SILK-WORMS. 199 
suffer from the time they are finished, until the 
appearance of the moth. 
1 . Gathering of the Cocoons. 
According to my experiments, strong, healthy, 
and well-managed silk-worms will complete the 
cocoon in three days and a half at farthest, reck- 
oning, from the moment when they first begin 
casting the floss. 
This period will be shorter if the silk-worms 
spin the silk in a higher temperature than that 
which I had fixed, and in very dry air. 
It is also more or less prolonged if the silk- 
worms are not well and healthy, or if they are 
exposed to a colder temperature than has been 
fixed. If they are exposed to transitions of heat 
and cold, to damp and vitiated air, or to draughts 
of wind before the cocoon is sufficiently advanced 
to shelter them entirely ; and in short, if a great 
number of the silk-worms rise long after the first 
have risen, which is always the consequence of 
bad management and ill-directed care. 
I allow it may appear difficult to old practical 
cultivators immediately to change their old habits 
to adopt new customs, however easy they may 
prove. 
To avoid the losses which any slight inattention 
may have occasioned, it will be better thgy should 
