THE SILK WORM. 



hatched, the same season, and another cocon pro- 

 duced. 



There is no doubt of there being an advantage in 

 making two crops in a year ; and it is believed to be 

 a good method to have several families of Worms, of 

 different ages, at work at the same time, on account of 

 the different states and stages of the foliage. But it 

 must be left to further experiments to decide wheth- 

 er, after taking all things into consideration, a succes- 

 sion of crops is worthy the attention of the culturist, 



To make a succession of crops, all that is necessa- 

 ry is to hatch the eggs in succession, with regular or 

 irregular intervals, and feed in the ordinary manner. 

 When this course is adopted, care must be taken thai 

 the eggs do not hatch until it is intended they should. 

 To prevent this they must be kept in a cold cellar ; 

 and, if the weather be very warm, it may be necessa- 

 ry to deposit them in an ice house. 



DETERIORATION OF SILK WORMS. 



A superstitious notion formerly prevailed to a con- 

 siderable extent, that the eggs of the Silk Worm must 

 be changed every two or three years, to prevent the 

 deterioration of the Worm. This notion, like many 

 others of the same class, is at war with reason and 

 science. The supposition that good cocoons after a 

 few years, are no longer fit to produce good seed is 

 ridiculously absurd. The time has gone by, when 

 the idle and foolish theories oi Buffon, Robertson, De 

 Pauw and others, respecting the tendency of nature 

 **to belittle" and degenerate every thing in the new 

 world, are received as truths. Facts also have set- 

 tled the question, that the Silk Worm will not degen- 



