238 [Senate 



Ebsnezeb. Wood, Jefferson^ Ashtabula Co.^ Ohio. — I have fed 

 worms for five years. Commenced with a few hundred with no ex- 

 perience, no knowledge but reading — gradually learning and in- 

 creasing a liule, till we have fed about fifty thousand. Made many 

 mistakes at first, both in feeding and reeling, but think we can man- 

 age the whole business now as well as any farm crop. First year 

 made a few good cocoons, but lost the silk — bad reeling. Second 

 year made some good cocoons — reeled badly on a common reel — 

 made into sewing silk — sold for $7. Third year made what we sold 

 for $20 — a good article. Fourth year did a little more. Last or 

 fifth year made 7 J lbs. reeled silk. Said by judges to be a very good 

 article. 



Fed in an out-building, well-ventilated, used no fire, but think the 

 rooms should be warmed in cold mornings or days. Some of my 

 children put a few worms on the mulberries out in the field — about 

 ten days after this called me to see how they had grown» I was 

 astonished to see the difference between them and those in the build- 

 ing. I immediately put out som.e morej they did well for a few days, 

 till the birds took them. They were certainly three times as large^ 

 We feed leaves, wet or dry, according to circumstances. I think it 

 does not harm the worms to eat wet leaves, but it may sicken them 

 to be fed witti wet leaves in a long spell of wet weather. To explain 

 myself — It is well known that a rich country, abounding in vegeta- 

 ble matter in a state of decay, generates poisonous gases, and of 

 course poisons the atmosphere and causes sickness. Wet leaves fed 

 for a length of time in damp weather, mixed with the excrement of 

 the worms, moulder and produce, with the breath of the worms 

 (which 1 presume is carbonic acid), a sickly atmosphere. The rooms 

 not being well ventilated at such times, causes death among the 

 worms. But fed when the litter dries immediately, and the room 

 well ventilated, I have no doubt areas healthy as when fed dry. [Ev- 

 ery way so. J. R. B.] In hot dry weather we wet our leaves to 

 keep them from wilting and drying up, and feed them wet of course. 

 I have given this hint about wet leaves, for I think it is a matter that 

 should be understood. 



I cannot say much about the different kinds of silk-worms, having 

 fed only sulphur variety. Fed from the multicaulis mulberry. Ven- 

 tilate and keep them clean. Think they have passed the meridian 

 of life at three or four years old, and will have to be replaced with 

 new ones. 1 know nothing about any other variety, not having used 

 any. 



Have fed neither early nor late. I will here just remark, that from 

 what experience we have had, I have no doubt that with good eggs, 

 worms well fed, well ventilated and well limed, we may be as sure 

 of a good crop of cocoons, as we are of any good farm crop well 

 managed. 



It is not to be expected that all will succeed equally well ; that is 

 not the case in any business. There are many causes of failure. 

 Some will succeed, some will not. But I see I arn giving opinion 

 and not facts, and I close. 



