60 



NEW ENGLAND FAIiMER, 



Sept. 12, 1828. 



SILK. 



Of the rearing of Silk ff'ormx in Ike lust period of 

 the Fijlh./lge, that is, iintil the Cocoon is perfected. 

 Continued from page 51. 



The fifth age can only lie looked on as tennin- 

 atcil, wlien the cocoon is perfected. 



The cleanrmess of the feeding frames in these 

 last days of tlic fifth age, requires great attention, 

 to preserve tlie health of the silk worms. 



About the tenth day of the fifth age, the worms 

 attain perfection, which may be ascertained by 

 the following indications : 



1st. When, on putting some leaves oil the 

 wickers, the insects get upon the leaves without 

 eating them, and rear their heads as if in search 

 of something else. 



2d. When looking at them horizontally, the 

 hght shines through them, and they appear of a 

 whitish yellow transparent color. 



3d. When numbers of the worms which were 

 fastened to the inside of the edges of the wick- 

 ers, and straiglitencd, now get upon the edges 

 and move slowly along, instinct urging them to 

 seek change of place. 



4tli. When numbers of worms leave the cen- 

 tre of the wickers, and try to reach the edges 

 And crawl upon them. 



5th. When their rings draw in, and . their 

 greenish colour changes to a deep golden hue. 



6th. When their skins become wrinkled about 

 the neck, and their bodies have more softness to 

 the touch than heretofore, and feel like soft 

 dough. 



7th. When in taking a silk worm into the 

 hand, and looking through it, the whole body has 

 assumed the transparency of a ripe yellow phmi. 

 When these signs appear in any of the insects, 

 every thing should be prepared for their rising, 

 that those worms which are readj' to rise may not 

 lose their strength and silk in seeking for the sup- 

 port they require. Handle the worms at tliis 

 stage with the greatest gentleness, as the siiglitcst 

 pressure injures them. V/hen moved, they shotdd 



es, and give a few leaves to those that are still delicious fruits, o))eiiing at the same time new 

 inclined to cat. Aller they have begun to rise, ( |)rospects for practical skill in object;, of domcsti- 

 those that are weak and lazy do not eat, do [ economy, and of a precious produce for nianufac- 

 not seem to be inclined to rise, and remain ; tming industry. 



motionless on the leaves. These should be tak- j I was alluding, Mr. President, to the growtli. 

 en away, and put in a clean dry room, of at of silk, to which the administration and con- 

 least 75° of heat, where there are hurdles cov- i gress have impressively called the public atteniion 

 ered with paper, and the hedge prepared for i of their fellov.' citizens. The most essential pai^ 

 them. The increased heat will cause them to; and true foundation of it, is the choice and pix: 

 rise directly. All the silk worms being off the j pagation of the nmlberry tree, which should \f 

 hurdles, they should be immediately cleaned. — entrusted to our horticulturists. By natural right 

 The leinperature of the room should be between 1 this produce should belong, in comuion with oth- 

 68° and 71°. When the worms are forming j ers, to nations located by Providence on the 

 tiieir cocoons, the utmost silence must be pre- whole extent of the temperate zone, and so much' 

 served in the room, as they are very sensible of domestic comfort and general wealth as it im- 

 to noise, and if disturbed, wUI for a moment parts, should be secured to our numerous fellow 

 cease to spin ; thus the continuity of the thread citizens. In a word, no great or populous na- 

 will be inteiTupted, and the value of the cocoon tion of the world was ever deprived or bare of 

 diminished. When the cucoons have attained that rich staple from the combined power of 

 a certain consistency, the apartment may be left animal and vegetable agency, 

 quite open. The heroic or fabulous records of ancient 



SiM .fige, beginning in the Chrysalis State, and Greece hold yet in ceiebiity the naval exi)edi- 

 " ending tvhen the Moths appear. ] 1'°" of J-^^oy with his Argonauts, to the nearest 



rrii /■ ,1 • .1 .1 • . 1 spot or rendezvous of Asiatic merchants (Col- 



The following are the necessary things to be V. , . ■ . ■ ,i ^ u 



, ^ I <"''is), in order to obtain or to conipier the holden 



' Fleece, susjiended on a tree guarded by a dragon I 

 than which allegory none could more explicitly 



I. To gather the cocoons. 



II. To choose the cocoons which are to be pre- 

 served for the eggs. 



HI. Preservation of cocoons until the appear- 

 ance of the moth. 



/. Gathering of the Cocoons. 



Strong, healthy, and well managed .<^ilk worms, 

 will coinplets their cocoons in three days and a 

 half at farthest, reckoning from the moment 

 when they first begin casting the floss. This pe- 

 riod will be shorter, if the sdk worms spin the 

 silk in a higher temperature than that which has 

 bt en indicated, and in very dry aiv. 



It will be better not to take off the cocoon be- 

 fore the eighth or ninth day, reckoning from the 

 time when the silk worm first rose. They may 

 be lulien oiT on the seventh, if the laboiiitories 

 have been conducted with such regularity, that 



be left on the twigs or leaves to which they are ,,, .. . , ., . ■ . . i ,„ ,i : 



",..., , • . the time may be known with certainty, when this 



fastened, to prevent their being hurt by tearing ' 



them off. A blunt hook should be used to take 



up those not adhering to leaves or twigs. 

 Preparation of the Hedge. 

 A week or ten days l>efore the worms nro 

 feady to mount, bundles of twigs of chesnut, 

 hickory, oak, or of the birch of which stable 

 brooms are made, must be procured, prepared, j aH the cocoons that want a certain consistency,;,,,,.^ ^^ ^.,^^ ^,,i,.,, ,^^^ ^^,^,„,^^| ^„ ^^,^^ ,,,^ ,„^, 



designate a treasure of silk, appended on the jia- 

 rent tree, under the keeping of the Seres or Chi- 

 nese, the original proprietors, and protected by 

 the Dragon, the ancient and everlasting Flag of 

 that nation ! 



However hidden, then, and long after the art of 

 raising silk remained to the Greeks, we find that 

 they manufactured it in the Island of Cos, wheth- 

 er with their own or with foreign materials. 



As for tiie Romans, their ambition ever was 

 turned to conquest and dominion — in fact they 

 became possessed of all the treasures of the 

 world, among which silk is mentioned, even as 

 the most extravagant article of luxury. One of 

 their emperors thought it was too expensive as 

 the material of a garment of his empress, while 

 matrons and courtezans ol' that most corrupt cap- 

 ital exhibited themselves ornamented with it. — 

 Poets and satiric writers reprobated it, until an 

 imperial decree forbade it to the male citizens as 

 an etretninate and unmanly bodily decoration. — 

 But the more sober people of the Greek empire, 

 who during several long periods cultivated the 



ij.ay be done. 



Begin on the lower tier of hurdles, and take 

 the cabins down gently, giving them to those who 

 are to gather the cocoons ; place a basket be- 

 tween two of the gatherers, to receive the co- 



coons ; another person should receive tlie stripped j ;y;;^,, ^,.,^^ ,^,^,.g ^,^^„ ,^„^,„ ,,^, „^^,.„i cUnsUnu 

 bus: es, which may be kid by for another year.- ; „issio„a,ies how to foster and" ,,.on,ote the cuU 



and aiTanged in bunches, so that the worms 

 may easily climb up them, to work llieir cocoons. 

 As soon as it is observed that the worms want 

 to rise, the bundles of twigs must be arranged 

 on the feeding trays, leaving fifteen inches be- 

 tween them. The top branches should touch 

 the lower part of the tray above that on which 

 they are placed, so as to form an arch — and be 

 placed a little aslant, that the worms when climb- 

 ing may not fall off. The branches should be 

 spread out Uke fans, that the air may penetrate 



and feel soft, should be laid asulc, that they may „,.j^„j g,,j ^^,.,5,^ ,„^„^^ „j. ,5,^ Bo.,p,,ori,s : since 

 not be mixed with the better. Empty the basiiets ^^^j^.,, p^,.,,^ -^ j,^^ j.^^, ^^^^ ^^j,,, „,p infl^encg^ 

 upon hurdles or trays placed in rows, and spreaa ascendency and dominion of powerful trovern- 

 the cocoons about four fingers deep, or nearly to ,,,g„,^ ^|,g Caliphs of Mahomet, even after 

 the top of the feeding frame. W hen the cocoons ^ j,,^^ j,^^ extende.l their conquests on the coasts 



I of the Jlediterranean Sea, planted the mulberiy 

 in the Morea, in Spain and in Sicilj'. 



From the last, Charles the IXth of France, 



are detached, the down or fioss in which the silk' 

 worms have formed the cocoon, should be taken 

 off. If the cocoons are for sale, weigh them, and 

 send them to the purchaser. The baskets, the 

 floor, and all things used, should be cleaned. 



When guthcring the cocoons,' make four assort- 

 ments : — 1st. Tliose designed for breed. ad. 

 The dupions, or double ones. 3d. The firnic? t of 



5th. Those of a 



tlirongh all parts, and the worms work with ease. 



When the worms are too near one another, they 



do not work so well, and form double cocoons, ! ^[,^^6 wbich are to be reeled. 



which are only worth half a single round cocoon. iof,i,ci. texture. 



Leave openings at the tops of the curves, for i 



the worms to form their eocoons in. , RriviAivKS of dr tascalis, ax the late iViKETi.VG 



As soon as the worms are prepared to rise,! o*' TtiE new tork iiorticulturai society. 

 the feeding frames should be cleaned thoroughly,! Mr. President — Happy, thrice happy, the re- 

 and the apartment well ventilated. Put the turn of an anniversary festival, which exhibits a- 

 worms which are ready to rise near the hedg- ' gain an abundant crop of splendid llowers and 



having conquered Naples, at the head of his 

 knights, enobled his triumphant return home with 

 the mulberry and siik-vvcrm seeds. 



In fine, the acquisition became completely ap- 

 propriated to the most favorable districts of his 

 kingdom, under Henry the IVth, one of the best 

 of kings, with tiie help of his truly honest minis- 

 ter, Sully. Every peasant and country farmer 

 could boast of a well tenanted barn-yr.rd, of a fig 

 tree shading his door, and a mulberry in his ave- 

 nue. 



Excuse, Mr. President, this historical digression. 



