418 On the Management of the Silk-ff orm. 
About 10 or 12 days after gathering the cocoons, if the thermometer 
stands about 70 degrees, the moth will appear. The male and female 
will immediately couple. The next day the female should be placed on 
linen (it is preferable to paper) to deposit her eggs. In about four or 
five days she will have finished her work, and terminated her short but 
eventful life. The linen with the eggs should remain in a dry airy place, 
for about a fortnight ; and then be folded up and put away in as dry 
and cold a place as possible, but out of the reach of frost. 
The following is the most simple method of steaming the cocoons : — 
Take a tin saucepan al'out 18 inches deep, and 10 in diameter, and fill 
the same with water, to the depth of 4 or 5 inches ; over that should be 
hung, to reach within about five inches of the water, a division of tin, 
perforated with numerous holes, to allow the steam to escape above, 
wherein a basket made to fit the upper division, should be placed, filled 
with cocoons ; it should be covered over with a lid, made to fit tight, so 
that little or no steam should escape. The water should be made to boil 
before you place the basket of cocoons in it; it should remain about eight 
minutes, the water kept boiling all the time, but not violently. Ano- 
ther basket-ful should be in readiness to replace the one taken out, and 
so on till you complete the whole. After remaining a few minutes in 
the basket they should be spread out to dry, and in about ten days or a 
fortnight they will be sufficiently dry to put away. 
The space that will be required for the rearing of the produce of an 
ounce of eggs, will be, — 
For the First age, about 7 square feet. 
Second age, 14 
Third age, 50 
Fourth age, 120 
Fifth age, 360 
The quantity of leaves which will be required, is — 
For the First age, about 6 pounds weight. 
Second age, 12 
Third age, 50 
Fourth age, 150 
Fifth age....... 1000 
As this is intended for the cottager { give it in as plain and economi- 
cal a way as possible, so that every article used, may be wilhin the reach 
of the most humble. 
I now come to make a few observations with respect to the supply of 
food to be obtained, to rear this singular and most useful insect, which I 
have no doubt can be very easily accomplished. 
Many have been the experiments to find out a substitute for the Mul- 
berry, but none as yet has been found to answer the purpose. We 
must therefore look to the Black Mulberry, {Morus niyrn,) or the 
White Mulberry. {Morvs alba,) as the only trees likely to answer. 
