222 THE CALIFORNIA 



very tender leaves for that first age, but they prefer 

 young twigs, as I have said before, and with twigs they 

 are easier to remove from one paper to the other ; give 

 them small quantities at the time, but often, at least six 

 times or more during the twenty-four hours. 



When the young brood are piled too closely, a part 

 can be removed on the young twigs or branches. They 

 eat well for about three days, after which they grow 

 torpid, and must not then be disturbed till awakened. 

 You need not remove the litter during this stage, but 

 remove them afterwards by putting fresh twigs two or 

 three times, so as to cover all the worms or nearly so, 

 after which you throw the litter away. 



After each and every successive change, their appe- 

 tite increases daily more and more, but gradually dimin- 

 ishes as their change approaches. 



Second Age. The silkworm now awakes hungry, but 

 let those which awake too soon still hunger till all are 

 awakened, that all may be equal ; they have now be- 

 come of a dark ash color. Feed them for two or three 

 days with branches containing young and tender leaves, 

 and afterwards with branches having young leaves and 

 some older, but when they will grow torpid they must 

 not be disturbed. The litter during this stage is to be 

 often removed, and you may lure the silkworms to any 

 corner of the shelf by a few twigs, when you choose, 

 for the purpose of sweeping the litter, or you may re- 

 move them to other shelves on branches. 



Third Age. Then you begin to place your branches 

 as represented in the engraving, (see frontispiece) and 



