ms 
Raising Silk—Water Rotting Hemp. 
the roof for a hatching room, for the first 
week’s feeding, and for millers, and should 
be lathed and plastered. In the cellar under 
each end is a furnace for hot air, made by- 
enclosing a common box stove in a brick 
chamber, six inches larger than the stove, 
with spaces at the bottom for the admission 
of cold air, which is admitted into the room 
above by a hole in the floor of two feet 
square. A thermometer will be useful to in¬ 
dicate the changes. A plate of common salt 
will detect dampness , and one of chloride of 
lime will correct bad air or smell in the co¬ 
coonery. If properly cleaned it will smell of 
nothing but the wholesome mulberry leaves. 
You must not mention Tobacco in the pre¬ 
sence of silk worms. In regard to this drug 
they show good taste ; they had rather die 
than smell it. 
Mr. Smith’s plan is as follows :— 
“Any common room may be used for the 
cocoonery. It ought, however, to have one or 
more windows on each side, and if it have a 
fire-place, it will be all the better for it. The 
second story of the house will be better for 
the worms than the first, though it is not so 
convenient for the attendants. If it be de¬ 
sired to fit up temporarily for the cocoonery, 
the following plan will answer every pur¬ 
pose, without the least injury to the walls, or 
any thing else ; and after the cocoons are 
gathered, the shelves can be removed, and 
the lumber used for other purposes. 
Suppose the room to be 20 feet long, and 
16 feet wide. Make three trestles, such as 
carpenters use, out of scantling, 3 feet long, 
one foot high, with four legs. Set one in the 
middle, and one near each end of one side of 
the room, and lay upon them 3 plank, 16 feet 
long and 3 feet wide. A tin pan can be 
placed under each foot of the trestles, to be 
kept full of water to prevent ants and other 
vermin from getting upon the shelves. They 
can be obtained very cheaply at every tin- 
shop, and are effectual preventives of such 
evils. A second shelf may be placed upon 
the first, by fixing the trestles directly over 
those below, and a third, fourth, fifth and 
sixth in the same way. The trestles should 
be made to stand firmly and level, with the 
legs expanded, that they may act as braces 
to steady the range of shelves. The plank 
need not be nailed down, if it be an object 
not to injure them ; but the shelves would be 
more steady and firm if this were done. In 
setting up these shelves, a space ought to be 
left between them and the wall, to prevent 
ants, &c. getting upon them from that quar¬ 
ter ; a few inches will be sufficient. In a 
room of the above dimensions then, we shall 
have three ranges of shelves, 16 feet long, 3 
feet wide, with an alley of 3 feet between 
each range, &c. and a space at each end, to 
pass freely. 
If we put 6 shelves in each range, we shall 
have 18 shelves, 16 by 3 feet each, and these 
will contain 48,000 worms.. The plank 
shelves should be covered with old newspa¬ 
pers or any other waste paper.” 
Cocoonery Statistics.— We here.condense 
a lot of small though useful matters. Mr. S. 
estimates that “ a worm consumes on an 
average one ounce of leaves during its life. 
The space of shelf occupied by the worms, 
is as follows: 
During the 1st age, 1,000 worms occupy 
one-third of a square foot ; 2d age, three- 
fourths do.; 3d age, 2 square feet; 4th age, 
6 do ; 5th age, 18 do.” 
About 240 cocoons average one pound, 
though 95 have been found to weigh as 
much; and Dandalo gives 360 as averaging 
a pound. 
3,500 to 4,000 cocoons make a bushel. 
100 to 120 pairs of millers are necessary 
to produce one ounce of eggs. 
Each miller lays 300 to 500 eggs, but 330 
is about the average. 
An ounce of eggs contains about 39,000. 
If these are well saved from the best millers 
of the first crop, they seldom fail in produc¬ 
ing good worms. 
A bushel in the natural condition of the 
cocoons is heaped ; when the tow is removed 
they are measured as grain, on a level with 
the measure. 
The loss in feeding in Europe is estimated 
at 35 to 60 per cent; in this country, if care 
is taken, it amounts to nothing. 
(To be continued.)- 
Water Rotting Hemp. 
We had written for our first number, a full 
article on the history, cultivation, securing, 
dew and water rotting of hemp,; but unfor¬ 
tunately it was mislaid till out of season. 
We shall therefore suspend its publication 
now till February; in the mean time we 
shall feel under obligation to any one who 
can furnish us with new information upon 
this subject, in order to make our article as 
complete as possible when it shall appear. 
Dew rotting is pretty familiar to all hemp 
growers, we shall therefore pass it over for 
the present. ■ At $5 per cwt., or $100 per 
ton, on a suitable soil, it pays as good a pro¬ 
fit to the producer, as corn at 40 cents per 
