SILK, COCOONS, SILKWORM EGGS, ETC. 



79 



For the Observer and Record of Agriculture, 

 Science, and Art. 



ON SILK, COCOONS, SILKWORM EGGS AND 



COCOONERY. 



The following information is submitted 

 to the readers of the Observer and Record, 

 with a request that if any of them know 

 of a process superior to either of those 

 named, the same may be published in this 

 paper. 



Hatching the Eggs. This is done by 

 exposing a quantity of them to the air 

 about the last of May or the first of June. 

 In about ten or twelve days afterwards, 

 another parcel are to be exposed in like 

 manner, and so on a different parcel each 

 ten or twelve days, till about the last of 

 July or the first of August. B}' this pro- 

 cess a regular succession of crops are ob- 

 tained, in a manner convenient for the 

 supply of food and attendance. 



First process with the Worms. When 

 the worms begin to appear, they are to be 

 placed on tender leaves, and placed on 

 writing paper together with the leaves, 

 and the date of each days hatching noted 

 on the paper, each parcel being kept by 

 themselves. 



The Cocoonery. Is composed of ver- 

 tical posts, two inches square, (of scant- 

 ling,) upon which slats are nailed to re- 

 ceive horizontal shelves one foot apart, 

 the bottom shelf may be four feet wide, 

 and each ascending one two inches narrow- 

 er than the one immediately below it, so 

 that worms falling from a shelf may lodge 

 on the next below. Almost any out-build- 

 ing will serve for a cocoonery. 



Second process with the Worms. The 

 worms are to be removed from the litter, 

 immediately after the first, second, third 

 and fourth moultings, and also when they 

 are ready to wind their cocoons, they are 

 then placed on shelves. 



Preparation for the worms to ivind 

 the cocoons. Rye-straw is cut in lengths, 

 one-and-a-half or two inches longer than 

 the distance between the shelves, and tied 

 in bunches of eighteen or twenty in a 

 bunch, from one or two inches from the 

 bottom, these bunches are placed between 

 ,the shelves in an upright position, with 

 the upper ends spread asunder, the worms 

 wind the cocoons within those bundles of 

 straw, they can afterwards be gathered 

 with the greatest convenience. 



Reeling the Silk. It is recommended 

 to reel the silk from the cocoon before it 

 becomes necessary to stifle the chrysalis. 

 For this they will yield more silk, and it 

 is stronger and more nice. — E. 0. R. 



P. S. In addition to the above, the 

 following is recommended, viz: Two 

 light frames are made to slide horizontally 

 above each shelf, one of them, about one 

 inch from the shelf, * and the other about 

 two inches from it, each of the same 

 length and width as the next shelf below 

 them. The spaces between the edges 

 and ends of the frames are occupied by 

 net-work, composed of cotton (or other) 

 yarn, the ends of each frame are support- 

 ed by slats. The leaves are placed upon 

 the upper nets, which will induce all the 

 worms to ascend, and leave the lower ones 

 unoccupied. The shelves and all the nets 

 next to them, may then be removed, 

 washed and dried, while the worms are 

 feeding, the shelves are returned to their 

 proper places, and the nets reversed, so 

 that the other nets may in turn be cleaned. 



* The nets may be placed nearer to the shelves than 

 one or two inches, if necessary. 



CREOSOTE IN DEAFNESS. 



By J. HARRISON CURTIS. 



One of the principal and most common 

 causes of deafness, is a deficiency of the 

 secretion, from a want of action of the cer- 

 uminous glands. 



Many cases of loss of hearing which 

 have been under my care, even when the 

 disease has been of long standing, have 

 been fairly referable to this cause, and on 

 its removal the deafness has disappeared, 

 of course in a longer or shorter time, ac- 

 cording to the duration of the disease, and 

 the severity of the primary cause of the 

 inaction of the glands. When the meatus 

 aiiditorius has been duly cleansed, 1[ 

 and the orifices of the ducts have been, as 

 it were, re-opened, by the removal of the 

 diseased secretion by which they were oc- 

 cluded, a moderate stimulant is of essen- 

 tial service in restoring the glands to 

 healthy action, but the cleansing is imper- 

 atively necessary, and no remedy will be 

 of use until that operation has been pro- 

 perly performed. I generally employ a 

 preparation consisting of half-a-ounce of 

 ox-gall, mixed witn a drachm of tincture 



