SILK CULTURE A HOME INDUSTRY. 



Mrs. J. D. Murphy, of San Francisco, President of the Ladies' Silk Culture 

 Society of California, writes in "Orchard and Farm": "In all countries where 

 the silk industry flourishes the work is mostly done by women and children, it 

 being essentially a home industry. The worm is the product of a tiny egg, laid 

 by an insect known as the silk moth; one ounce of these eggs will produce from 

 35,000 to 40,000 worms. One ounce of eggs will produce 1 6 to 22 pounds of 

 silk, according to the care in feeding the silk worms, the better the food in quality 

 and quantity the better the silk will be. The latest quotation from the Italian 

 silk market is from $4.70 to $5.20 a pound. We will now estimate what the 

 cost would be in raising 32 pounds of silk at the lowest figure. 



Two ounces of eggs, the finest procurable, the labor 



and the leaves provided by home industry $5.00 



The reeling, $1.25 a lb 40.00 



$45.00 



Silk, 32 lbs. at $4.70 a lb. .....$150.40 



Eggs and reeling 45.00 



Profit ~ ' 105.40 



Say incidentals $5 ; profit 1 00.00 



At the highest price, profit 150.00 



One woman and a boy could raise this silk in about six weeks. If there 

 are plenty of leaves to feed the worms the work could be continued to September, 

 cr as long as the leaves flourish." 



Mrs. Murphy writes me: "Until California is well supplied with mulberry 

 leaves, to feed the worms, instructions to raise them are useless. I hope you will 

 use all your influence to get your people to raise mulberry trees. Your Super- 

 visors should plant trees on the highways and raise money to care for them. A 

 dozen mulberry trees grown on the river bank or along the country road will form 

 the basis of a profitable industry for a good-sized family. Raw silk brings a good 

 price and is always in demand. The machinery for reeling is cheap and simple 

 and may be worked by hand." 



SPREADING BUTTERFLIES FOR MOUNTS. 



In spreading butterflies and moths for the "Ximena McGlashan" or similar 

 mounts you do not need spreading boards. Any smooth thin board, such as a 

 cigar box cover, or even a piece of heavy cardboard, a few pins and a spreading 

 needle is all that is required. Glazed paper pasted on the board gives a smooth 

 surface. Pin the insect through the thorax from the underside, with its back 

 downward. Spread the wings and lay strips of glass upon them. To hold the 

 body in place stick a pin on each side between the thorax and abdomen and if 

 necessary stick a second pair of pins at the neck or in front of the wings. To 

 press the legs down close to the body pin strips of paper across them each side 

 of the pin. This is the method recommended by Clifton F. Hodge in "Nature 

 Study and Life." 

 TO REMOVE THE PIN FROM A SPECIMEN. 



When you wish to place a specimen in a Riker, Denton Brothers' or 

 Ximena McGlashan mount, if the butterfly has been spread, you must remove 

 the pin. To do this grasp the head of the pin firmly and rest the point upon a 

 table. Take hold of the pin above the insect with the jaws of your forceps, and 

 slide the forceps down until they rest upon the thorax. Gently but firmly press 

 the body of the insect downward, meanwhile keeping the forceps closed upon 



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