44 



ruled, to enrich those who may engage in it, and 

 \ve feel it our duty to deal in all sincerity, truth, 

 and fairness, in whatever we may advance up- 

 on the subject. 



If the stoves be employed to produce the ne- 

 cessary temperature, it is Ihought that they should 

 not be made of iron, because the heat cannot 

 be regulated so accurately therein ; but cf thin 

 bricks, soapstone, porcelain, or tiles. The stoves 

 made at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, of the latter 

 material, or the porcelain ones which come from 

 France, at a price of about ifjJIO, would answer 

 well, and in order that the heat generated 

 should be equable, the fuel should be either 

 fanners' drawn bark or charcoal. 



Count Dandolo prescribes that the eggs be 

 hatched in a small, square, thick pasteboard, or 

 thin board boxes or trays. For an ounce of eggs, 

 a box or tray eight inches square is required, and 

 so in proportion for a greater amount, and these 

 to be numbered. Besides these, he says, there 

 should be wicker trays or boxes projecting hori- 

 zontally from the wall for the boxes containing 

 the eggs to be placed in for hatching, a flat spoon 

 to stir the eggs well. This part of his plan, is, 

 we think, multiplying fixtures and magnifying 

 difficulties, without any possibility of increasing 

 the product of the worms whatsoever. Simpli- 

 city in their treatment, economy in the use of 

 means, and an approximation to nature, should be 

 the great objects to be held in view by the Ameri- 

 can silk culturist. 



With respect to the temperature of the apart- 

 ment in which the worms are hatched, it maybe 

 instructive to add the observations of Count Dan- 

 dolo. He says : 



" If the temperature of the stove room should 

 not reach 64, on the day fixed upon to put in 

 the eggs, it is necessary to light a little fire, that 

 it may raise to that degree, which ought to be 

 continued during two days. If the thermometer 

 indicate that the extericr air is above 64, the 

 shutters should beclosed, and the doors and ven- 

 tilators opened, to create a draught and cool the 

 stove room. The third day the temperature 

 should be raised to 66, the fourth day to 68 9 , 

 \hefifth day to 71, the sixth day to 73, the 

 seventh day to 75, the 8th day to 77, the 9th 

 day to 80, JOth, llth and 12th days to 81. 



The following are the signs of the speedy vivi- 

 fication of the silk worm : 



"The ash-gray color of the eggs grow bluish ; 

 then purplish ; it then again grows gray, with a 

 cast of yellowish, and finally, of a dingy white." 



Count Dandolo further remarks that: 



"When the eggs assume a whitish color, the 

 worm is already formed, and with a glass, may be 

 seen within the shell. The eggs should then be 

 covered with white paper well piered with holes, 

 the paper to be cut so as to cover them all. To 

 encourage the worms to come through the holes, 



small twigs of the Mulberry, with hut few leaves 

 on them must be placed on the outside of the pa- 

 per, the scent of which attracts the worms: tliey 

 crawl through the holes and attach themselves to 

 the food. The number of twigs to be increased 

 as fast as the worms occupy those on the paper, 

 to prevent their gettin^out of the boxes in search 

 of food." 



"When the worms are red at their first coming 

 out, it is a sign that the eggs have either been 

 bad or ill kept over winter,or over heated, that is, 

 too much forced when laid to hatch. Worms of 

 this color are good for nothing, and should be 

 thrown away, since they will not produce co- 

 coons." 



"Few worms appear the first day, and if the 

 number of them should be inconsiderable, it is 

 best to throw them away, as it is well not to mix 

 them with later worms. If not thrown away they 

 should be kept on separate shelves. 



Eggs which have been scraped from the paper 

 on which they were laid, should bestirred round 

 two or three times a day. This operation has- 

 tens their coming forth." 



A prude.it cultivator, says Count Dandolo, has 

 done all in his power, when, on observing the 

 season favorable, and the bud of the Mulberry 

 shoots in a proper degree of forwardness he has 

 put his eggs into the room for hatching ; and if 

 after they are there, or even after being hatched, a 

 sudden change of the weather should take place, 

 and it be desirable either to retard the hatching, or 

 to depressthe appetite of the worm, both or either 

 can be effected by lowering the temperature of 

 the air of the room, gradually to about 68. 



Upon this Count Dandolo remarks: 



"This cooling of the air diminishes the hun- 

 ger of the young silk worm by degrees, and with- 

 out danger; and by these means the modifica- 

 tions are prevented, which at 75 would have 

 brought on the casting or moulting much more 

 speedily. At 75, the moulting is effected the 

 sixth day ; whilst at 71, it requires six or seven 

 days. The second moulting, which at 75. is 

 wrought in four days, at 69 and 71, takes six 

 days for its accomplishment. Thus by foresight 

 and prudence, the proprietor will be enabled to 

 gain seven or eight days, which prevents any ill 

 effect from the unfavorableness of the season ; 

 and this time gained, it is evident, may be of the 

 utmost impoitance." 



We shall now quote from the essays of Gideon 

 B. Smith, Esquire, his treatment of the worms 

 from the hatching of the insect to the comple- 

 tion of the cocoons. His instructions are the re- 

 sult of practice, backed by close observation and 

 a sound discriminating mind. With such lights 

 as his guide, the culturist cannot well fail to pur- 

 sue the business with an enlighted economy, and 

 to find in it a most interesting and profitable pur- 

 suit. 



