EXTRACTS FOKEIGN AND DOMESTIC. 161 



silk enough to wind a better.'''' " 1 consider unslaked lime a power- 

 ful disinfector of disease among silkworms ; and very (I would 

 say absolutely) necessary to be used in warm weather." In an 

 other case, when the worms were dying by thousands, of the yel- 

 lows, they were put out ; and, says the informant, " I let it rain 

 on them two days and two nights ; let them chy, covered them with 

 lime, and they commenced eating." The use of lime in another 

 case is mentioned with success in staying the disease. The remark 

 is made in another communication : " Some of my worms this 

 season were wet by the rain leaking through the roof, but I could 

 not see that they were injured by it. Care was taken, however, 

 to dry their food in rainy weather as much as possible." Another 

 recommends that, if attacked by the yellows, they should be 

 placed in the open air. 



4. As respects the mode of feeding., there are several points 

 very clearly established ; that tlie practice of feeding in the open 

 air, or open feeding, (as it is termed,) early feeding, in contrast of 

 late feeding, and, in most climates, the 07ie crop system, axe import- 

 ant particulars to be regarded. The following remark is made in 

 a communication from Vermont : " And now I have come to the 

 conclusion that these three things are indispensably necessary for 

 the successful culture of silk : 1. Plenty of feed — it matters not 

 so much what kind, whether white or multicaulis ; 2. Plenty of 

 fresh air ; and last, though not least, cleanliness and plenty of 

 room. And with them there is no more difficulty in raising silk, 

 than there is in raising sheep or pigs." Another from the same 

 state says : " The worms were fed in an open building — so much 

 open, that the wind would frequently blow the leaves from the 

 shelves where the worms were feeding." The testimony on this 

 subject is almost universal. One says " I have found, on close 

 observation, that nothing imparls such vigor to the worms as a 

 good dry breeze of air. A most excellent authority, with refer- 

 ence to this subject, speaking of his own experience, says : " The 

 result of the whole is, in ray judgment, the more air the better ; 

 only guarding against sudden gusts of wind, that will disturb your 

 leaves or bushes. As to ordinary turns of cold weather in our 

 summer months, their eifect is to render the worms torpid. Of 

 course, they will not, in this state, eat and grow ; and there is loss 



Ef time in getting them through ; but this is the only loss to be 

 pprehended. Upon returning warmth, they revive and go on 

 ..'ith their wondrous labors, apparently uninjured by their tempo- 

 rary interruption." It is also said : " We think there is a decided 

 advantage in using finely-chopped leaves the first two or three 

 rt'eeks — the whole leaves appear to smother the worms." A cor- 

 espondent from Mississippi remarks : " This season I fed worms 

 .vith leaves well wetted with dew — so much so, that shaking them 

 n the floor would pretty well sprinkle it, which wee^eneraHv /■I'-', 



VOL. I. NO. 1. V 



