THE MODERN HISTORY OF SILK. 183 



Miss Rhodes did not lose more than a dozen of 

 worms when feeding ; and, from the size of the 

 cones, thought they were equal to any produced in 

 Italy. 



In a treatise on the Silk Worm Moth, published 

 in Georgia, it appears that the cones of the cater- 

 pillars fed in that country contain three hundred 

 yards of silk, which weighs no more than two grains. 

 Miss Rhodes measured the thread of a cone of her 

 own breeding, and found it contained four hundred 

 and four yards of silk, which, when dry, weighed 

 three grains ; and this was from one of the worms 

 which fed only one week on mulberry leaves. 



Various kinds of leaves have been employed in 

 feeding Silk Worms ; such as those of cowslips, 

 blackberries, and the young leaves of the elm. 

 Miss Rhodes, however, found, upon trying the latter, 

 that nine out of a dozen worms died, and the other 

 three were rescued from the same fate by giving them 

 the mulberry leaf ; but they never recovered their 

 strength sufficiently to form a cone. So that none 

 of these leaves can be used to any practical purpose. 

 Their employment can only gratify the curiosity of 

 the speculative philosopher. 



The Hon. Daines Barrington suggested the idea, 

 that all those leaves which were similar to the 

 mulberry in taste and appearance, such as the 

 filbert, currant, lime, kidney beans, strawberry, chest- 

 nut, raspberry, ash, pine, &c. might be successfully 



iployed in breeding Silk Worm caterpillars ; but 

 lone of them have been found to answer. They will 



