No. r 



Silk Growing, t^c. 



341 



side opposite the pantaloon pockets, to give 

 ready access to them ; the c;;llar fastens with 

 a hook aiiJ eye, and two buttons close the 

 bosotn slit. Around the waist is a belt either 

 of the same material, or of leather buckled 

 ia front 



This dress, which in France is called 

 " Bleuse" is cheap, light, cool, convenient, 

 titiy, good looking andtasty, and consequent- 

 ly every way adapted to the every day busi- 

 ness of the farmer and gardener, and ought to 

 be worn by men and boys when engaged in 

 their daily work, to ihe exclusion of the inap- 

 propriate, and inconvenient dresses, with 

 wJiich many are attired. A person who is 

 desirous of introducing this useful and appro- 

 priate dress among our farmers, has had a 

 few made from an European pattern, which 

 may be seen at No. 14 North Sixth street, 

 Philadelphia. 



For tlie Fai-mers' Cabinet. 



§ilk €rrowiiig, &c. 



Letter from Chauncey Stone, of Burhngton, N. J., 



to Dr. J. S. Naudain, ofMiddletown.Del., on the 



subject of silk growing, &c. 



Sir: — When I had the honor of your visit 

 in this place, last month, I proposed to write 

 you when 1 should commence feeding silk- 

 worms; accordingly, as 1 have made a small 

 beginning, by hatching a few thousand eggs, I 

 proceed to redeem that promise. 



My mulberry trees are growing very well, 

 and those I left in the field, either whole or 

 the tops cut off and the roots remaining in 

 the ground during the past winter, are grow- 

 ing rapidly, as they took an earlier start thisi 

 spring. This shov/s that much can be gained 

 in getting foliage early, by leaving the roots J 

 intlie ground during the winter. 1 



When in Burlington you said that you 

 would be pleased to know our management of j 

 the silk worm. I will freely and cheertully 

 impart to you any information I am in posses- 1 

 sion of on this subject. 



I first bring my eggs from the ice-house, \ 

 where I deposited them during winter in a box ■ 

 imbedded in the ice, into a warm room not 

 exposed to the rays of the sun. and in six or 

 eight days they will begin to hatch; and what 

 is very curious, their time of hatching is, with 

 rare exceptions, between the hours of seven 

 and ten in the morning. Their first appear- 

 ance, though small, is active, and they are 

 ready to eat, if leaves are laid before tliem; 

 but it will be quite necessary to separate 

 every days' hatching from the unhatched 

 eggs, and put them on hurdles by themselves, 

 so that those of different ages shall not be to- 

 gether. A very good way to separate them 

 is by sheets of paper or newspapers, in which 

 small holes are cut or punched, and lay over 



them and sprinkle fine leaves on the paper, 

 when they will find their way up through to 

 eat, they can be taken to tlie place designed 

 for feeding and fed on the paper for a few 

 days before being placed on the net work 

 hurdles. The leaves must be cut fine before 

 given to the worms while they are small as 

 they cannot w*;ll get hold of the leaves to 

 eat. 



There are three things most important in 

 the treatment of the silkworm, namely, clean- 

 liness,free circulation of air, and a seasona- 

 ble supply of fresh leaves. Many minute 

 particulars are to be observed. The silk- 

 worms ought to be fed, I think, five times in 

 a day, though we do not always teed them 

 more than three times. If leaves are gather- 

 ed and laid in piles they will soon begin to 

 heat, but they must not be fed to the silk 

 worms until spread and aired. If leaves are 

 gathered when wet it will be better to spread 

 them to dry as much as they will, before feed- 

 ino- them to the worms. The worms may be 

 fed in the evening even after sun set. I have 

 fed them at 9 o'clock, in the evening, and 

 found they would eat with avidity, and de- 

 vour the quantity given them before morning. 

 When we consider the silk-worm in its native 

 condition on the tree, we will at once notice 

 that it keeps hid during the day from the rays 

 of the sun, and to project itself in some niea- 

 sure from being a prey to birds, &.C., and just 

 at night will appear out on the branches to 

 eat. The same can be noticed of the cater- 

 pillar. 



Some silk worms moult only three times, 

 but most species we use moult four or five 

 times, tliey being the larger kind, and feed 

 generally about five weeks before winding 

 their balls. When the time of moulting 

 comes, they appear sleepy and sluggish and 

 don't eat, but raise their heads up. The old 

 skin becomes troublesome as the worm in-^ 

 creases in size, and first bursts open on top of 

 the head and closes over the mouth, but be- 

 fore this the silk-worm will spin a few threads 

 to attach themselves to some object to assist 

 them to draw off the old skin, and of course it 

 is not proper to disturb them, to move or feed 

 them. Thus you will perceive the necessity 

 of the worms that feed on one hurdle, being 

 of the same age. The time of sleeping or 

 moulting lasts about one day and night, some- 

 times longer; and when that is over they are 

 active and will eat greedily. They should 

 then be changed from their old beds, to clean 

 hurdles, and well fed. 



They are remarkably sensitive — dislike 

 anv sharp, shrill noise, near them, as they 

 will instantly stop eating, and rear their 

 heads. They dislike to be in an atmosphere 

 impregnated with any impurity. Strong to- 

 bacco smoke is fatal to them. 



