Fifth day. No more than 128 Ibs. of leaves to- 

 day ; the first meal to be the largest. The worms 

 become torpid to-day, and therefore, the leaves 

 should only be distributed on such of the hurdles, 

 where the worms are perceived not to be torpid. 



Sixth day. 35 Ibs. of leaves are enough for to- 

 day, to be fed to such worms as may require it. 



Seventh day. The worms rouse on this day and 

 accomplish their fourth age. 



FIFTH AGE. 



First day. The laboratory should uniformly have 

 63 to 7.0 of heat and occupy a space of 917 

 square feet. After the fourth moulting, the leaves 

 should* consist of the full grown leaves of the old 

 trees. The hurdles must be cleaned every two days 

 during, this age. They must have 180 Ibs. of leaves, 

 90 Ibs. the first meal, the other 90 Ibs. to be divided 

 into 2 meals at interval of 6 hours each. 



Second day. Two hundred and seventy pounds 

 of leaves to-day ; the first feed 52 Ibs., the other 

 three more plentiful, the last being 97 Ibs. 



Tliird'diiy. The worms will require 420 Ibs. to- 

 day, to be divided into four feeds; the first should be 

 of 77 Ibs. of leaves, the last feed should be the lar- 

 gest, and-of about 120 Ibs. of leaves. 



Fourth day. To-day they require 540 Ibs., the 

 first feed 120 Ibs. and the last 150 Ibs., the other 

 two 135 Ibs. each. 



Fifth'day, 810 Ibs of -picked leaves to be given 

 the worms this day. The first feed 150 Ibs., (he 

 last 210'lbs:, and 1 besides the regular four meals-, 

 should the worms devour the'tr apportionment in 

 less than an hour and a half; they should receive 

 some leaves in the intermediate time, and should they 

 appear to require more food than the designated quan- 

 tity, they must have it, as it is important to give 

 them whatever they will eat with avidity. 



Sixth day. The worms must have 975 Ibs. of 

 picked leaves to-day, to be divided into five feeds; 

 the last of whrch should be the most plentiful. If 

 the worms feed voraciously at this period, and it is 

 difficult to limit the amount, the culturist will, if it 

 appears to him necessary, give an extra or interme- 

 diate feed. 



Seventh day. The worms will require 900 Ibs. 

 of loaves this day; the first meal should be the lar- 

 gest, and those following should be diminished ; 

 and should intermediate meals be required, they 

 must be given, as it will not do to let the worms suf- 

 fer now. They this day attain their largest size and 

 greatest weight. 



Eighth day. This day 660 Ibs. of leaves must be 

 given in four meals; tire first of which to consist of 

 210 Ibs. of leaves. 



Ninth day. 495 Ibs. of leaves to be distributed to- 

 day, as it may be wanted. 



Tenth day. Two hundred and forty pounds of 

 leaves to be given to-day as may be required. The 

 hours of feeding however, to be left altogether to 

 the discretion of the culturist, as it is impossible to 

 anticipate the peculiar necessities of the worms this 

 day ; and it is equally difficult to ascertain whether 

 some of the worms may not require feeding the en- 

 suing day. 



This last day they attain perfection , which may be 

 ascertained by the following indications : 



1st. When, on putting some leaves on the wick- 



them, and rear their heads as if in Jeafch for some- 

 thing else. 



2d. When on looking at them horizontally, (lie 

 light shines through them, and they appear of * 

 whitish yellow, transparent color. 



3d. When numbers of the worms which, were 

 fastened to the inside of the edges, and straightened, 

 now get upon the edges, and move slowly along, in- 

 stinct teaching them to seek change of place. 



4th. When numbers of worms leave the centre of 

 the wickers, and try to reach the edges, and crawl 

 upon them. 



5th. When their skins become wrinkled about 

 the neck, and their bodies have more softness to the 

 touch than heretofore, and feel like soft dough. 



6th. When their rings draw in, and their green- 

 ish color-changes to a deep golden hue. 



7th. When in taking a silk worm in the hand, and 

 looking through it, the whole body has assumed 

 the transparency of a ripe yellow plum. Whr-n 

 these signs appear in any of the insect*, every thing 

 should be prepared for their rising, that those worn.sr 

 which are ready to rise, may not lose their strength 

 and silk in seeking for the support they require. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND RULES. 



The reader will have perceived that to each day 

 of the feeding season, a given quantity of leaves 

 has been allotted by the diary above. This quanti- 

 ty in general will, doubtless, prove correct ; but then 

 the judicious, observing culturist, must not rely. on 

 these prescriptive aHowances, but exercise his own 

 judgment from day to day, with respect both to the 

 quantity of leaves to be given, and the time when, 

 the worms should be fed. Circumstances over 

 which he can have no' control, may operate to 

 make the appetites of the worms keener at one time 

 thin at another \ this will be indicated by the avidi- 

 ty with which they will consume their food. When- 

 ever theculturist discovers that the worms have eaten 

 all the leaves given them, sooner than usual, he 

 must give them an additional supply to stay their ap- 

 petites till their regular hour of feeding, as it is in- 

 jurious to let them remain for a long time without 

 nutrition. 



The culturist will also regulate the space occupied 

 by the worms on the feeding shelves, as they may 

 grow in size, it being a desirable object always to 

 give them ample room. As we have before urged 

 upon his consideration, he will'at all times take care 

 to have the apartment, of a large establishment, of tl.e 

 proper temperature, as much depends upon it for the 

 success of the labors of his worms; a sudden transi- 

 tion from heat to cold, as well as dampness, injuri- 

 ously affect them. 



While care must be taken not to let the worms 

 remain too long without food, over feeding must be 

 equally guarded against. This being the case, the 

 sensible culturist will at once perceive the necessity 

 for bringing his own powers of discrimination and 

 observation into play, and that, therefore, all that 

 the teacher can do is to give general rules, leaving 

 their application and modification with the culturist. 

 It may be laid down as an unerring principle, that 

 the more leaves the worms consume with avidity, 

 and in a healthful condition, the more silk will 

 they yield. Count Dandolo recommends chopping 

 of the leaves throughout the whole period of feed- 



ers, the insects get upon the leaves without eating ing; Mr. Smith, however, and other American feed- 

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