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ten by three feet, by cords, which I could let down and feed, then 

 raise and pass under. I attached a thin board to the under side, fed 

 with brush, when a sufficient quantity had been laid on to prevent 

 the worms from falling through, took off the board, taking care not 

 to swing the rack more than we could help. But upon receiving a 

 description of Gill's patent, I let down the rack and set it in motion 

 It swings nice, to the amusement of my neighbors, and to the great 

 comfort and joy of the little beings on the brush. I am satisfied the 

 cradle will do well, yet doubt the propriety of feeding in tents. My 

 worms do not eat well in wet, cold, and long storms ; do the best in 

 dry, warm weather, with pure air. In damp, foggy weather, I use 

 the stove, by which means the worms will eat double the amount of 

 leaves. Worms want a warm, dry, pure air ; still, tent feeding re- 

 mains to be tested in this climate. 



I have fed worms five seasons ; use the multicaulis ; have one- 

 third of an acre, now three years old -, head them down in the spring; 

 trees not injured by standing out winters ; have never failed essen- 

 tially in any part of the business, but have yet much to learn. 



H. A. Young, Silk dyer^ Detroit, Michigan. — I forward you the 

 little knowledge I have respecting silk raising in this State. I tried 

 the experiment three years ago ; fed the worms wath the w^hite mul- 

 berry, and met my expectations. There are some ten or twelve fa- 

 milies of my acquaintance who have this season raised several bush- 

 els cocoons, from the morus multicaulis, and other varieties, and fi om 

 what I can learn, it would become a source of wealth, if extensively 

 engaged in ; and to secure this, all that is wanted is a convenient 

 market. There are three silk weavers in this vicinity ; they do noth- 

 ing at it, for want of encouragement. I have seen a sample of this 

 season's reeled silk ; one of the above mentioned weavers pronounced 

 it a first rate article ; many fail in cleaning silk. All agree that it 

 is stout, but deficient in lustre. Here lies the mystery. Most peo- 

 ple clean the silk with soft soap j destroying the native gloss, in 

 freeing it of its gum, owing to the vegetable alkali the soap contains, 

 the silk being animal substance ; it will completely dissolve wool, if 

 applied strong enough, forming a soap of itself. Many dyers use 

 nothing but the best of white soap ; being made from mineral alkali, 

 soda acts gently on animal substances ; nor does it give that yellow 

 tinge the vegetable alkali produces. It is even necessary to bleach 

 silk for certain shades, to give them a clear bloom. About 25 lbs. 

 good white soap, dissolved in sufficient clear soft water, for 100 lbs. 

 silk ; put the silk loosely in their bags, boil gently, say 2J hours ; 

 cool and wash well, in a running stream ; beat occasionally, to free 

 it from all impurity ; this I know by practice. 



Rev. E. J. BoARMAN, Randolph Centre, Vt. — I am the only one 



