12 
should they he too close together, but just sufficient, space to com¬ 
fortably build the cocoons in,— because if a worm starts making the 
cocoon in a large space, he has to waste a good deal of silk thread in 
which to place his cocoon in, and if he starts in a small space, very 
often he leaves that place as uncomfortable, to start in another, so 
wasting a lot of floss, instead of putting the silk into the cocoon. 
When the trays are practically prepared w 1th the twigs, the worms 
will soon find their way up, busily looking for a suitable place to 
bnild their cocoons. As worms never start spinning a!L at the same ' 
time, the feeding must be continued, but the leaves must gradually 
diminish in proportion to the decrease of the worms. If any worms 
retard more than three days from the first, it is best to separate 
them. When the worms are spinning, care must ho taken not to 
disturb them, as a shake of the trays will cause the worms to break 
the depositing silk thread of the cocoon. Sometimes a shake caused 
by earthquake or thunder causes much damage, for when the thread 
is broken the worms frequently cease operations. 
Tile silk-producing organs of the worms are two large glands, 
called sericteria, containing the silk substance, a glutinous liquid 
matter, which extends along the back part of the body, transpar¬ 
ently visible. These glands terminate in I wo small spineret 
orifices in the mouth from which the worm draws tire glutinous 
fluid silk from the two separate glands, and builds the cocoon by 
uniting the two glutinous substances into a solid and inseparable 
thread. After seven or eight days from the fiist day of spinning, 
the cocoons arc ready to be collected, and if, on shaking the cocoon 
a rattling sound is heard, that is a pioof that the worm is trans¬ 
formed into chrysalis and has done its work. The average size of a 
cocoon is a pigeon’s egg, and the fibre contained in it often exceeds 
2000 feet in length. The cocoons, ns soon as they are finished, will 
gradually decrease in weight. In ten days they will lose over 7J 
per cent. All full-grown worms that might have died without 
spinning can be utilized to obtain what is called silk-gut, which is 
commonly used for fishing purposes. The dead or eat-gut worms 
are placed in strong vinegar, and left there for about 48 hours, 
when they are broken in two, and two pieces of silk substance are 
obtained, which is drawn out in lengths and left to dry. The worms 
from ono ounce of eggs of the best kind, and properly governed, will 
produce from 130 to 150 pounds of cocoons. 
Gathering of the Cocoons. 
After the seventh or eighth day from the first day of spinning, tho 
cocoons are ready to he collected. They are placed in baskets that 
hold about 15 pounds of cocoons. In collecting tbe cccoons, they 
mu3t be handled carefully, and not thrown from any height or dis¬ 
tance, as it may cause death to the chrysalis, which would become 
dry, reducing the weight of the cocoons and therefore a lots to the 
owner. When the cocoons arc collected they are assorted, and all 
bad ones, and those in any way defective are put aside, and all the 
saleable ones are placed into trays in layers, of r.ot more than six 
inches deep. The cocoons must be sold within 13 days of the col¬ 
lection, for if retained beyond that time, there ib the danger of the 
moths piercing through tire cocoons and consequently spoiling the 
