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SILK WORMS OF Nouth-America. 300 



The troughs fliould be always kept full of water, and 

 placed in a fhade, fccure from the violence of wind, which 

 might fhake down the worms; but not too much confin- 

 ed, bccaufe a little air is agreeable to them. T!\rough a 

 hole in the bottom of the trough, the water might be let 

 out every two or three days, and the troughs filled again 

 with freili water, which by this means would continue 

 fweet and clean. 



By this method, I am pcrfuaded, they might be raifed 

 to advantage, and perhaps, in time, become no contempt- 

 ible branch of commerce. They appear to me much eafi- 

 er raifed than the Italian or foreign filk worms. I did 

 not loofe one by ficknefs. They hatch fo late in the fprin: 



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that they are not fubjed to be hurt by the froft. Ncithet 

 lightenings nor thunder difturb them, as they are laid to 

 do foreign worms. And as they lie fo long in their chry- 

 Hills ftate, the, cocoons may be unwinded at leifure hours 

 in the enfiiing winter. One thing more in their favour is 

 that one of their cocoons will weigh more then four of the 

 foreign worms; and, of confequence, it may be prcfumed, 

 will yield a proportionable greater quantity of filk. Thefe 

 properties, not to mention their being natives, and therefore 

 accuftomed to our climate, and the variety of vegetables, 

 on which they feed, muft render them much more promif- 

 ing than the eaftern or foreign worms, and, it is to be 

 hoped, will induce fome who have leifure to make further 



trials of them. Any time before the middle oi May will 

 do to colled them. Now is the time to colled the cocoons, 

 and with a little pains a fafficient number of them may 

 be found in almofl any fwamp or level piece of land, to 

 make a beginning. 



I would advife them to prepare boxes, in the following 

 manner: They may be of any convenient length, about 

 fix inches deep, and four or five wide; without a bottom, 

 and inftead of a clofe cover for the top, let there be ftrips 

 of wood nailed on, fo clofe to each other as not to admit 

 the worms crawling through. Let there, alfo, be fevcral 



holes 



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