precious burden, to a jelly glass. If you knew the name of the mother moth 

 or butterfly you will have consulted the Foodplant Charts and will have the 

 leaves of one or more plants upon which the larvae will feed. If several plants 

 are named in the charts as acceptable to that particular species put in leaves of 

 all and ascertain which they prefer. Of course, the kind of leaves upon which 

 most of them congregate and nibble indicates their preference. Feed them upon 

 their favorite and do not change it for another during their entire life in the 

 larval stage. To change the foodplant after they have been accustomed to its 

 leaves is often injurious and frequently fatal, even though they might have sub- 

 sisted from the outset upon the plant which you substituted. They should be kept 

 in a shaded place,, not cold and not over-heated. 



WHAT IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THE FOODPLANT. 



When nine out of ten batches of moth eggs hatch at my farm I do not know 

 the foodplant upon which the larvae will feed. When you send eggs to soma 

 scientist across the continent, if he does not know the species of the mother fly 

 he has not the slightest idea of the food which the larvae require. You are in- 

 structed to get eggs from every battered female, if possible, yet when the eggs 

 hatch you will not have the slightest idea what food is necessary. You and I, 

 however, have one great advantage over the distant scientist. We know that 

 the mother was produced by a caterpillar which fed upon some plant which grows 

 in our locality and if we offer the leaves of all the plants in our neighborhood 

 we are sure to find the right one. The scientist does not know that, for it is 

 quite possible the natural foodplant does not grow where he lives. He must 

 find something "just as good." When your eggs hatch and you do not know 

 what to feed the larvae, find out. Invert the jelly glass and on the inside of the 

 tin lid place little slips of twenty different leaves. If they eat any one you have 

 made the discovery. After three or four hours if they do not cluster upon some 

 leaf introduce slips of twenty other plants, and after three or four hours, of twenty 

 others, and so on until you discover the right plant. It is fortunate that nearly all 

 larvae are satisfied with the leaves of many different plants, and in practice it is 

 not generally difficult to discover a suitable food. Scientists like to know the 

 natural foodplant of larvae, but the butterfly farmer is content if he finds some- 

 thing upon which they will subsist. I wish to urge you to jot down in your note 

 book the name of each foodplant you discover. If you do not know its name 

 send me the plant by mail. If possible, send root, plant,, flower and seed. 



DIFFERENT STYLES OF CAGES. 



Some authors advocate using glass tumblers inverted over sheets of paper, 

 for cages, and this method is well suited for school rooms where individual cater- 

 pillars are raised. Other writers tell us to invert jelly glasses, without covers, over 

 a cloth-covered table. Each book-maker gives a little different method for con- 

 fining the larvae while they are feeding, and each method may be successfully 

 tested. A large lamp chimney covered with gauze or netting may be placed over 

 a growing plant and makes a good cage for some species. 



Geo. D. Hulst says: "Ordinary breeding boxes are made, if small, with 

 glass front, with netting on either end, with a door behind through which the 

 food can be changed, and the box itself easily cleaned. If large, a space at each 

 end covered with gauze will suffice for ventilation, and the top can be arranged 

 with a movable frame closely fitting and covered with close netting or gauze. 

 It is preferable, we think, in large boxes to have them without bottom. They can 

 be placed upon the ground and moved as cleanliness demands." 



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