CHAPTER Ly. 
THE REARING OF SILK-WORMS. 
The chief conditions of success in silk raising are (1) the use of good 
. eggs; (2) proper care of the worms. 
The means of obtaining pure eggs will be described in the next chap- 
ter, and we will here consider the second of the conditions. 
Unless new, and especially where the worms raised with them the 
preceding season have suffered from any disease, all the implements 
and furniture used should be cleansed and purified by carefully serub- 
bing in soap and water. The walls of the room may, where convenient, 
be submitted to the same operation, and covered with a strong coat of 
whitewash. The room should then be tightly closed and thoroughly 
fumigated with burning brimstone during an entire day and night. It 
nay then, after being well aired, be used for the rearing of Silk-worms. 
The eggs when about to hatch, whether brought to this condition. by 
the systematic processes described in Chapter IJ, or by ruder methods, 
should be spread out on clean paper in as thin layers as possible. Over 
them should be lightly laid small pieces of ordinary mosquito-netting. 
When the worms begin to appear there should be sparsely scattered 
over this netting a few buds or finely-cut leaves. The newly born 
larvee will at once pass through its meshes in searcli of food, and the 
whole can then be easily removed to the table upon which they are to 
pass their first age. 
It is recommended by many to feed the worms while in this age, and, 
consequently, weak and tender, leaves that have been cut up or hashed, 
in order to give them more edges to eat upon and to make less work for 
them. This, however, is hardly necessary with annuals, although it is 
quite generally practised in France. With the second brood of Bivol- 
tins it might be advisable, inasmuch as the leaves at the season of the 
year when they appear have attained their fuli growth and are alittle 
tough for the newly-hatched individuals. In the spring, however, tiie 
leaves are small and tender, and nature has provided the young worms 
with sufficiently strong jaws to cut them. 
Many rules have been laid down as to regularity of feeding, and much 
stress has been put upon it by some writers, most advising four meals 
a day at regular intervals, while a given number of meals between molts 
has also been urged; but such definite rules are of but little avail, as 
so much depends upon circumstances and conditions. The food should, 
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