A. ZIEGLEll ON THE CULTURE OF THE SILK-WORM. 385 



An cstablislimcnt especially employed for reeling purposes in 

 every silk-worm-brceding district would do a great deal of good 

 to the community, as in it the girls might be instructed in their 

 work by competent persons, and the small breeders might find the 

 necessary help not to waste or lose a part of their product. In 

 Italy there are many such, that also buy from the farmers their 

 cocoons at the regular market price, and work them up on their 

 own account. 



The Floret {coarse) SiUcj and how it is made. 



For tliis are generally used, 1. Those cocoons that are bitten 

 through. 2. The waste silk when the original thread is hunted 

 for. 3. The web surrounding the cocoon. 4. The thin skins sur- 

 rounding the nymphs and remaining after the unwinding. 



The manufacturing, and its converting into money, claims par- 

 ticular attention, but is not profitable to a single breeder. The 

 following is the manner used in its making: 1. The cocoons of 

 the first description are soaked in warm water for a few days, then 

 washed out in river water, dried, and rubbed between the fingers, 

 drawn out, and spun on the ordinary reel. 2. The other waste 

 silk lots are dried over a coal fire until they become nearly brown, 

 then beaten with a wooden stick and torn open by means of a dull 

 knife. In order to moisten them again, they are then taken into 

 a cellar for a couple of hours, besmeared with oil or lard, and card- 

 ed like wool. The extracting of the silk from the cards is done 

 with wetted fingers, twisting from right to left. 



It is a remarkable phenomenon that this floret silk, placed upon 

 a suffering part of the human body, is an efficient remedy against 

 rheumatism and gout. 



The Magnaries. 



The name Ilagnary, derived from ^^ magna" signifying "5i7^- 

 worm''^ in the vernacular of the Provengales, is given to an estab- 

 lishment in which the breeding of the silk- worms is carried on on 

 a large scale. 



The house is generally formed by a suterain and one story, and 

 may be constructed from light materials, as the breeding only 

 takes place in the summer months. 



In the souierai7i are frequently kept the reeling machines {filan- 

 da\ besides the ovens and rooms. It is also used for stripping the 

 leaves of the twigs for the food of the worms, and drying them in 

 rainy weather. In the upper story we find the caterpillar-room, 

 with its scaffolds and stages. The ceiling has several openings, 

 through which the impure air can be let out by means of a vent- 

 ilator. 



The greatest possible care is taken in these establishments in 

 regard to cleanliness, light, and warmth — the three main requi- 

 sites for the welfare of the worms. 



Bb 



