 ness. 



May 2nd.— 16th day, and 3rd of third age. 



Morning 2 P. M. 9 P. M. 

 Temperature, ext, 64 801 69 



" int. 72 78' 76 



Very hot. In the evening, a tremendous storm 

 of wind and rain, with thunder and lightning. 



May 3rd.— -17th day, and 4th of third age. j 

 Morning 2 o'clock 10.30 P. M. 



Temperature, ext. 64 74 54i 



" int. 721 7i| 68| 



Clear until 6 P. M. then cloudy, and a change to 

 cold. Windy generally of late. The litter of No. 1 

 of experiment lot, (and still more of the older 

 worms,) damp and mouldy, and must be injurious 

 to the worms, besides their being greatly crowd- 

 ed. They should have been transferred before 

 this; but I had been expecting to have suitable 

 shelves erected, which will be, at last, ready to 

 put up to-morrow. By 8 P.M. the worms of 

 this lot generally torpid, and a lew have already 

 moulted for the fourth time. No food given them 

 after 4 P.M. 



May 4th.— 18th day, and 5th of third age. 



Morning 8.30 A. M. 2 P. M. 9 P. M. 



Temp. ext. 43 J 49^ 92 48 



" int. 69 56"&53 60i 60 



Clear. Atsunrise the worms of all the lots numb 

 and motionless with cold. Not one in a thou- 

 sand crawling. Yet the older lots (of 13th and 

 14th,) revived from their 4th dormant state, eat 

 with keen appetite last night. Of course no food 

 required, or given to any, this morning. 



Between 7 and 10 P. M. put up in the room 

 four shelves, 12 feet long and 3 wide, two covered 

 with smooth paste-boards, slightly tacked on, and 

 two with cotton cloth tightly stretched over the 

 frame-work. 



of them eat a little; and by 10 A.M. all of them 

 were again still, as if commencing their last tor- 

 pid state, which the cold spell had interrupted and 

 delayed. Scarcely any food eaten by No. 1 of the 

 experiment lot from 4 P. M. on the 3d, to 7 A. M. 

 on 4th. Those of No. 2, have been lees crowded 

 latterly and are evidently in best condition. These 

 were not fed at all during this lime, and were first 

 fed this morning. 



Largest worms of the experiment lot now an 

 inch and a quarter in length. 



Removed last of No. 1 to the clean shelf. The 

 old litter left was damp and mouldy. At 9 P. M. 

 nearly all of them had moulted. Of No. 2, very 

 few yet moulted, and all Ihe others still torpid. 

 This shows the advantage of separating every 

 lot, as soon ae it revives, into two parts, the early 

 and the latter. This separation is easily and conve- 

 niently effected by means of the "net hurdles. 

 These, however, have been received so late, that 

 very little use can be made of them. 



May 6th.— 20th day, and 1st day of fourth age. 

 Morning 2P.M. 9 P.M. 



Temperature, ext. 51 76 57 » 



" int. 66 70 70 



Worms of No. 1, well revived. Feeding of 

 No. 2 (of same lot) delayed until 10 A. M. to 

 transfer them, which was too soon, as not more 

 than a fourth rose to eat. 



At 8.30 A. M., while the window was open to i^^ ^^ \ ^l' °"^ °/ ^''T ^'^^ f * ^ ""^'y '^'^'^' ^^ 

 draw in the shelves, the temperature of the room .^""i^ ""T k "° '" observed to be torpid. At 

 fell to 53. It had been 56 before opening the k /^*r o^her began to eat, and both with appetite, 



May 7lh.— 21st day, and 2nd of fourth age. 



Morning' 2 P.M. 5.40P.M. 10P.M. 



Temp. ext. 49 85 81 64 



" int. 631 75 78 76 



Clear. Appetite of experiment lot strong. Their 

 greatest length, U inches, or a little more. No, 

 2, (placed on upp'er shelf,) the greater part of 

 them being yet on the old litter not changed since 

 first moulting. These on a paste- board tray. 



An experiment has shown me that the sleep, 

 or torpid state, of Ihe worms is much longer 

 than was supposed. For more particular observa- 

 tion, two worms, of the hatching of the 16th, which 

 seemed to be very equal, were put in a box to 

 themselves, where they were supplied well with 

 food, and of course had abundance of epace. 

 This was on the 4th, when they were approaching 

 their fourth moulting. They eat but little on that 

 forenoon, and at 2 P. M. on the same day, it was 

 observed that they had all become torpid. At 

 sunrise on the 7th, observed that both of them 

 had moulted in the course of the previous ni^ht. 

 ' ■ 10 A. M. one of them first eat a very little" 66 



irs after being first observed to be torpid. At 



window. 



The worms continued too cold to eat when fed 

 at 10, A. M. as soon as the new shelves were rea- 

 dy to receive them. As it was espential to re- 

 move them from their present damp and ferment- i 1 1 i- - I . , ^ '^ 

 ing beds, as soon as possible, about two-thirds of] "'Pf^^'; "^^'Jy ""'. H^iite three days and 

 No. 1. were lifted by hand. The balance left un- ,"'-''«.' "^^^'^^ without injury, but greatly to the 



but still very lightly, 70 hours after becoming tor- 

 pid, and at least 7 hours (it may be 15,) after 

 moulting. If all worms, in the best condition, 

 would be like this, and those kept together were 

 precisely equally advanced, all feeding might be 



by 

 til they will rise to food 

 May 5th.— 19th day, and 6th of third age. 



Morning 2 P.M. 9 P.M. 

 Temperature, ext. 43 76| 64k 



'•' int. 54 67J 71" 



Clear. Some worms showing more motion 



benefit of the worms. These two worms began 

 to spin on the 15th of May, which was their 2'9th 

 day. Ii would be of great use, and afford much 

 instruction to a beginner, to put aside, from the first, 

 two or three worms of each day's hatching, keep- 

 ing each one separately, and noting the progress 



o and changes of each. Being always in the best 



tnan was expected in so cold a morning. At 8 I condition as to food and space, and in condition 

 A.M. gave a light meal to No. 1., of which most jsiiKJIar to the great body of worms as to tempera- 



