24S [Senate 



—were procured in Northampton, Mass. These hatched ©n the way ] 

 and for the want of mulberry leaves the worms were fed a day or two 

 on lettuce. Subsequently they were tended and treated in the same 

 manner as the previous crop. During their fourth and fifth ages, a 

 large portion of thein became diseased with the yellows ; and this effort 

 proved almost a total faikire. The very few worms, howeverj which 

 came to maturity produced cocoons of an excellent quality. With ar> 

 ardor stimulated by an unabated sohcitude for the character of the bu- 

 siness, I resolved on making another experiment, which may justly be 

 considered my only fair trial, and the only one entitled to influence in 

 determining on the practicability and future prospects of the enterprise, 

 I procured an ounce and a half of eggs of the common peanut vari- 

 ety, and commenced feeding on the 15th of August. By means of 

 artificial heat in my open building, I strove to keep the temperature of 

 the cocoonery above 68 degrees; in several inatances, however, without 

 success. Several times the thermometer fell down to 60. I fed regu- 

 larly seven or eight times per day, once in from two to three hours, and 

 never permitting more than five or six hours at most to elapse betweer* 

 feedings, even during the night. Through the first four ages the 

 worms were fed with cut leaves, subsequently with branches. 



With the assistance of my lady 1 did the whole work of the cocoo- 

 neiy and everything appertaining to the feeding, excepting only the 

 gathering of leaves after the third moulting, the expense of which 

 amounted to about five dollars. In twenty-four days from the firsi 

 hatching the worms began to form their cocoons. Ai this juncture the 

 weather, which had been very favorable, became suddenly cold, so much 

 so, that 1 was unable to keep the temperature much above 60^ in parts 

 of the cocoonery remote from the stove, without doing injury to the 

 worms in closer proximity. The cold state of the temperature at this 

 critical period, in my opinion, not only retarded the progress of their 

 spinning, but, in a greater or less degree, tended to diminish the amount 

 and value of their products. This, however, is only my own indivi- 

 dual opinion, of which I should not be very tenacious against the longer 

 and more accurate experiments of others. However, in this instance, 

 the worms kept near the stove in a high and more uniform temperature 

 evidently produced the larger and better cocoons. Still, very few worms 

 were sickly, and the product of this crop of worms amounted to ten 

 bushels, or 133 pounds of good cocoons. 



The great haste in which I write compels me to close with a very 

 few detached general remarks. I am constrained to believe that the 

 unhealthfulness of the worms mentioned in the foregoing narrative is 

 justly attributable to the manner of hatching and the want of experi- 

 ence in tending. 



With good eggs and plenty of room, and other conveniences, I 

 should now undertake to raise a healthy crop of worms with as much 

 confidence of success as I should a corresponding number of any 

 animals whatever. Cleanliness seems to me indispensable to the 

 healthfulness of worms. I am also disposed to attach great impor- 

 tance to regularity of feeding, more even than to frequency. My 

 present partialities, too, are decidedly favorable to a uniformity of 

 temperature, with a good supply of ventilation — a temperature at 



