76 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Sept. 2G, 182S. 



SILK. 



Hatching of the Moths, and their prescrvcfion. 

 Coiuinueil from page 68. 



Cocoons kept in a temperature of 6il5° begin to 

 be hatched after tifleen days ; those kept in a heat 

 between' Tl'^ and 73'', begin to come forth after 

 eleven or twelve days. The room in wliich the 

 moths are produced should be dark, or at least 

 there should be only sufficient light to distinguish 

 objects. This is an important rule, and must be 

 carefully attended to. The moths do not come 

 forth in great numbers the first or the second 

 day, but are chiefly hatched on the fourth, fifth, 

 sixth and seventh days, according to the degree 

 of heat in which the cocoons have been kept. — 

 The hours when the moths burst the cocoons in 

 the greatest numbers, are the three and four hours 

 afler sunrise, if the temperature is from 64° to 

 66°. The male moths, tlie very moment they 

 come out, go eagerly in quest of the female ; 

 when they are united, they must be placed on 

 frames covered with linen, and made in such a 

 uianner as to allow the linen to be changed when 

 soiled. Much care must be taken in raising the 

 united moths ; they must be helil by the wings in 

 order not to separate them. When one small ta- 

 ble is filled with moths in a state of union, tliey 

 ere to be carried into a small room, sufficiently 

 airy and fresh, and which can be made very dark. 

 Having euiployed the first liours of the day in se- 

 lecting and carrying the tmited moths, the males 

 and females which are found separate on the ta- 

 bles, are to be brought into contact, put on frames 

 and carried into the dark room. It is easy to as- 

 certain if there are more females than njales. The 

 body of the female is nearly double the size of 

 that of the male ; besides, the male which is sin- 



thrown away ; if of females, males must be allot- ^ males must be placed upon it, in order that thc 



gs may be equally distributed. When the heat 

 of the room is 77° or 79°, or when at 63° or 6.5°, 

 the eggs will be yellow, tliat is, unimpregnated ; 

 or of a reddish color, that is, imperfectly impreg- 

 nated, and will not produce worms : the temper- 

 ature of the room must therefore be kept between 

 these extremes. Sometimes a female moth will 

 escape from its mate before impregnation, and pro- 

 duce many useless eggs. — To be continued. 



ted to them, which have already been in a state 

 of union. Great care nuist be taken, when the 

 couples are separated, not to injure the males. 

 The male ought not to remain united more 

 than six hours ; after the lapse of that time, 

 take the moths by the wings and body, and 

 separate them gently. All the males which are 

 no longer in union, nmst be placed upon a 

 frame ; the most vigorous afterwards selected, 

 and united with those females which have not 

 yet had a mate. Other vigorous males must 

 be preserved in a separate box, and kept in 

 darkness. When there is a want of males, let 

 them reniaiu united to the female tlie first time 

 only five hours, instead of six ; the females are 

 not injured by waiting for the male even many 

 hours ; the only loss sustaitied, is that of some 

 eggs, which are not impregnated. Before sepa- 

 rating tlie two sexes, prepare, in a cool, <lry, airy 

 chamber, the linen on which the moth is to de- 

 posit its eggs. 



Six hours, as just said, is the usual time for the 

 moths to remain united, for in that time the eggs 

 of the female will be fully impregnated. It is al- 

 so the general practice not to use the male for an- 

 other female ; but Mr. Delonchamps* assures us, 

 that in the event of having more female than 

 male moths, the latter may be again used to prof- 

 it. In the year 1824, he raised many worms 

 from eggs, the produce of a sixth couplinc, which 

 were fully equal to those produced from eggs at 

 the first ; the union continued n^ ver less than 

 from twenty to tsventy-four hours ; the male after 

 a sixth union appeared as lively and brisk as at 

 first, but he had no more females. The eggs 

 from even a thirteenth union of the same male 



gle, beats about its wings at the least ai)proach of with different females, had all the characters of 



light ; the hour must be noted at which the tables 

 containing the united moths are placed in the 

 dark room. 



If, after this operation is over, there still remain 

 some moths of each sex, they arc to be placed in 

 a small box with a perforated cover, until the mo- 

 ment favorable for their uniun arrives. From 

 time to time, they must be looked at, to see if 

 they separate, in order that they may be brought 

 anew into contact. 



When any thing is to be done in the dark 

 chamber, as little light as possible must be admit- 

 ted ; only sufficient to distinguinh objects. Tlie 

 more light there is, the more the moths are dis- 

 turbed and troubled in their ojierations, as light is 

 too stimulating for them. The boxes are very con- 

 venient to keep quiet the males which remain, 

 and thus prevent the fine powder adhering to 

 their wings from flying »bout, and the destruction 

 of their wings, and consequently tlieir vital ])ow- 

 er. The cocoons must be removed as fast as they 

 are pieroed by the moth, for being moist, they 

 communicate their humidity to those which are 

 still entire. The paper, also, on the trays, when 

 soiled, is to be removed, and fresh supplied. — 

 Constant attention is required duriug the Vihole 

 day, as there is a succession in the process of 

 hatching, and union of the moths, which occa- 

 sionally vary in relative pro])ortioii to one an- 

 other. Instead of a frame, jiajier may be used 



those of the best quality. In these cases, the dis 

 union of the pair was, moreover, never spontane- 

 ous, but always required to be effected by the 

 hands. 



The following is the manner in which the cloth 

 must be arranged : 



At the bottom of a tressel or frame, which 

 must be proportioned to the number of moths, 

 place horizontally, on each side of the lenirth, 

 two boards, so arranged that one of their sides 

 may be nailed to the tressel, about five inches and 

 a half high above the cround, and that the other 

 side of the board shall be a little higher, and pro- 

 ject outwards. Upon the tressel lay a cloth, so 

 that it may hang equally on each side. The ends 

 of the cloth must cover the boards below ; the 

 more perpendicular the lateral (larts of the tressel 

 are, the less soiled will be the cloth bv the evacn- 

 ation of the liquid from the moths. The motlis -H from heatui 

 which have been united six hours are then to be 

 gently separated, the females placed on the frame, 

 and carried to the tressel and placed on the cloth, 

 one over another, beginning at the top and going 

 downwards. Note the time at which the moths 

 are placed on the cloth, and keep those which are 

 placed afterwards separate, to avoid confusion. — 

 The females that have had a virgin mate must be 

 treated in tlic same m.inner as those which have 

 been united with one that had been coupled pre- 

 viously five hours. Tiie females should be left 



for the purpose of receiving the cjgs. A few ] on the cloth 36 or 40 hours, without being touch- 

 good cocoons will not .produce a moth, owing , ed ; at this time, if it be observed that the linen 

 ♦» tlieir hardness, which prevcnt.s the moth from has not been well stocked with eggs, other fe- 



rnaEing a hole bv which to come forth. — r— — ■ — - 



If there be ="> »vnoc= ^r ,.,„1^„ .i,„„ „M=f l,o ' ♦ Essa' Sur I'Hisloire dcs -Uuriers e' des Vers a Sme. p, ' 



an excess of males, they must be pg^js '1204 



HEMP. 



The following letter to a gentleman in this 

 town, on the subject of harve. ting heinp for seed 

 or lint, is well entitled to the particular attention 

 of hemp growers in this section, where but little 

 practical knowledge exists as to the culture of 

 this important article. The value of Mr. Hines' 

 remarks will be obvious to every experienced 

 farmer, and when he jierceives the ease with 

 which hemp is cultivated, and looks to the exten- 

 sive home market secured to it by the tariff, he 

 can no longer hesitate as to the policy of turning 

 his attention to the production of an article for 

 which there must always be a high demand. 



Burlington, Ft. Free Press. 



" There is no invarialde rule as to the time of 

 cutting hemp planted for seed, by the general 

 complexion of either the male or female ; but 

 particular care must be had to the color of the 

 seed, when the hull that encloses it is taken off. — 

 The seed should be generally changed to a grey 

 or brownish cast. If two thirds of the seed wear 

 that appearance, the sooner you cut the better. — 

 It should be bound in small bundles immediately 

 after cutting, and set up in small stacks — from 

 four to six bundles in a slack — binding in all the 

 branches, by putting three bands round the same 

 near the top of the shocks or stacks. It may 

 stand in this situation until dry enough to thresh, 

 — say from five to ten days, as the weather may 

 bo for drying. 



" The seed may be threshed in the field on 

 sheets made of strong cloth, or on a floor. Great 

 care should be used in moving the hemp to the 

 place of threshing. If threshed in the field, it 

 should be moved on a cloth attached to two poles, 

 like hay poles, to save the loose seed. If remov- 

 ed to a barn, it should be done on a cart or wag- 

 on, with a cloth or tight box. 



" We clean with a common fanning mill, taking 

 care to give the proper speed, and to guagc every 

 p&rt to suit the weight of the seed. 



" After the seed is cleaned and put into bins or 



casks, it will be well to shovel it over, to preveni 



I am quite sure that seed kept 



from heating, and from wet, will be good as long 



as three years, if kept cool i.i the summer. 



" If your hemp is sown broadcast, and yon de- 

 sign to save the seed, cut it when about half the 

 seeds have begun to change their color, and pro- 

 ceed as above directed — only you will thresh in 

 four fair days, without breahing the bundles, and 

 put the hemp under cover to completely cure, — 

 and when thoroughly cured, you may thresh 

 again, breaking the bands as other grain. 



" Mr. Lewis P.uffet, of Scaghticeke, the last 

 year, sowed five bushels of seed on two and a 

 half acres of land. He cut his hemp with a era 

 die, and jiractised as here directed, lie saved six- 

 ty-six bushels of seed, of a good quality ; and his 

 share of the hemp sold for seventy-two dollars, 



