10 HINTS ON SILKWOEM-BEAEING IN THE PUNJAB. 



and swell. Hatching actually begins on about the fifteenth 

 ^ day, and, if the incubation has been properly done, all the 

 eggs hatch out in four or five days. 



The lifting of 

 silkworms. 



When the hatching commences, for the first one or two 

 days only a few worms emerge. They should not be separated 

 but should be left where they are till a fair amount of worms 

 have appeared. Then a fairly large piece of mosquito curtain 

 net (jali) should be spread over the eggs, and on it should be 

 placed a good many young tender mulberry leaves. The young 

 worms attracted by the scent of the leaves pass through the 

 meshes of the jali and cluster on the buds. The jali is 

 essential, for otherwise the empty shells and unhatched eggs 

 will also be dragged along with the hatched worms en- 

 tangled in the food. In about two hours all the hatched 

 worms pass through the jali and collect on the leaves. 

 Then these leaves laden with the worms should be carefully 

 taken up and placed on a sheet of paper on the lowest shelf 

 of the rack, 



Hatched out worms should thus be separated from eggs 

 once a day. Hatching out mostly takes place in the morn- 

 ing up to ten o'clock : so to keep the worms of the same 

 age together, mulberry leaves should be placed on the jali 

 after ten o'clock each day when the day's hatchings have 

 been finished. It is true that worms hatch out later on in 

 the day also, especially in the evening, but this number is so 

 small that it is not worthwhile to separate them the same 

 day : they can easily wait without food till the next 

 morning. 



The worms in each batch are of the same age and size, 

 and, in order to keep the rearing regular, it is essential not 

 to mix together the different batches : each should be kept 

 and reared separately throughout. 



Life of silk- 19. In properly conducted rearings the life of the 



worni ' silkworm from hatching to maturity is about five weeks. 



It is divided into five stages : after each^ stage the 



worms undergo a moult and the old skin, which becomes 



hard and incapable of keeping pace with the internal growth 



