1840.] SENATE— No. 36. 185 



great facility the cleaning of the litter of the worms, and at the 

 same time serving to ventilate them. This is adapted to perform 

 in a few minutes the labor of hours under the old system. 



Its utility, from trial, has been certified by the most respect- 

 able references. As well as 1 could judge from the model ex- 

 hibited, it offers a great improvement in the management of 

 the worms. It is difficult to describe machinery of this nature 

 so as to be perfectly intelligible ; but Mr. Benson has promised 

 me a model of his revolving hurdle and other ingenious ap- 

 paratus, which I shall take pains, as well as I can, to exhibit 

 hereafter to the farmers of Massachusetts. They seem to me 

 Aveil deserving of their attention. 



XIV. Mode of delaying the Hatching of the Eggs. — In at- 

 tempts to raise worms upon the leaves of the improved varieties, 

 such as the Canton or the Perottet mulberry, and from trees planted 

 or " layered" the same season in which the foliage is expected 

 to be used, as in Mr. McLean's experiment, it will be important 

 to keep back the hatching of the eggs until the leaves are ready 

 for use. This has been a matter of no little difficulty. In Mr. 

 Cheney's case, he speaks of having kept them in a refrigerator, 

 an article of furniture well known. Mr. McLean's method of 

 keeping them is well described by himself 



" My eggs were saved with great care from my best cocoons 

 on muslin, the pieces of muslin rolled up in the fall or soon 

 after the eggs were laid, and placed in a common farm bag, 

 and this was hung to a beam in the cellar. In March, the 

 muslins were folded up ; and laid one on top of another in a 

 small tea chest lined with lead, this was placed in another of 

 the same kind, but a little larger ; and the space between the 

 two was filled with pulverized charcoal. Then a few thick- 

 nesses of old flannel were laid loosely over the top of the smaller 

 chest, and a loose board over the larger. Then the v/hole was 

 set in a still larger rough box with a loose board on the top, 

 and this was put down in the ice house, so that the ice sur- 

 rounded the sides of the box. In the inner tea chest was a 



