JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 409 
distance, by placing them in single layers with damp cloths 
between them, and keeping them in a cool place. The work of 
feeding and tending silkworms may be quite as well performed by 
women as by men, and indeed children might possibly be educated 
to do it satisfactorily. Schoolboys, as we all know, have had for 
some years past much of the English silkworm-rearing in their 
hands. 
Only a very few “ magnaneries ” or apartments devoted to the 
rearing of silkworms have been described in England. Dr. Wallace, 
who has written much upon various silkworms, had one of these 
at Colchester, which was somewhat elaborately constructed. This 
room was 20 feet long, 15 feet broad, and 11 feet high, connected 
on the south side with a less room, beyond which was a green¬ 
house, so that on suitable days a current of fresh air, sun-warmed, 
could be introduced. An Arnott's stove fitted with an Arnott’s 
Fig. 82.—Silkworms at Home. 
ventilator was in the room, and a fire lit each evening, which, 
made up at 10 p.m., could be left all right unattended to. In 
addition to this he had a Mussett’s gas-boiler, with a horizontal 
coil of four pieces at one end of the room, heated by two atmo¬ 
spheric burners. From the gas apparatus extra heat was obtained 
if requisite, also it was occasionally used instead of the Arnott’s 
stove. The temperature in the room was duly watched, and its 
humidity regulated by the aid of a small hygrometer, for silk¬ 
worms do not thrive when the air is too damp, which it may easily 
become from the moisture of the leaves. About 25 of the hygro¬ 
meter is a good average to maintain. 
But any room, not too surrounded by other rooms, might be 
adapted for this purpose, and in some cases there would be no 
difficulty in warming it as might be requisite by the source from 
which heat is given to a hothouse or conservatory adjacent. Booms 
with open fireplaces do very well; such are in frequent use through¬ 
out the silkworm districts on the continent. Under the ordinary 
circumstances of our English summer, silkworms, whose life ex¬ 
tends from May through June, including part of July, would have 
to endure some great variations of temperature if no precautions 
were taken for their benefit. Artificial warmth on many nights, 
and on some cloudy days, needs to be supplied ; any excess of 
heat, natural or artificial, must be guarded against. The adjust¬ 
ment of ventilation is another important matter, since it is always 
desirable to avoid letting air into the silkworms’ room, which is 
either cold or loaded with particles of moisture. One of the older 
naturalists seems to have been of the opinion that silkworms (or 
other caterpillars that we may be nurturing) require to be pro¬ 
tected from the injurious effects of—noise ! And Bennie argues 
in one of his books that caterpillars have the sense of hearing, 
since he observed that a party of sociable ones upon a bush all 
moved their heads in the direction from which a sudden report 
proceeded. It might certainly be as well to avoid a place for 
breeding which is liable to either loud noises or violent concus¬ 
sions, and strong odours of any kind would be prejudicial to the 
worms. There have been instances of silkworm trays being 
attacked by wasps, which stung a number of them to death. And 
having once put in the open air a tray containing some of the 
moths engaged in laying eggs, during my brief absence several 
sparrows swooped down upon them and carried off nearly all. 
There have as yet been few persons in England who have 
reared silkworms by thousands or tens of thousands, so that the 
methods practised in France and Italy, and necessarily imitated 
here to some extent, have not been fairly tested by us. Both the 
nets and the perforated paper, or papier filets, in requisition 
abroad, have been tried here, our continental friends now gene- 
rally giving preference to the latter, which are cheap, and 
stamped by machinery with holes of four sizes to suit the various 
ages of worms. Against these papers it may be alleged that they 
become soiled and damp, therefore frequent fresh supplies are 
required. Nets, of which the smaller are machine-made, the 
larger made by hand, would cost rather more, but they can be 
washed from time to time, and Dr. Wallace gives his testimony 
in their favour. He recommends the employment of a small leaf¬ 
cutting machine, on the principle of a chaff-cutter, at least as the 
worms grow and begin to be more voracious ; while they are quite 
small the leaves can be snipped up with scissors. After the silk¬ 
worms have passed the last change of skin it is customary in 
all the magnaneries to give them the leaves whole. For my 
part, I must say that in the range of my experiments it has not 
proved of particular advantage to cut the leaves in pieces, except 
during what may be called the period of infancy. Shelves may 
be placed round the walls of a room, but the worms that are in 
the trays upon them do not receive full benefits of the ventilation 
given, and probably moveable stands of wood are better, upon 
which there can be adjusted shallow boxes, or wicker baskets, or 
trays of stout paper.—J. B. S. C. 
KOYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY. 
May 17th. 
The first summer Show of the year at Begent’s Park proved a 
great success in every respect; the weather was exceptionally favour¬ 
able, the plants numerous, and the 'general arrangements all that 
could be desired. Though in some of the classes the competition 
has been keener on previous occasions the chief prizes were well con¬ 
tested, and all the exhibits were highly satisfactory in quality. We 
can only give a brief review of the chief features. 
Stove and Greenhouse Plants. —These were remarkably well shown, 
the competition being close in all the chief classes. In the nursery¬ 
men’s class for twelve specimens Mr. J. Cypher, Cheltenham, was 
adjudged the first prize for a very even and beautiful collection, all 
the plants being healthy and well flowered. Messrs. T. Jackson and 
Son, Kingston, gained the second position with beautiful specimens 
of Pimelea mirabilis, Bhododendron Dalhousianum, Erica affinis, and 
others. Messrs. B. Peed & Son, Streatham, were third with neat and 
well-flowered specimens, Statice profusa and Anthurium Schertzeri- 
anum being especially fine. In the amateurs’ class for ten specimens 
Mr. E. Tudgey, gardener to J. H. Greswolde Williams, Esq., Henwick 
Grange, Worcester, secured the leading prize with a very handsome 
collection, including grand examples of Erica ventricosa magnifica, 
Azalea magnifica, Erica Cavendishii, Dracophyllum gracile, and 
others of similar quality ; Mr. W. Chapman, gardener to J. Spode, 
Esq., Hawkesyard Park, Bugeley, was second with large specimens ; 
and Mr. C. Bann, gardener to J. Warren, Esq., Handcross Park, 
Crawley, followed with smaller but healthy examples. 
In the amateurs’ class for six Mr. Chapman was the most suc¬ 
cessful exhibitor, having excellent plants of Azalea Iveryana, Ixora 
Williamsi, and Erica Cavendishi, very well flowered ; Mr. E. Tudgey 
was a very close second, his plants including good examples of Erica 
ventricosa magnifica and Anthurium Andreanum ; Mr. J. Child fol¬ 
lowed. Messrs. B. Peed & Son were placed first in the corresponding 
