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rested How much they will do I cannot say. Our frierd A. W. is 

 in the business, in a small way. I intend to see what I can do in the 

 matter, and ^ive the business all the encouragement in my power. 

 We want information on the subject — shall be thankful for anything 

 of the kind, or anything else that tends to our elevation. 



James Landers, Lee, Mass. — I have fed silk-worm?, on a limited 

 scale, for four years past. The first year, I fed the two-crop variety ; 

 and as it was the first efl'brt, they did, as we thought, remarkably well, 

 I had to go abroad so much after feed, that there was no honor or profit 

 in the business, except to learn how to avoid being caught in such a 

 scrape a^ain. The building I used is a chamber under the roof, and a 

 very bad place it is, 1 assure you. I had no way of regulating i he heat 

 or cold, but by opening or closing two or three windows; and if silk- 

 worms were not as sure a crop, under unfavorable circumstances, as any 

 other, I am sure I should have lost all of mine. 1 have this year fed a 

 part of my worms in an open shed ; and all the trouble I experienced 

 from it was, that it was too open, having but little more than a tempo- 

 rary roof for a covering. My worms did well in this shed ; but I think 

 they week or ten days longer coming to maturit}', owing to the coldness 

 of many nights, and some days, which prevented their feeding as fast 

 as they would with a more even temperature. Here I would slate my 

 opinion on this part of the subject, and it is probably the sentiment of 

 all who have had four or five years experience in feeding. It i^, that 

 plenty of room, plenty of good fresh leaves, and plenty of pure air, with 

 an even temperature, will almost invariably produce a rich crop of silk. 

 1 think Mr. Gill's Feeding Cradle is a labor-saving machine in this part 

 of the business, a decided improvement over every other plan of feeding. 

 I would suggest in regard to a building for feeding, whether on the 

 ground, in the form of a tent, or in an upper story, whether it would not 

 answer better than any other plan, to fix a room similar to a drying 

 loft in a paper mill. They are peculiarly adapted to letting in and 

 shutting out fiesh air at pleasure. I prefer the large Nankin peanut. 



The kind of trees that I use are the muliicaulis, Alpine and Italian. 

 As to the managing of them, I keep the ground tilled between the rows, 

 and take off leaves, and cut off branches, to feed as occasion requires. 

 I let them stand out through the winter, and the tops that are killed by 

 the frust are headed down in the spring, and an abundance of fresh 

 stock comes up. looking like a swamp. The multicaulis kills no worse 

 with me than the other kinds ; and I think, that if the ground is frozen 

 hard they would not be injured at all. I find that fruit and other trees are 

 injured the most where there is the least frost in the ground. As to early 

 and late feeding, I know of no material difference, if you get through 

 the early part of September. The last that I fed closed with dog-days, 

 or soon after, and did as well as I could wish. As to the causes of bad 

 success in feeding, in regard to myself, I have only to say that my fail- 

 ure-has been, feeding in a confined room, worms too much huddled to- 

 gether, and want of good fresh \qq(\. These things I shall endeavor to 

 avoid in future, and would advise others to do the same. In conclusion 

 I would state, that it is my firm belief, that the raising of silk in this 

 country is destined to be one of the most honorable and profitable em- 

 ployments that we can engage in. 



