202 
THE ART OF REARING 
The persons who gather the cocoons should have 
a sheet of paper before them, to avoid dirting 
themselves with any worms that may be spoilt. 
All the cocoons that want a certain consistency, 
and feel soft to the touch, should be laid aside ; 
this must be rigorously enforced, that purchasers 
may not have any opportunity of lowering the 
price of the cocoons they want to buy, under the 
pretext that they are of a mixed and inferior 
quality. There is another advantage which may 
be derived from strictness on this point. I, every 
year, made very near as much by the silk I had 
spun from these refuse cocoons, as by the sale of 
the finest cocoons ; the silk may also be used for 
domestic purposes. 
But to return to my subject; the cocoons 
should be emptied out of the baskets upon hurdles 
or trays, placed in rows, and raised a certain dis- 
tance from the ground, that they may be conve- 
niently sorted and examined. 
The cocoons should be spread out about four 
fingers deep, or nearly up to the top of the edge 
of the wicker tray. 
The baskets, the floor, and all things used for 
gathering or holding the cocoons, should be most 
carefully cleaned. 
The labour of those employed within the labo- 
ratory should be so directed as to keep time with 
the work of those without, emoloved in nicking 
the cocoons from the bushes 
