No. 124.] 261 



quired to insure a good crop of worms is to give them feed enough, 

 and barely protect from the sun and rain. 



P. S. I could have fed twice the number of worms from my trees 

 if I could have got the number of eggs I wanted — the peanuts. 



Rev. S. S. Arnold, Westminster^ Vt. — My silk business this year 

 is hardly worth naming. The man who carried on my place, put 

 out his eggs rather late. The first lot did tolerably well, but irom 

 some cause or other, he did not put out more than half, or one-(hird 

 enough. The next lot were not healthy, so that we had only 4 1-2 

 lbs. of reeled silk. We fed in the same building as last year. Close 

 building, but well ventilated. Fed on multicaulis chiefly. Last 

 part of the time with harder kinds, especially the first crop. It ap- 

 pears to me we should have had three times as much silk, if the eggs 

 had all been put out together at first. Mr. Clark, of this town, had 

 good success the first crop, and poor the second. Mr. Adams, of 

 Walpole, N. H., had one small crop only, but very healthy and good. 

 I have lately seen Mr. Gleason, of Newport, N. H. He is on the 

 place formerly owned by Mr. Messenger. Mr. Gleason told me that 

 he has had very good success this year. He has fed none but the 

 four weeks sulphur — considers them altogether the most healthy and 

 profitable. He has fed almost wholly on multicaulis, and prefers 

 this to other kinds of trees. His v;orms were from eggs of his own 

 keeping of the year before. As I understood, he has not over four 

 acres of trees, and those not large; and he thought he should make 

 sewing silk, from his own cocoons, enough to realize two hundred 

 dollars. 



Wm. C. Freeman, Wyoming, Wyoming Co., JV. Y. — 1st. I have 

 fed worms four years: the first year 1840, fed but few — good success. 

 2d year fed early, worms wound first of July^ cocoons good, 15 

 bushels. 3d year fed but few early for want of eggs — good success; 

 late crop poor, cold and rainy. 4th year, 1843, eggs hatched too 

 early, bad success; 2d crop, worms healthy — cocoons light — cannot 

 account for it. 



2d. I feed in a frame building, merely enclosed, made for that use. 

 The temperature I regulate, keeping the room warm enough for the 

 worms to work. 



3d. I have never fed in an open shed, but I have seen others do it 

 with good success. 



4th. I prefer the nankin peanut, or mammoth sulphur. 



5th. I use the morus multicaulis principally, Broosa and common 

 while are very good, but the facility with which the leaves are gathered, 

 together with the greater amount of foliage, renders the morus multi- 

 caulis far preferable to any other tree in my estimation. I have managed 

 many different ways. The best with me is to let the trees stand — cut 



