P R A C T 1 C A L F A K M E R 



67 



From ihB moment tliat the worms begin to rise 

 they ceasii to eai ; they must not ba touched nor 

 their cocoons, until they are pulled off as will be 

 presently mentioned. 



V. PICKING OFF THE COCOONS. 



The worms generally form their cocoohs in 

 three days after rising ; but they are not perfect 

 until the sixth day, when they may be picked off 

 from the hedge. In Europe this is not done till 

 the eighth day, nor should it be done sooner in this 

 country, if during the six days there have been 

 violent thunder storms, by which the labors of the 

 moth are generally interrupted. The cocoons 

 must be taken down gently, and great care taken 

 not to pi'ess hard on them ; because, if in the least 

 flattened, they fall into the class of iin])erfect 

 cocoons, and are greatly lessened in value. 



In picking the cocoons from the hedge, the floss 

 or tow with which they are covered must be del- 

 icately taken off", always taking care not to press 

 too hard on the coeoous. After the cocoons are 

 thus taken down some are preserved for eggs, and 

 others kept for sale, 



VI. OF COCOONS rOTv EGGS. 



In order that the farmer ma)y judge of the 

 quantity of cocoons that it will be proper or advi- 

 sable for him to put aside and preserve for eggs, it 

 is right that he should be told that fourteen oun- 

 ces of cocoons will produce one ounce of eggs, 

 and one ounce eggs will pioduce a quintal [100 

 pounds] of cocoons. 



In selecting the cocoon to be kept for eggs it is 

 recommended to select the white ones in prefer- 

 ence and keep the colored, ones for sale ; atten- 

 tion should be paid to having an equal number of 

 males and females, and they are generally known 

 by the following signs: the male cocoons, that is 

 to say, those which contain the male insects are 

 in general smaller than ihe female ; they are some- 

 what depressed in the middle, as it were with a 

 ring ; they are sharp at one end, and sometimes 

 at both, and hard at both ends ; the female co- 

 coons on the contrary, are larger than the male, 

 round and full, little or not at all depressed in the 

 middle, and not pointed at either end. They may 

 easily be discerned by a little habit. 



It is particularly recommended to tske all off 



the lloss or tow fro;n tliuse coeoous, so that the 

 moth may find no diliiculty in coming out. 



After the cocoons are taken down from tho 

 hedge, those which are intended for eggs should 

 be laid, but not crowded, on tables; that is to say, 

 the males on one table and the females on 

 anotlier, that they may not copulate too soon, and 

 before they have discharged a viscid humor, of a 

 yellow reddish color, which prevents their fecun- 

 dity. They discharge this humor in one hour 

 after coming out of the cocoon, which is genei-- 

 ally ten days after they have been taken down 

 from the hedge ; this may be accelerated by heat. 



At the expiration of one liour after the moths 

 have come out of their cocoons, the males and fe- 

 males may be put together on tables or on the 

 floor ; the tables or floor ought to be previously 

 covered with linen or cloth, on which, after copu- 

 lation, the females lay their eggs. One female 

 moth or butterfly generally lays 500 eggs ; the 

 male and female remain about six hours together, 

 during which time they copulate ; after which 

 they separate, and the female is 48 or 50 hours 

 laying eggs ; but the greatest quantity during the 

 first 40 hours. 



From the moment the moths have come out of 

 their cocoons until the females have laid all their 

 eggs, the room must be kept entirely dark ; the 

 light debilitates them and makes them produce but 

 few eggs, and the worms that come from them are 

 Weak and puny. 



When the female moths have done laying eggs, 

 all the insects must be taken awaj', and may be 

 given as food to the fowls. The eggs must remain 

 on the cloth where they have been deposited 

 during fifteen or tvventy days, until they shall be- 

 come of an ash or slate color, when they are per- 

 fectly ripe, and may be considered as good eggs. 

 Then the cloth or linen must be folded, and kept 

 in a cool and dry place, until it shall be thought 

 proper to take ofl' the eggs which is done by put- 

 ting the cloth into pure water, and when thorough- 

 ly wetted, scraping gently the eggs from the cloth 

 taking care not to injure them. When thus scrap- 

 ed into the water all tlie good eggs will go to the 

 bottom, and the bad, if any, will swim at the top, 

 as mentioned before. Art. 1. 



The eggs being thus washed, must be di'ied in 

 the open air, and when perfectly dry, the best 



