222 [Senatr 



I know the labors of those engaged in it have been crowned with suc- 

 cess. My late crops of worms were not as healthy and did not pro- 

 duce as many cocoons by one-third as those fed early in the season. 

 I am of opinion that in all cases where the hatching of the egg is 

 retarded much beyond the natural time (the expanding of the mul- 

 berry foliage,) it affects the health of the worm. 



The building used as a cocoonery was formerly a dairy house, 24 

 by 18 feet, lathed and plastered, with four windows and a door open- 

 ino- to the north. Have fed the sulphur and salmon colored peanut 

 worms — prefer the last variety. Have about a quarter of an acre of 

 multicaulis of three years growth. The first autumn a part of the 

 trees were taken up and buried in the ground, and a part leit stand- 

 ing. Since which they have all been left during the winter. And 

 the trees which were not taken up the first winter, are now larger 

 and produce more foliage than those which were. 



The corn cultivator and hoe are used in cultivating them. I am 

 inclined to think the cause of failure in many, perhaps toost cases, 

 where the multicaulis is used for feeding, arises from using leaves 

 that have not sufficient growth or thickness and are not ripe. The 

 vouno- and under leaves have not sufficient nutriment, or in other 

 words, not sufficient material to produce silk. The worm fed on 

 such leaves passes through its various and wondrous changes, lives 

 the time prescribed by nature for its existence, then either stretches 

 itself out and dies, or winds a thin indifferent cocoon, because it has 

 not silk enough to wind a better. This also, is the opinion of many 

 others with whom I have conversed on the subject. 



I was induced to commence feeding silk-worms, as an employment 

 better suited to my strength, than taking care of a dairy. It also 

 afforded a })rospect of future useful and profitable employment for a 

 family of small children. 



Should the information I have communicated, assist in any degree 

 the important object you have in view, I shall feel very much grati- 

 fied in having writttn it. 



Wm. DoolittlEj Perryville, Madison Co., JV. Y. — I have fed 

 worms for three years. The first year fed some for a neighbor on 

 what we call the lowlands, where the fog from Oneida lake continues 

 in the morning till seven or eight o'clock. Raised about two bushels 

 of cocoons — ought to have had many more — attribute the failure to 

 the eggs commencing hatching in the cellar, and to cold, damp morn- 

 ings, occasioned by the fog, &c. From these cocoons I saved some 

 of the best for seed, and succeeded, the second year, in raising75 lbs. 

 of very good cocoons of the Nankin peanut variety. Saved for seed, 

 such as were perfect cocoons, but not the hardest and best (having been 

 informed that they were equally good), and the result has been this 

 year an inferior quality of cocoons. My first lot this year wassmall, 

 the second were killed, mostly, by changing the feed from multicau- 

 lis to black mulberry. Our multicaulis was much injured by a 

 storm of hail (literally torn in pieces), and I was compelled to use 



