200 THE MODERN HISTORY OF SILK. 



that the eggs of Silkworms may be hatched at 

 almost any time. But certainly the most proper 

 season is at the time the mulbeny is in leaf, at 

 least to those who engage in the breeding of them 

 for mercantile purposes. 



The chief reasons for recommending the full 

 foliation of the mulbeny-tree, for the regulation of 

 this matter, are these : The first is, that there may 

 be a sufficient store of their natural food ready for 

 the young worms as soon as they are excluded fi-om 

 the eggs, which will preclude all necessity for seek- 

 ing after other food. A second is, that these worms 

 being originally natives of a warm climate, may be 

 sure to be brought to life when the air is of a tem- 

 perature congenial and agreeable to them, since it 

 is a general observation among gardeners, that 

 when the mulberry-tree begins to expand its 

 foliage, it is a certain sign of the near approach of 

 fine, warm, settled weather. A third reason is, 

 that the mulberry-trees may be permitted to put 

 forth a good quantity of leaves before any of them 

 are plucked, that so they may not suffer so much 

 in health from being stript of their foliage as they 

 otherwise would do, and may be equal to the sup- 

 port of a much larger stock of insects. For it is 

 certain, that the leaves are as necessary to the life 

 of a vegetable as the skin or the lungs are to that 

 of an animal. If, therefore, most of the young 

 leaves are immediately cropped off as soon as they 



