316 



FARxMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. S 



ture, these would be Icpt a little in advance of 

 the great number, and, being separately and care- 

 fully observed, their changes would serve well to 

 indicate every approaching change in the others. 

 It would have saved me from much more of doubt 

 and uncertainty, and have given me much useful 

 and precise information, if these two worms, in- 

 stead of at so late a period, had been separated 

 and observed from the day of their hatching. 



May 8th. — 22nd day, and 3rd of fourth age. 



Morning 2 P.M. 6.15 P.M. 10 P.M. 



Temp. ext. 61| 86 81 73 



" int. 73 81 81 79 



Clear. — Appetite of experiment lot much slack- 

 ened by noon, and at 6 P. M. more than half 

 .seemed to have begun their fourth sleep. The 

 last liffht feed given at 6 P. M. Largest size of 

 this lot 1^ inches. By 10, a number had moulted. 

 No. 2 fed throughout the day, being less advanced. 



(Some of 13(h already roused from their fourth 

 sleep, and those were transferred easily by means 

 of a net hurdle, and the lot was thus assorted into 

 two more equally advanced divisions. It also 

 served to thin them, which was much needed.) 



May 9th.— 23rd dav, and 4th of fourth asre. 



Morning. 3 P.M. 9 P.M. 



Temperature, ext. 67^ ^ not ) 66 

 '* int. 76 I observed ^ 73 



Cloudy, and light showers in the morning. Af- 

 ter 2, steady drizzle. Air very damp. At 10 

 A. M. supposing the worms cf No. 1 enough re- 

 vived to be tran.^rerred. I attempted it, by offering 

 them !bod on a net hurdle placed above. IJut lew 

 rose to eat, and not oi>e fourth of them by 7 P. JM. 

 when the hurdle was lilied and removed. Those 

 left, generally still, and no food given Ihem. 

 Those of No. 2 have required to bo fed through 

 the day, as befjre. 



May 10th.— 24th day, and 1st of fifth age. 



Morning. 2P.M. 9P.M. 



Temperature, ext. 64^ 54 47 



" int. 71 65 59| 



Steady rain all last night, which incrensed to-day 

 lo a storm of wind as well as rain. Fortunately, 

 in anticipation of this worse weather, a stock of 

 leaves had been gathered yesterday, though du- 

 rinsirain, which lasted until 1 P. M. to-day. 



Transferred of the best revived worms of No. 1 

 as many as would rise lo food. Balance, not fed, 

 nor needing it, until noon, it being 42 hours since 

 any leaves had been given to them. Then they 

 were transferred to clean shelves ; as also No 2, 

 and all the other lots — the whole being now on the 

 new shelve-. The litter from which soine of the 

 oldest worms (hatching of April 13th,) were now 

 removed, had not been cleaned or transferred since 

 first mouhing. These were on a large paste-board 

 tray, or siuillow box, in which litter always kept 

 much dryer than on the table. The observation 

 of this fact, some lime before, had induced me to 

 prefer cotton cloth to close board floors. On the 

 latter, a mass of damp lifter cannot dry at bottom; 

 on the cloth, it is exposed to air and is drying at 

 bottom as well as at fop. The particular tray of 

 litter left so long for trial, and just referred to, 

 when thrown out to-day, was generally green, dry, 

 except being pliant from the damp atmosphere, 

 and sweet in scent, like newly cured hay. One 

 spot only, in the middle, where it lay fvyo inches 

 thiek, it was mouldy. 



All the worms of the experiment lot, until their 

 being transferred and thinned after this last moult- 

 ing, were kept too much crowded ; and though, 

 if there had been no mode ol comparison, I should 

 have considered them as in first-rate condition, 

 there is sufficient evidence at hand that they might 

 have done much better. The worms hatched on 

 the 17th, were ft3wer in number than any other lot, 

 and therefore had more space than any. They 

 have received less attention, by fiir, than those 

 hatched on the 16fh ; yet the fi)rmer have become 

 as much advanced, are more regular in size, and 

 altogether are of finer appearance. These also 

 have until now, been lying on a table where most 

 exposed to the wind, which, though feared as 

 hurtful, probably helped them. 



Lately, while the weather v/as yet clear, I was 

 afraid of a failure of the supply of leaves, and this 

 horrible spell of cold and v/et weather makes the 

 prospect much worse. From one or both these 

 causes, there is now great danger of a total loss 

 of the silk-vvorms. No food given to any after 1 

 P. M., for want of dry leaves, except a very slight 

 meal at 9 P. M. Some had been gathered in 

 the rain, and were spread on net hurdles to day. 

 Luckily the youngest and latest moulted worms 

 have not yet acquired much appetite, and bear the 

 privation of food better than the older. 



May lllh, — 25th dav, and 2nd of fifth age. 



Morning 2 P. M. 9 P. M, 



Temperature, exf. 48.V 68| 51 



" int. 54^ 61 63 



Cloudy in the morning ; afterwards clear, and 

 strong wind. 



T!ie worms generally quiet, from cokl, and none 

 would eat until 11 A. M. when first fiieding was. 

 begun. Fed repeatedly afterwards, but they 

 eat very little compared even to yesterday — 

 though, but lor the weather, the appetite of all 

 the lots would have greatly increased. 



May 12.— 26th day, and 3rd of fifth age. 



Morning 2 P. M. 9 P. M. 



Temperature, exf. 40^^- 71 58 



" int. 57" 66 67 



Clear and windy. Worms scarcely moving in 

 the morning, and therefore not fed until 7 A. iVL; 

 then they began to eat heartily, though the tem- 

 perature continues so low. The largest worms 

 of the experiment lot now 2| inches long; but 

 sizes various, thereby showing evident injury sus- 

 tained from having been loo much crowded. Light 

 rain began again at 9 P. M. Stock of leaves ex- 

 hausted, and therefore no feeding as usual at 9. 

 This fiist must be very injurious in the present 

 state of the worms, and their appetite now grow- 

 ing hourly. 



May 13th— 27th day, and 4th of fifth age. 



Morning 2 P.M. 4.30 P.M. 9 P.M. 



Temp. exf. 58 73 76 70 



mt. 



61J 



74 



76 



77 



A day of rains — some mere April showers, but 

 others remarkably fheavy. After 12 o'clock, the 

 rains were separated by gleams of sunshine. The 

 airi excessively damp even inclose apartments; 

 and that of ihe eilk-worms, had the door kept 

 open, for better ventilation, and the air-hole, which 

 had been made by breaking out an upper pane of 

 glass, was scarcely more than half closed by a 

 piece of paper tied over the opening. 



At 5 A. M. when fearjng that all must be lost, 



