474 [Senate 



through the frames, promoting dryness and health. Mr. Van Epps 

 keeps his curtains up most of the time. I was glad to hear it. Nine- 

 tenths of the disasters proceed from impeded circulation. I have no 

 doubt children in school, are often seri'ously injured by the want of 

 pure air, and even many who are shut up too much at home. 



Last year I stretched cotton drilling over a ridge poll, with rollers 

 fastened to the ends, on which I rolled up the sides in good weather. 

 This year I roofed with boards, and cut up the drilling for curtains. 



A Member. Rain? 



Not hurt a whit. I believe it does harm only by its indirect ef- 

 fects, by wetting the litter and causing it to ferment. I do not think 

 rain or dew injure worms at all. In the native state they must take 

 rain, dew and wind just as they come. 



I, and probably others, have found worms thrown out with litter, 

 living and thriving, brought in healthy, and passed through. My 

 sons have done it with success. You may ask, why shelter them 7 

 To keep off sun. It is not certain that a leafy grove is not the best 

 place we could have. It has not been tried. 



When open feeding was first proposed there were as many objec- 

 tions to it, as there are to no shelters, but now almost every body is 

 in favor of it. At Economy, close feeding is successful, but there an 

 amount of labor is bestowed which I am confident cannot be generally 

 given by the mass of feeders. They have also a peculiarly favorable 

 situation ; a constant current of air blowing up or dow^n the river, 

 which draws through the building. We have occasionally two or 

 three days of still moist weather ; and in common situations, the 

 chances of getting a lot of silkworms through, are as forty nine to 

 fifty. This year I have pursued a different course from any I had 

 before tried, combining the old and the new plans. While young I 

 kept the w"orms in a close room, for they so easily become chilled 

 while young, that they will not grow so well when exposed to the 

 weather. 



When older I threw open my tent night and day. I used to think 

 there was great danger of cold when winding ; my fear was partly 

 removed by Mr. Wadsworth's letter last year, in reply to one 

 addressed to him. He said cold did not stop them. 



This year I was late ; the middle of July they hatched, and wound 

 from the middle to the last of August. We then encountered ex- 

 treme changes; in the morning the thermometer would be at 50° to 

 75° and 80° and then 45°. All were still, the whole lot, as still as 

 if dead. But the sun came up warm, and about ten o'clock they 

 were all atwork again, I never could see any injury ; there was no 

 loss but in time; that is of no consequence, provided they go through 

 healthy and make good cocoons. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



The convention was called to order at four o'clock, by the presi- 

 dent. Mr. Barbour then read a number of letters from silk culturists 

 and manufacturers, from different parts of the country, amongst them 

 the proceedings of the New-England Silk Convention. Conversation 

 and familiar verbal communications were then resumed. 



Mr. Barbour. I met Mr. Gideon B. Smith, in Baltimore a few 



