478 



FARMERS' REGISTER— SILKWORM. 



spaces for tliem ; staltcred food may be swept into 

 its ]>la( e. 



Experiments may l;e made as (o tlic compara- 

 tive advantap;cs of usin^ cliopped.or wliole younsj; 

 leaves. If clioppcd, a sliarp knife must lie used, 

 to prevent the leaves from bein<j bruised, and there- 

 by causing the exudation ot water from them, 

 which would prove injurious. On the iburth day 

 the skin becomes of a hazel color and looks shin- 

 ing;, their heads enlarge and assume a silvery 

 bright appearance; these are marks of their ap- 

 proaciiing lirst change. Their food on this day, 

 therefore, may be diminished, or when these ap- 

 pearances take place, but not befoie. Enlarge 

 the spaces as tlie A\orms increase in size. The 

 leaves ought to be gathered a few hours before they 

 are used, that they may lose their sharpness : they 

 keep very well in a cool cellar three days; the 

 leaves ought to be gathered over night, for the 

 morning's meal, to })revent the danger of collect- 

 ing them in rainy weather. The leaves must be 

 pulled carefully, and not bruised. On the fourth 

 day the appetites of the worms begin to decrease, 

 preparatory to their first moulting, and their food 

 must be diminished in proportion as the previous 

 meal has not heen completely eaten. If the pre- 

 carious heat of the weather luis been dependeil 

 upon, the first change may not appear until the 

 sixth or seventh day. 



In tiiC course of the fifth day all the worms be- 

 come torpid; during this i)criod,and in the subse- 

 quent moultings, they must on no account be dis- 

 turbed. A few ijegin to revive at the close of the 

 fifth day ; some leaves may be then given. After 

 the first moulting, the worms are of a dark ash 

 color. 



Second jJgc 

 As the worms are fund of the young twigs, some 

 of these should be sj)read over them with the leaves 

 attached, upon which the worms will immediately 

 fasten, and they may then be removed to a clean 

 paper; or lay a strip of choj)ped leaves near the 

 Worms, and they will leave the old food. 



The litter is to be taken away ; but as some of 

 the worms often remain among the old leaves, they 

 ought to be examined. To this end, the litter 

 should be removed to another room, spread out on 

 a table, and a few twigs placed over it, on which 

 the worms, if any, vyill mount, when they iiiay be 

 added to the olhei's ; this rule must be attendcfl to 

 after every moulting. Ten per cent, is generally 

 allowed for loss of young worms. The two first 

 meals of the first day, should be less p'entilul than 

 the two last, and must consist of the most tender 

 leaves ; these must be continuotl for food until after 

 the third moulting. 



If between the moultings any worms should ap- 

 pear sick, and cease to eat, they must be removed 

 to anotlier room, where the air is pure and a little 

 warmer than that they have left, put on clean pa- 

 per, and some fresli leaves, chopped fine, given to 

 them; they will soon recover, and then may be 

 added to the others. 



On the third day, the appetite of many worms 

 will be visibly diminished : and in the course of it, 

 many will become torpid — the next day all are 

 torpid ; on the fifth day they will all have changed 

 their skins and will be roused. 



The color of the worms in the second age be- 

 comes a light grey, the muzzle is white, and the 

 hair hardly to be seen. 



It must never be forgotten, that, during the 

 time the worms are occupied in moulting, the food 

 should be greatly diminislied, and no more given, 

 than will satisfy those which have not yet become 

 torpid on the first day, or those which have changed 

 their skins before the others. 



Third Jlga. 



During tliis age the thermometer must range 

 between 71° and 73°. The revived worms are 

 easily known by fheir new aspect. The latest 

 worms should be idaced apart, as their next moult- 

 ing will be a day later also, or they may be put in 

 the hottest part of the room to hasten fheir growth. 

 This rule must be observed in the next moulting — 

 increase the spaces. 



The second day, the two first meals are to be 

 the least copious, the two last the greatest, be- 

 cause towards the close of the day, the worms grow 

 very hungry. The third day will require about 

 the same quantity as the preceding last meals ; but 

 on the fourth day, as the appetites of the worms 

 sensibly diminish, not more than half the former 

 feed will be required. The first meal is to be the 

 largest : feed those that will eat at any time of the 

 day. The fifth day still less will suffice, as the 

 greatest part are moulting ; the sixth day they be- 

 gin to rouse. Remove the litter, or even before 

 they have moulted, if the worms arc numerous-. 



Fovrth Age,. 

 The thermometer should range between 68° aiMi 

 71°. If the weather be warm, and the grass rise 

 several degrees higher, open the ventilators, ex- 

 clude the sun, and make a slight blaze in the chim- 

 ney, to cause a circulation of the air. Widen the 

 spaces for the worms. "^Fhe leaves must now be 

 regularly chop]jed in a straw cutting box, or with 

 a chopping knife. The food is to be greatly in- 

 creased on the second, third antl fourth days. On 

 the fifth, less will be recjuired, as in the course of 

 this day many liecome torpid ; the first meal on 

 this day should therefore lie the largest. On the 

 sixth, they will want still less, as nearly the whole 

 will be occupied in effecting their last change of 

 skin. Renew the air in the apartment by liurn- 

 ing straw or shavings in the chimney, and open 

 the ventilators. If the evenings be cool, after a 

 hot day, admit the external air for an hour. None 

 but full grown leaves should be hereafter given to 

 the worms, and they must be all chopped ; avoid 

 the fruit, as they would jirove injurious, and add 

 greatly to the litter. On the seventh day, all the 

 \sorms will have aroused, and thus finish their 

 fourth age. The litter must be again removed. 



Fifth Jlge, or until the JVorms prepare to mount. 



The thermometer should be about 68°. The 

 constitution of tiie worms being now formed, they 

 liegin to elaborate the silk vessels, and fill them 

 with the silky material, which they decompose, and 

 form from the mulberry leaves. Give abundance 

 of room : do not let the worms lie so close as to 

 touch one another, for their respiration will be 

 tliereby impeded : continue to feed regularly and 

 fully, as the appetite of the worms now becomes 

 voracious : give food rather five times a-day than 

 four; even six meals will not be too many. The 

 last meal should be late at night, and the first the 

 next day in the morning, at an early hour. The 

 worms are not again to be removed, and the hur- 

 dles or feeding frames must be cleaned. On the 



