342 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



No. 6 



alleys of two feet four inches for those who alteml 

 the worms to |)ass. i Ihcii bore holes in the 

 scantling, with a half-inch auger, twelve indies 

 apart so as to have six hurdles, one rising above 

 the other. Ropes are then ilrawn through these 

 holes, upon which hght and moveable hurdles, 

 three feet long and two wide, rest. 



As these ropes are supported by timber at in- 

 tervals of six feet, they may be drawn through a 

 cocoonery 100 feet long, and yet be kept sufficient- 

 ly steady. I use ropes in preference to timber, 

 because every scjuare inch added to the vacuum 

 in a cocoonery is of importance. My hurdles are 

 made of common pine laths an inch and a half 

 wide and three-eitrliths of an inch thick. Two of 

 these laths are laid down two lt;et apart, and then 

 three cross pieces, two feet long, are nailed to 

 them with small wrought nails, one at each end, 

 and one in the middle. On this frame strong 

 brown paper, such as is used in hardware stores, 

 is pasted. You then have an elevated surface, 

 60 that the air can pass freely over the worms. 



Oak bushes with the leaves on, 1 consider the 

 best accommodations for the worms to wind on. 

 These bushes should be gathered about a week 

 before they are to be used, and spread in the 

 shade in order that the leaves may become some- 

 what curled. Whenever a considerable number of 

 worms manifest the disposition to spin, all of that 

 particular age in the cocoonery, should be speedi- 

 ly placed on clean hurdles and arranged near to- 

 gether. Oak bushes should then be placed on 

 the right and left, resting on the hurdles and tied 

 to the upright timbers. The worms usually go to 

 the edge of the hurdle and crawl along, frequent- 

 ly throwing np their heads, in search of something 

 to climb on. JJy this arrangement, you will see 

 that whether they move to the right or left, they 

 are almost sure to come in contact with the bush. 

 Other bushes must be placed along on one side as 

 they are wanted, one end resting on the hurdle, 

 and the other tied to the rope or timber im.medi- 

 ately above. One side must of course be left open 

 to distribute leaves to such of the worms aa are 

 still inclined to eat. 



At the expiration of six or seven days, all the 

 worms in this division that have not risen, must 

 be taken away and accommodated on other hur- 

 dles, and three days thereafter the hurdles may be 

 taken down and the cocoons gathered. The oak 

 leaves do not crumble and the cocoons come out 

 clean and in very good condition. 



Before spinning, the worms void all excremen- 

 tilious matter; and (lequently before this is done, 

 they climb up and assume the position for spin- 

 ning. Under these circumstances the oak bushes 

 are admirable to protect the cocoons already form- 

 ed below. The precocious as well as the tardy 

 worms are generally feeble, and must iiave their 

 accommodations furnished them so that they may 

 have but little climl»iiig to do, and indeed whene- 

 ver any of the worms are found wandering in 

 search of a position for spinning, they must be 

 taken and placed on the hurdles, and then left to do 

 as they are inclined. 



The attendant should be at the cocoonery very 

 early every morning to attend particularly to these 

 wanderers because at that lime their number will 

 be greatest. 



Before a general disposition lo spin is manifest- 

 ed, it is a good plan to have a bush at hand to ac- 



commodate the precocious spinners, until a sys- 

 tematic arrangement can conveniently be made. 



You perceive that net- work has no place in my 

 catalogue of fixtures. 'J'he reason may be found 

 in the Ibllowmg experiments: In the summer of 



1837 1 prepared a net-work iiame, three li^et long, 

 and two wide; at one end of this frame I placed 

 an oak bush, at the other 500 silk-worms ready to 

 spin. Of these, 499 passed across the net-work 

 and formed their cocoons in the oak bush. In 



1838 I altered this frame, giving it, as I supposed, 

 a more convenient form. Again a bush was 

 placed at one end, and 500 silk-worms at the other; 

 and of these 498 formed their cocoons in the bush. 

 I consider these experiments as showing conclu- 

 sively that the silk-worms have no inclination to 

 be on net- work, and iherelbre, I have declined 

 the use of such hurdles. 



Resjjectfully yours, 



Layton Y. Atkins. 



P. S. I have anssvvered your queries as fully 

 as is desirable, and if yon are inclined to publish 

 the suggestions you can do so. 



My silk-worms have not yet commenced spin- 

 ning, but they appear to be doing very well. A lew 

 days before spinning, however, is generally the 

 critical period, as to the breaking out of diseases. 



I will venture to remind you of G. B. Smith's 

 caution against "over-cropping," as new begin- 

 ners are in danger of suffering by it. lie says 

 that we should be sure of having nearly double as 

 much foliage as would sustain the worms brought 

 out. Last year a gentleman at Washington lost 

 his worms in this way. 



Another injury which results from "over-crop- 

 ping" is stripping of the trees too closely the first 

 season ; it has a very bad etiect on the after- 

 growth of the trees. The moras multicaulis is a 

 very hardy tree; it is, nevertheless, governed as 

 to its growth by the same laws which operate on 

 other trees, and may be injured by excessive defo- 

 liation. The leaves should be taken cautiously 

 while the stalks are green and succulent, indeed 

 I should not venture to take any leaves earlier than 

 20th June, and then very sparingly. In order to 

 be ready ior early feeding, the tops must be left 

 on the trees. I am aware that Dr. Slebbins and 

 some others have said you may begin to take the 

 leaves when the plants are one foot high, and that 

 the trees are not injured by it. Dr. Slebbins also 

 recommended that silk-worm eggs be put in bot- 

 tles hermetically sealed, and placed in ice-houses. 

 Those who followed his advice brought out their 

 eggs and exposed them for hatching, but no 

 worms made their appearance. 



L. Y. a. 



3IETH0D OF CAUSING CABBAGES TO HEAD 

 DURING THE WINTER. 



From the Maine Farmer. 



In the fall of the year when it is time to gather 

 cabbages, we always find more or less of them that 

 have nut formed any heads. They may have 

 grown well and have a large stock of leaves, but 

 have not closed up in the form necessary to make 

 a good, solid, compact cabbage. 



William Vance, Esq. of Readfield, has practis- 

 ed for many years the following method, which 

 eH'eclually closes these loose leaves in the course 



