SILK. 



131 



practice should become general, in the neighborhood of 

 the great markets, to rear our own neat stock, that the 

 price of veal would rise ; and the temptation would 

 then be stronger than ever to supply the markets with 

 veal, and replenish our stock from the country 

 droves. — Ed. 



[From the Genesee Farmer.] 



SILK. 



As I am fully convinced, by the knowledge furnished 

 by those who have made experiments, and by the little 

 experience I have had, that the raising of silk will ere 

 long become one of the most important branches of 

 American industry, I feel it a satisfaction as well as 

 duty in " furnishing my quota of knowledge," al- 

 though it may be but a drop to the bucket furnished by 

 others. 



Last spring I procured between five and six thou- 

 sand eggs, which hatched about five thousand worms. 

 Four thousand were of the two-crop kind, and the re- 

 maining one thousand the sulphur-colored six-weeks 

 worm. The two-crop worms, which hatched first, 

 began to wind in twenty-four days. They wound 

 hard and valuable cocoons. And here I would men- 

 tion, that no worms should be saved after twenty-four 

 hours from the time they commence hatching, — a fact 

 which I was not apprised of at the time mine were 

 hatched. I saved all^ and commenced feeding them, 

 but soon ascertained that the later ones would accom- 

 plish but little. Some of them continued eating until 

 the sixth week, and then died, while others wound thin 

 and worthless cocoons. All of the six-weeks worms 

 did well, and wound the best of cocoons. 



I am not fully satisfied as yet which are the more 



