1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



317 



and speedily, for want of food, a wagon arrived 

 with white mulberry leaves in bags, brought from 

 my farm 16 miles distant. They had been gath- 

 ered the preceeding afternoon, and were ordered 

 to be here by 10 af night ; but the extreme dark- 

 ness of the night compelled a stop on the road, by 

 which the leaves were kept in the bags 7 hours 

 longer than was expected. They had become 

 hot, in every bag; and a thermometer put into the 

 leaves from the middle of one of the bat^s. taken 

 at hazard, as soon as emptied, rose to 105 degrees. 

 The leaves were immediately spread on cellar 

 (earthen) floors. This supply was all-important 

 to the worms ; and throughout the day, the sus- 

 tained voracity with which they devoured was as- 

 tonishing. The slow remnants of several lots, 

 had not yet revived from their Iburth torpid state. 



To my surprise, a few worms of the earliest 

 hatching, began to spin this forenoon, it being 

 their 30th day. 



Morning drizzly, and at 9 P. M. another very 

 heavy rain, with thunder and lightning. The 

 last meal at night double as heavy as any before, 

 and given to all the worms — the most backward 

 lot havintj then well revived. 



May 14lh.— 28th day, and 5th of fifth age. 



Morning 2 P. M. 11 P. M. 



Temperature, ext. 59 72 60 



" int. 70 69 70 



Morning cloudy ; by 7 A. M. cleared up, and a 

 fine day afterwards. Appetite of experiment lot 

 in general somewhat abated, and a few of them 

 began to spin — and many of the older worms of 

 other lots. But none are yet disposed to climb 

 well, though provided with the twine Indders, as 

 directed at page 248 of last number of Farmers' 

 Register. Supposed (at first) the cause to be 

 that the earliest spinners were premature, from 

 some injurj', or privation, though not otherwise 

 made manifest; ibr all have suffered so much by 

 the prevalence of cold '.hroughout, and other dis- 

 advantages, that the time ofspinningwas expect- 

 ed to be later then these beginnings, by five days 

 at least. They have actually begun three days 

 earlier than according to Dandolo's rules, when 

 supposed to be under the most perfect and suita- 

 ble artificial temperature, and best treatment. 



Lest there should be any want of Ibod in the 

 present critical state of the worms, and when they 

 are expected to cease eating very soon, and that 

 t^iey might select the freshest, the leaves were 

 given very frequently and lavishly. 



May 15th.— 29th day, and 6lh of fifth age. 



Morning 2 P. M. 5 P. ]\I. 11 P. M. 



Temp. ext. 57 85 85 68 



" int. 67 80 82 78 



Fine bright day — windy, and dry air. Con- 

 trary to expectation, the appetite of the experiment 

 lot, instead of abating, is increased. This is 

 doubtless owing to the increased warmth and dry- 

 ness of the air. Until the latter part of yesterday, 

 the weather could scarcely have been worse than 

 it has continued from the 9th inst. to 14ih inclu- 

 sive — and this at the most critical age and condi- 

 tion of the worms, when they suffer particularly 

 from every privation, and when no time is left to 

 repair, by better subsequent care, any damage 

 then sustained. 



This is the only day since the feeding commen- 

 ced which has not been much too cold, wholly or 

 in part. 



The food used, up to this eveninff, is still entire- 

 ly of the leaves Gathered on the 12th, and brought 

 16 miles, and now more than three days old. They 

 were, when the last were used, at 5 P. M. nearly 

 or quite as dry as grass half cured for hay ; yet 

 they were still eaten greedily by the worms, though 

 no doubt fresh leaves would have been better re- 

 lished and also healthier food. Those left, after 

 the meal given at 5 P. M. were quite too dry to- 

 be given, and there was no other supply then on 

 hand tor later leedinG. However, a supply fortu- 

 nately arrived by 10 P. M. in bags partly warm 

 with fermentation, and a good meal was given, 

 which seemed to invite redoubled appetite. 



All the worms have grown much since yester- 

 day. The largest of the experiment lot are now 

 2j| inches long, and can stretch out to 3 inches. 

 But lew of them yet have begun to spin, except 

 of No 2, and part"of No 1, previously the most 

 backward, which tvere on the highest shelf; and 

 these also climbed the best, though still far from 

 well. The cause of this more rapid progress 

 was afterwards discovered in the fact that the 

 temperature of the atmosphere above the upper 

 shelf was usually 2 degrees higher than that be- 

 low the lowest, though the perpendicular distance 

 is but about 5 leet. This difference was observed 

 both when the room was closed, and when opened, 

 and the air passing through freely. The other 

 worms of No 1 were now, divided between a 

 hurdle on the lowest and another on one of the 

 central shelves. The position of the thermometer, 

 by which the interiortemperature has been marked, 

 is nearly midway between the extremes of eleva- 

 tion. If so great a difierence had been known of 

 early, it would have afforded easy means Ibr equal- 

 izing and bringing together worms of the most re- 

 mote states of advancement and growth. 



For the last three days, the leaves have been- 

 so heaped on, and so large a proportion left uncon- 

 sumed, that 1 fear they will ferment, if the worms 

 do not hasten their climbing, and fini.fch much 

 sooner than now seems at all probable. The many 

 shoots and twigs intermixed, also, are found hurt- 

 ful; as they induce the worms to spin upon them, 

 and among the litter. 



May 16th.— -30th day, and 7th of fifth aire. 



Morning 11 A.M. 2 P.M. 9 P.M. 



Temp. ext. 59 84 86 60 



" int. 721 77 81 88 



Clear, and a warm day. Though the fresh 

 food was laid on last night, to 11 o'clock, very 

 heavil)', before morning it was all devoured. Fed 

 as usual at 5, and then not again, (by inadvertent 

 omission,) until 11 A. M., which was a very im- 

 proper and probably hurtful privation, 



The worms of the hatching of April 16th seem 

 now to have generally reached lull size, (more 

 than 3 inches long,) and yet hut few have begun 

 to spin. Judging by the oldest (of the 13tl),) which, 

 as fore-runners, have been very useful to my obser- 

 vations on the experiment lot, it seems that nearly 

 all, if left to themselves, would spin among the 

 litter. Fn regard to their climbing to spin, 1 ex- 

 pected difficulty ; and 1 now tear in it utter failure. 



May 17th.— 31st day, and 8ih of fifth age. 



Morning 2 P. M. 9 P. M. 

 Temperature, ext. 62 86 67i 



" int. 73 80 78^ 



The disposition to climb seems rather to have 



