No. 124. { 207 



Summer before last I had given to me 40 young silk-worms. From 

 the eggs procured in this way, I had last summer between 5 and 600 

 worms, which 1 fed mostly on the wliite mulberry; I lo.<t but few by 

 disease. They were fed five times a day, and the litter was removed 

 every other day by taking them in the hand and placing tliem on fresh 

 leaves. At 30 days of age they began to spin. There was much ir- 

 regularity in the time of winding. From my 600 worms I raised 5 

 pints of cocoons which 1 sent to Mr. Hewing, of Foxborough, Mass. 

 The product was 18 skeins of sewing silk. Of the expense I can say 

 nothing, but 1 derived a great deal of pleasure from the care of my 

 beautiful spinners. 



Dr. Joel Barber, Orwell, Rutland county, Vt. — I have fed a 

 few worms each year for the last five years. I have kept my worms in 

 my chamber, without any attention to temperature, except closing the 

 windows in damp and cold weather. My worms have been invariably 

 healthy. I think the bounty in this State will pay the expense of feed- 

 ing. We have manufactured our cocoons into sewing silk and twist, 

 with a common reel and wheel. The silk, for beauty and strength, is 

 equal to Italian. 



Last spring I laid down several thousand trees, with a view of do- 

 ing business on a larger scale. The Alpine, Broosa and Italian varie- 

 ties flourish in this State. The multicaulis cannot be got forward in 

 season to get a crop so early. I put out my eggs to hatch as soon as 

 the trees begin to leaf out. The business is increasing in this vicinity. 

 Israel Smith, Esq., of this town, has seven acres covered with beautiful 

 trees. He has commenced feeding this season with good success. 

 Others have raised from 5 to 100 lbs. cocoons — confidence in the suc- 

 cess of the business is increasing from year to year. 



Clinton S. Fay Hate of the N. Y. Deaf and Dumb Institute,) 

 Salem Cross Roads, Chat. Co., JV. Y. — I thank you for the Annual 

 Report of the New-England Silk Convention, that you sent me last 

 spring. I have been engaged for eight years in the business of grow- 

 ing silk. I commence feeding forms in the early part of the season. 

 I have used no artificial heat; kept them in an out-house, where they 

 had plenty of fresh air, and they were healthy. I fed a few thou- 

 sand worms on the raorus multicaulis, and some on the white mul- 

 berry, at the same time taking care that the leaves should not be mix- 

 ed together. Those fed on the white mulberry were large and 

 healthy, measuring most of them 3^ inches in length, when full 

 grown, and make good cocoons ; while those fed on the morus mul- 

 ticaulis were of an inferior size, making lighter cocoons than those 

 fed on the white mulberry, weighed 2h pounds, while the same num- 

 ber made by those fed on the morus multicaulis only two pounds. 

 I think that the white mulberry is the best ; there is more substance 

 in the leaves than in the raorus multicaulisc [Our friend does not 



