KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 
taken place on the eighth. The routine of 
management is now nearly the same as 
during the first age. Mulberry twigs with 
the leaves on, or separate leaves, may be 
spread over them; and as soon as the worms 
are fairly established upon them, they should 
be removed to clean paper trays kept in 
readiness. In this age they will require 
double the space to grow in, for they are now 
beginning to increase considerably in size. 
They must be laid in squares (about one 
fourth the space they will fill during this age), 
and particular care must be taken to enlarge 
the squares every time they arefed. Proper 
attention, too, must be paid to the quantity 
of food given, which must be increased up 
to the fourth day of the second sickness. On 
the fifth day they will require but little, and 
on the sixth little or none, as they will now 
become torpid. When at this age, the leaves 
need not be cut at all, but given as they are 
gathered from the tree. They will now con- 
sume double the quantity ; and in much less 
time. 
The temperature of the room in which they 
are kept should be as equable as possible. 
The apartment should be well ventilated, but 
no strong current of air should be allowed to 
pass over the worms. When the sun shines 
brightly, a blind should be hung up against 
the window; for the intense rays of the sun 
are very hurtful to them. The neglect of 
these precautions is the cause (too often) of 
failure and disappointment. 
The “THIRD AGE” of the silkworm com- 
mences from about the fifteenth day of its 
birth. The worms, after their third sickness, 
will have increased to such a size as again to 
require double the space which they had 
during their second age, and four times the 
quantity of food. When they have revived 
from their sickness, which can be told by 
their increased activity and apparent anxiety 
or food, they should be removed to clean 
trays. The food must be gradually increased 
up to the fifth day; but on the sixth, half 
the quantity will be sufficient. On the seventh, 
little or none must be given, seeing that, on 
the eighth, they will begin to cast their skins 
and enter upon their fourth age. 
The “FouRTH AGE” of the silkworm com- 
mences about the twenty-first day of its 
birth. In this age they will consume nearly 
three times the quantity of leaves which they 
did in the third age. The leaves should now 
be givenin their natural state (not chopped) ; 
and the worms will require at least double the 
extent of space which was allotted to them in 
the preceding ages. Remove them, as inthe 
previous ages ; and every time they are fed 
increase the quantity of food up to the fifth 
day. On the sixth day give about half the 
quantity ; and on the seventh day little or 
none. They are now about to pass through 
99 
their last moult, and enter upon their final 
and most precarious stage as silkworms. 
At this age of the worms, most particular 
attention must be paid to the temperature. 
If the weather be very cold, a fire ought to 
be made in the apartment in which they are 
kept ; and every method adopted to prevent 
the worms being exposed to any damp. All 
objects yielding any offensive smell should 
be removed, and the air in which they are 
kept should be occasionally renewed. This 
may be effected by sprinkling the apartment 
with chloride of lime. 
The “‘ FIFTH AGE”? commences about the 
28th day from the birth; and this may be con- 
sidered the commencement of the largest and 
most dangerous size of the silkworm. ‘The 
greatest attention must now be paid—not only 
to the feeding, but to the ventilating of the 
apartment ; and be sure to keep up a regular 
temperature, and prevent the entrance of 
dampness and noxious air. Strict attention, 
too, must be paid to the excrement of the 
worms. This and the refuse leaves must be 
removed every morning. Cleanliness is of 
the greatest importance in the keeping of 
silkworms. 
In this last age, the worms should be fed 
with full-grown leaves, given whole. The 
quantity they require, if they be in good 
health, will be about four times what they con- 
sumed during their first four ages. On no ac- 
count must the leaves be given in a wet state ; 
and it will be advisable that a stock be always 
kept in hand, in case of wet weather. Ifthe 
leaves be two days old, they will answer very 
well, but they must be kept dry; not piled 
upon each other, but spread out singly, and 
turned occasionally, to prevent the tops from 
shrivelling. 
Up to the sixth day, they will consume 
an immense quantity of leaves, and of course 
the quantity must be increased every time 
the wormsare fed. Every morning, bear in 
mind, they should be removed to clean trays. 
If it be found necessary to remove a few of 
the large worms, it is a good plan to take them 
up with a quill. The less they are handled 
the better; for the heat of our hands being 
much greater than their bodies, it does them 
an injury from which they frequently never 
recover. ‘The paper trays used the first day 
will answer for the third, and so on. For 
the seventh day, a less quantity of leaves 
will be required than on the former day; 
and on the eighth day still less. On the 
ninth day very few will be required ; but it 
should be well remembered that the worms 
should have as much food given them as they 
will consume. This should be most carefully 
attended to, in this age of the silkworm. It 
now requires all the nutrition that can be 
administered to it. The juices from which 
the silk is to be produced are commencing to 
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