8 
times in lukewarm water, stirring it up and down for six or eight 
minutes for the purpose of softening the gum, to enable the operator 
to remove the eggs by scraping oil the cloth with a wooden horn or 
a blunt bene knife. The eggs arc washed clean with lukewarm 
water and repeated until clean water is obtained. If any eggs be 
found'floating they are worthless, consequently rejected, and the 
good ones are dried on blotting paper in the shade. When dry 
they are placed in a box four inches square for one ounce ot eggs, 
and for a larger quantity, larger boxes ate used in proportion. In 
our family we usually kept four ounces of eggs, and we hatched 
them in a small worm roan by beginning at (ildeg, F., second day 
05deg.. third day 66, fourth GS, filth 71, 8th 73, and up to the 10th 
day 75 deg. The eggs are stirred three times a day witli a palette 
or teaspoon, until you see some worms appear. After the young 
oneB are born the temperature is gradually raised to GO or oil deg., 
and kept up to that degne to the first stage or moulting. As soon 
as the young ents appear perforated paper is laid ou the worms, and 
mulberry leases cut fine are spread 00 the perforated paper, when the 
newly-botu will come through for a feed, which will enable the 
operator to easily remove them into the prepared place ; do not feed 
them again until lale in the afternoon. All the worms hatched are 
to be ft d together and kept separate from others hatched later on, and 
the younger ones must he fed more than the first born for the pur¬ 
pose of equalising them. From birth to the fiist stage they are 
fed live times a day. 
People who cultivate say from 5 to 60 oz. of eggs, have the 
hatching done in proper incubators, specially made. Some times 
farmers club together, and they hatch the eggs all at one place, by 
one person. There are also public places kept for that purpose. In 
hatching time, when the worms are very young, great care must be 
taken not to allow or cause a sudden change of temperature, which 
would be very injurious. Silkworms are generally born in the 
morning. 
Silkworms. 
There is a great variety of silkworms,but for our purpose it is only 
necessary to deal with the worms eommonly used. There are two 
principal species, the one which produces w hite and the other yellow 
silk. The best for the production of white silk is the Lina, and the 
best for the yellow silk is the Phaloena Altue, which produces the 
greatest quantity of thread ; but the species most commonly used in 
Europe is the Phaloena Bombyx, the Arbah tier and the Milanaise. 
When just horn they are about one-eighth of an inch long, and of 
a black colour, and when full grown they arc of a white colour, 
and about three inches long, and nearly gin. in diameter. 
Silkworms are subject to various diseases, and one of the worst is 
the silkwoim rot or imncardiue (in Italian called calcino), 
The percentage of worms lost through sickness in Europe is cal¬ 
culated at about 20 per cent., whereas an experiment made in 
Christchurch, New Zealand, scarcely any loss w as experienced; also 
in the little Italian settlement in NewSouthWales above-mentioned, 
where they cultivate the silkworms with great success, with most 
primitive appliances, and accommodation of the rudest kind, the 
worms kept upon old bags in bedrooms, kitchen, anywhere, in fact; 
