116 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR, 
perhaps the best and cheapest can be made of 
strong cotton cloth, (osnaburg,) three or four 
widths should be sow'ed together, with small 
rods across the bottom, which will answer as 
weights, and also as rollers, which, by the aid 
ol a pulley, may be rolled or let down, at plea- 
sure. 
The width of the sheds must be governed by 
the size of the hurdles or feeding trays used. 
The width that I have adopted is from eighteen 
to twenty feet. The length according to the 
extent of the leeding contemplated. 
Where it is designed locarry on an ex ensive 
business, a building should be constructed ex- 
pressly for the purpose. It should be on an ele- 
vated situation, convenient to the mulberry or-^ 
chard. There should be a cellar under the 
building. Any material commonly used for 
building may be employed. If of wood, wea- 
ther-boarded and plastered. It would be well to 
fill up the space between the two with tan bark 
or unburnt brick, or something of the kind, 
which will render the temperature' more uni- 
form. The width of the building should be 
twenty or twenty-eight feet. The former admit- 
ting of two, and the latter of three double ranges 
of hurdles or trays of suitable size. The 
length suited to the extent of the business de- 
signed. It should be two stories high, and so 
constructed as to be thoroughly ventilated. 
There should be two double doors in each end, 
with doors, windows, and ventilators in the 
sides. The windows should extend to near the 
tops of the rooms. There should be sliding ven- 
tilators near the fio ir. The windows may be 
filled with oiled paper or cloth, which will ad 
mit the light and exclude the sun. It would al- 
so be important to have under each tier of hur- 
dles, through the floor, two planks of ten inches 
width each, hung with hinges that they may 
be raised at pleasure by a pulley. Also an up- 
right ventilator on the root, hlted with blinds, 
through which a constant draft may be kept up. 
In one end of the building in each of the two 
doors there should be a ventilating wheel made 
of thin boards, (plank,) much after the form of 
the wheels applied to the stern of our steam 
propellers. These wheels should be about two 
feet in diameter. They should be put in motion 
for a few minutes every hour, or oftener in still 
weather. Both may be made to turn by one 
crank, connecting each by bands and whirls to 
the main shaft. 
An air furnace, such as is now employed in 
heating churches and other buildings, should be 
constructed in the cellar, and so arranged as to 
draw from the feeding rooms all the air neces- 
sary to supply the furnace. The air, when 
heated in the chamber, should be conveyed 
through the whole length of the rooms, in a 
square pipe with openings at short distances 
from each other, which should incr?ase in size 
as they recede from the furnace. These open- 
ings may be so connected as to be all closed at 
once, or a valve applied at the air chamber 
may be used to cut off the communication of 
heated air when the temperature is sufficiently 
high in the rooms, suffering the hot air to es- 
cape outside of the building. In the last ages 
of the worms the furnace will be found of great 
benefit, even when the heat is not required in 
the rooms, for the purpose of drawing oS and 
consuming the impure air of the cocoonery. 
At Economy, they not only make use of air fur- 
naces, but iu an adjoining building they have a 
large air pump constantly in operation, con- 
nected with the cocoonery by a pipe with small 
openings through the length of the building. 
This pump is kept in motion by a steam engine. 
With good eggs, when proper means have 
been employed for their preservation and the 
leeding apartments thoroughly ventilated, I do 
not know of a single instance where the worms 
have proved unhealthy. 
From the conviction that proper regard had 
not generally been paid to the ventilation of co- 
cooneries, in the summer of 1842 I commenced 
a series of experiments, by which I ascertained 
that the silkworm during its last age, consu.ned 
nearly its own weight of leaves daily; and 
that the amount of exhalations or imperceptible 
perspiration given off \n proporlion to the quan- 
tity ol food consumed, was about equal to that 
ascertained to escape from a healthy man. 
1 found, from the most carefully conducted 
experiments, that the weight of one hundred 
thousand silkworms, about five days before their 
time of winding, was 458 pounds, and that they 
would consume daily 372 pounds ol leaves,* 
and that their increased weight in twenty-four 
hours from the food consumed was 46 pounds; 
and that the enormous amount of 206 pounds 
was given off in the same lime, in the form of 
exhalations or imperceptible perspiration alone. 
This, then, I think, fully explains the cause of 
disease complained of by many, and establishes 
the importance of ventilation in every possible 
form. 
In one corner of the building there should be 
a hatching robin, with which the furnace below 
should be connected so as to receive a greater or 
less degree of heat, as may be required, wi hour 
reference to the temperature of the feeding rooms. 
FIXTURES. 
In fitting up the hurdles or feeding shelves for 
a building of twenty feet wide; it will require 
a d'lable range of posts two and a half or three 
inches square, on each side of the centre of the 
room, running length wise, and the length of the 
shelves apart, in the ranges, and each two cor- 
responding posts, crosswise of the ranges, about 
the width ol the two shelves apart. On each 
double range across the posts are nailed strips, 
one inch or more in width and about fifiein 
inches apart, on which the trays or hurdles rest, 
which may be drawn out or slid in as may be 
found necessary in feeding. The aisles or pas- 
sagesof a building of the above width will be 
four feet each, allowing two feet for the width 
of ea"h single hurdle. 
The hurdles that I have used for many years 
are of twine net work A frame is first made 
five feet long and two feet wide, of boards se- 
ven-eighths of an inch think, and one and a 
half inches wide. Theie should be two braces 
across the frame at equal distances of fi ve-eignihs 
by seven-ei.hths of an inch square. On a line 
about half and inch Irom the inner edge of the 
frame are driven tacks nearly down to their 
heads, at such distances as will make the mesh- 
es of the net about three quarters of an inch 
square. Good hemp or flax twine is passed 
around these tacks, forming a net by passing 
the filling rfiJirWe over and under the war, , or 
that part of the twine that runs lengthwise. 
This twine should be some what smaller than 
that running lengthwise. On a damp day the 
twine becomes tight; 1 then give the net'ing 
two good coats of shellac varnish. This ce- 
ments the whole together and renders it firm and 
durable. 
The varnish is made by dissolving a quantity 
of gum shellac in alcohol in a tin covered ves- 
sel, and placed near the fire. It should be re- 
duced, when used, to the consistence of paint. 
Another set of frames are made in the same 
way and of the same size, and covered with 
strong cotton or tow cloth, this is secured with 
small tacks. Upon these the net frames rest, 
which serve to catch the litter that falls through 
from the worms. 
Hurdles made and supported in this manner 
admit of a more free circulation of air, and the 
litter is less liable to mould or ferment, and can 
be removed and cleaned at pleasure. 
With this kind of hurdle and screen, I make 
use of winding frames, constructed in the fol- 
lowing manner: A light frame is made ol 
boards one and a half inches wide, and the 
length of the hurdles, and two feet and lour inch- 
es wide; this is filled crosswise with thin laths 
about one inch apart in the clear. The manner 
of using these, will be hereafter explained. 
They answer the two-toM purpose of winding 
frames and mounting ladders. 
’Had these worms been fed in the ordinary manner 
they would have consumed many more leaves in the 
same time. But to preserve the greatest possible ac- 
curacy, through the whole experiment, they were fed 
rather sparingly. 
The care and expense required in fitting up a 
house on this plan may prevent its general adop- 
tion. 
The most common method that has been 
heretofore eneployed is permanent shelves, but 
the labor required to keep the worms properly 
cleaned renders this plan objectionable. 
At Economy, Penn., the rearing of the silk- 
worm is now carried on to a great extent, and 
more successfully than in any other pa.i of the 
United Stales, or perhaps the world. Their 
bouses are two stories high. The worms are 
fed on small Ir^s about eighteen or twenty 
inches wide, and about three feet long. They 
are supported in the same manner as the hur- 
dles above described, and are about six inches 
apart. When the worms are about ready to 
wind, they are transferred to the upper story, to 
permanent shelves about sixteen inches apart, 
where they form their cocoons in bunches of 
straw placed upright between the shelves. The 
worms are cleaned at least once after every 
moulting, and after the last, everyday. For 
this purpose they have nets wove or knit, of 
cotton iwine, something larger than the size of 
the trays, with meshes of various sizes suited 
to the age of the worms. For the last age they 
are about three quarters of an inch square. 
They are used wiihiml frames. When it is re- 
quired to remove the worms from their litter, 
the nets are laid lightly over them, and then 
plentiful y fed. When the worms have arisen 
upon the fiesh leaves, they are removed by two 
persons taking hold of the four corners of the 
net and transferring them to clean trays, held 
and carried off by a third person. One hundred 
thousand are changed in this manner in two 
hours. 
DESCRIPTION op THE SILK WORM. 
It will he necessary for the inexperienced 
cuiturisi to have some knowledge of the forms, 
changes and appearances of the silkworm be- 
fore he enters upon the duties of his interesting 
charge. 
The silkworm is a species ol caterpillar, 
whose lile is one continual succession of chan- 
ges, which, in due time, becomes a moth or 
winged insect, like others of the genus. 
The time occupied in going through its dif- 
ferent forms of existence varies in different 
countries — governed by climate, temperature, 
and the quality and quaniity of the food upon 
which it is fed, and the nature of the particular 
variety of the msect. 
The worm changes or casts its skin (ol the 
common varieties) tour times before it attains 
its full g.'-owlh. These changes are called 
mouliings, and the periods intervening b-tweeu 
the several moultings are termed ages. When 
it is first hatched it is of a blackish color, which 
afterwards becomes lighter, varying almost 
daily to different shades, and in different vaiie- 
ties through every age, to the close of the last, 
or near the time ol spinning, when it assumes 
a grayish yellow .semi transparent appearance. • 
Having tried all (he varieties that have been 
introduced into the United States, those I con- 
sider the best are known as the Chinese Imperial, 
producing a large salmon colored peanut shaped 
cocoon; and a kind called the Peanut, produc- 
ing a mixture of white and salmon colored co- 
coons. This variety produces a larger and 
more firm cocoon than any of that name that I 
have seen. 
TIME OP HATCHINS— REARING. 
When the leaves ol the mulberry have put 
forth, to the size of about an inch in diameter, 
it may be generally inferred that the proper 
time for hatching the worm has arrived. 
The papers or cloths containing the eggs 
should then be brought out and placed in the 
hatching room, upon a table or trays made for 
tbe purpose. When artificial means are em- 
ployed, the temperature should be gradually 
raised until the lime of hatching, which will be 
in about ten days, to 75^* or 80° of Fahrenheit’s 
thermometer. But few worms will make their 
appearance on the first day, but on the second 
and third the most will come out; should there 
be a few remaining on the fourth day they may 
