12 
CUXiTtrEE OP SILKWOEMS, 
as stores for keeping cocoons. They should be subjected to 
thorough (liaiiLfection between the reitriiig of cmch brood, by 
fiunigaiion with sulphur and washing aU the traye, ajeotfuing 
frames, tmy-atanda ajid baskets used to hold the leaves with a 
carbolic acid soap Bolution. The trays used in one house shtuikl 
not be moved to another house unless disiufeettd first. 
All the refuse leaves, excreta, dead woims and sweepin^^s of 
the rearing' litmuses should lie removed from the hoim^s daily, and 
hurned at once. On no at-^iount should they be used as manure 
for the mulben-i^is until after burning. 
Tlie stands for the trays should he phiced in the centre of 
the houses so that they can eiisily l>e protected from insi?cts and 
Ix^ l^ot at U) disinfect, and if necessary. reatUly eneh>sed in nettiug. 
Houses of fift*.«ii fwt wide would be most (.■onvenieut, with a six- 
feet six-inch stand dawn the centre, so as to use a doubk' row of 
three-feet diameter trays six or seven tiers high, that is, that 
ea<*b fatluun ot length of tray stand would iU'Comm<Klate fnuu 
24 to 28 three-feet diameter trays, giving an area of from 169 to 
197 squai-e feet. A bouse 46 feet by 15 fi^t would therefore 
give 1^379 square feet of ti-ay surface, which would l>e sitflicient 
for the protluctiou of from one-and-a-balf to two pikuls of eo- 
coons i>er l>rood, or say eight pikvds per yuar. 
The stifling, sori iTiLr. ^InriiiL,' and |iaeking of the cocoons 
should 1x1 done fis far as j-i ju rit alile from the rearing houses, an<i 
all refuse from these operations should be curefuUy bumcd. 
To Iw a success, a good variety of worm should 1>e introduced, 
and apparently hmnhtjz Madtami would 1k^ the most suitable to 
the climate and conditions (»f Perak. I have already remarked 
on the inferiority of the hrrnhjic smemw, so that it need not Im 
gone over agtiin here. 
Having obtained a good breed of worms, they sho^ild he sub- 
jected to careful treatment by the Pasteur system to eliminate 
any hereditary taint that they may have, before they are given to 
the cultivators. Prom what 1ms already iK-t-n said, it will 1)e 
evident that it would t>e necessary to maintain a bree<ling estab- 
lishment for the supply of pure eggs. This should he some way 
from any tither estabUshment, and special pref'autious should he 
taken to avoid infection from wild moths, by the use of wire 
netting to all windows and doors of the rearing houses. With 
care in this respect there woidd only remain the rather remote 
chance of infection by means of tlie miillK^rry leaves used as food, 
having been soiled by some diseased wild moth or ciit^^rpiilar. 
This no ]iosBible means could lie taken to prevent. 
As gn^at difficulty has been exptirienced in India in the 
attempts which have been made, for some years |jast, by the 
