98 
liable to break in reeling. Thereby, neither 
trouble nor waste will be caused ; and eight 
pounds of cocoons of this superior size will, 
with careful and skilful reeling, produce a 
pound of raw silk. In the manufacture of 
this silk, the waste will be exceedingly small. 
The eggs are to be obtained, as they were 
laid on the paper the preceding season by 
the female moth. Some persons recommend 
taking the eggs off the paper; then distri- 
buting them on a paper tray, or other recep- 
tacle appropriate forthem. If the eggs were 
originally laid on paper, it would be as well 
to let the eggs remain upon it; and so soon 
as a sufficiency of food can be regularly 
insured, to place them in the sun, or under 
the influence of an artificial temperature, for 
the purpose of expediting the hatching. The 
paper tray for the worms, which is nothing 
more than a sheet of paper folded up at the 
ends and sides, may be about six inches 
square. When the eggs begin to hatch, let 
a piece of writing paper (pierced with nume- 
rous holes) be put over the eggs, through 
_ which the worms crawl as they hatch; and 
on the paper lay some small twigs of mul- 
berry, with the leaves on. The worms, in 
getting through the holes, immediately lodge 
on the twigs, which, when covered, you 
should remove to another paper tray about 
eighteen inches square. More leaves should 
then be placed over the eggs, and removed 
as soon as the worms are upon them. The 
time of hatching generally commences at five, 
and lasts till nine o’clock in the morning. It 
will take about three days for the whole of 
the eggs to be hatched, and each day’s hatch- 
ing should be placed on a separate tray, so 
as to occupy one-fourth of the space. The 
day of the month, too, should be carefully 
noted down, so as to prevent all future 
confusion. 
When first hatched, the produce of the 
ege appears like a small black worm, of about 
a quarter of an inch in length. Its first sign 
of animation is the desire which it evinces 
for obtaining food, in search of which it will 
roam about. But so little desire is there for a 
change of place on the part of these animals, 
that of the generality it may be said their 
inclination seldom causes them to travel over 
a greater space than three feet throughout 
the whole duration of their lives ! 
As soon as the worms have done coming 
forth for the day, and are removed, they 
should have a little food given to them. This 
may be a few young leaves, chopped very 
fine, which should be sprinkled over them. 
Some prefer giving the leaves whole, as they 
consider that, when chopped, they lose a 
considerable portion of their nutritive juices. 
The food must be given to them in very 
small quantities, so as at first not to cloy the 
appetite of the worm ; for the silkworm is a 
KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 
Voracious eater. Indeed, its whole life ap- 
pears to be devoted to the satisfaction of its 
appetite. It will be found advisable to feed 
the worms at least four times a-day. ‘The 
first meal should be given very early in the 
morning—the second about nine or ten; the 
third at three in the afternoon, and the last 
at nine in the evening. 
The quantity of leaves given should in- 
crease at every meal up to the fifth day, and 
the chopped leaves should be spread a little 
wider every time that they are fed. Thus, 
as the worms increase in size, they will have 
moreroom to feed. This may be considered 
the proper course of management up to the 
fifth day from the time of hatching. On 
the sixth day, a less quantity should be 
given them. On the seventh, little will be 
required; and on the eighth, or thereabouts, 
the first sickness, which is called moulting, 
will take place. 
This may be called the ‘“FrrsT AGE” of the 
silkworm. On the third day from its first 
refusal of food, the animal appears on that 
account much wasted in its bodily frame,— 
a circumstance which naturally assists it in 
the painful operation of casting its skin. In 
order to facilitate this moult, a kind of humor 
is thrown off by the worm, which, spreading 
between the body and the skin about to be 
abandoned, lubricates their surfaces, and 
causes them to separate more readily. It 
also emits from its body silken traces, which, 
adhering to the spot on which it rests, serve 
to confine the skin to its then existing position. 
In two or three minutes from the commence- 
ment of its efforts, the worm is wholly freed, 
and again puts on the appearance of health 
and vigor, feeding with renewed appetite upon 
its leafy banquet. When the silkworm gets 
over his first sickness and moulting, he is of 
a greyish color; and his little trunk, or point 
of his head, is jet black, by which color he is 
then distinguished. It must, however, be 
observed that this first moulting, or casting 
their skins, depends entirely upon the tempe- 
rature in which they have been kept. [fthe 
temperature be kept up to seventy-five de- 
grees, they would cast their skins on the sixth 
or seventh day. Asarule, the hotter they 
are kept the more rapid their growth; and 
they consequently go through their changes 
more quickly. Still, the risk is greater. 
The litter must not be cleared away from 
the worms until they have parted with their 
skin ; it should then be immediately removed. 
Great care must be always taken in giving 
the worms dry leaves. Indeed they ought 
always to be gathered some hours before they 
are used. Wet leaves almost invariably 
produce sickness and disease. 
The “SECOND AGE” of the silkworm may 
be said to commence on the ninth day of its 
rearing; that is, supposing the moult to have 


