830 
9 
©EC 8 
produces one to fourteen; M. rosea, the same; 
M, alba, proper, one to 14 or 16. If the best suc¬ 
cess is expected, the use of tbe Osage Orange 
should be avoided. It may be used to advantage 
in “ learning the trade,” as it produces fair silk 
but less in quantity, but it is not remunerative 
according to the experience of most practical 
silk culturists. 
Mulberry seed should be sown between the 1st 
of April and the 1st of July, in drills two or 
three feet apart. One ounce of seed, properly 
sown in a carefully prepared seed-bed, should, 
uuder favorable circumstances, produce 5,000 
trees. The price of the seed per pound ranges 
from $3.00 to ?5.00, according to the variety. 
If cuttings are to be used they should be 
planted in tbe Spring in furrows about three 
feet apart, burying two-thirds of the cutting 
(which should be from nine to twelve inches 
long, with four to six eyes), leaving one or two 
eyes out. Cuttings of Alba, Rosea and Mo- 
retti are quoted at about 90c. per 100. 
The propagation of the mulberry is very 
easy by layers and by cuttings: the latter is 
the beet and most rapid mode of propagation. 
Cuttings of the young shoots grown, or even 
two-year-old wood, if taken off in the Fall 
(say November) will root easily the following 
Spring. They should be cut evenly across the 
bottom just below a leaf bud. In twelve 
months the young plants will be well rooted 
and ready for transplanting into nursery rows, 
about three feet apart. This distance allows 
of their being cultivated each way the same as 
corn. If the conditions are favorable there 
should be trees three or four feet high and 
large enough for permanent planting the next 
season, when they should be planted 6x(i feet 
each way. This will allow 1,210 trees to an 
acre. Concerning the yield of leaves from 
seedlings, the followiug estimate has been 
made: Four years from the seed, four pounds 
of leaves; six years, seven "pounds; eight 
years, 12 pounds; 10 years, 20 pounds; 20 
years, 150 pounds.' 
RACES OP SILK-WORMS. 
Climate has a great effect on silk-worms, 
causing a change in the quality, shape and 
color of the cocoons or in the habits of the 
worm itself. 8ome races produce but a single 
broed a year hence they are known as an¬ 
nuals. Considering the size of the cocoon, 
quality of silk, quantity of leaves required, 
etc., etc , the annuals are to be preferred. 
BivoUins are biennials, hatching twice a year. 
T rirollins produce three generations and 
Q uadHvolti n s, four. 
Varieties of silk-worms are also known by 
the color of the cocoons they produce, as Yel¬ 
lows, Whites or Greens. Those producing 
yellow silk are generally considered most 
vigorous, though the white silk is most valu¬ 
able. The large French and Turkish cocoons 
are estimated to yield about 130 pounds from 
an ounce of eggs, averaging about 300 to a 
pound, while the small Italian, Japanese and 
Chinese varieties give about 80 pounds to the 
ounce of eggs, averaging 450 to the pound. 
THE COCOONERY. 
It is undoubtedly best where business is to be 
conducted on a large scale to erect a building 
for this special purpose, as should be done 
where an organization is formed. A building 
or room to accommodate 40,000 worms should 
be at least 10x15 feet, and for double the num¬ 
ber it should be about 15x20 feet, and 10 feet 
high. Such buildings should be erected on 
posts a couple of feet from the ground, and 
every precaution should be taken to prevent 
the entrance of insects. Good ventilation is 
necessary, and the windows should lower 
from the top and have shades to shut out the 
direct rays of the sun. A bright sun causes 
the worms to sicken. Racks or shelves should 
be used to place the egg trays upon, an ounce 
of eggs requiring 32 trays and two double or 
four single racks. The temperature of the 
room mu3t be carefully regulated by a small 
stove when the air is cold or damp and it 
should not be allowed to fall below 75 degrees 
or rise above 85 degrees after hatching. A 
dish of salt in the room will show when tfce ! 
air is damp, and a high temperature may be 
reduced by mopping the floor occasionally. 
When the business is carried on on a small 
scale any suitable vacant room may be used, 
or even one in the attic may answer the pur¬ 
pose. It is not necessary to incur much ex¬ 
pense for a room where only individual work 
is to be done. 
As to the requisites for convenience in 
handling eggs, worms, leaves, etc., Mr. Cap- 
sadell of the New York Silk Exchange, to 
whom we are largely indebted for informa¬ 
tion on this subject, says that to enter into 
this industry to secure the highest benefits, 
the following articles are necessary: Camel’s- 
hair brushes for handling the worms; egg- 
boxes madeof perforated tin; frames of light 
wood, and frame covers made of mosquito 
netting and perforated paper; a hygrometer 
to indicate the moisture; mating-boxes, prun¬ 
ing knives and shears; sponges, stiflers, etc 
HATCHING AND REARING. 
When the mulberry leaves begin to open, 
the eggs should be brought from a tempera¬ 
ture of 40 to 50 degrees for an hour or so, the n 
to 60 degrees for another hour, then, in the 
hatching room at 70 degrees where they are 
spread out thinly on the trays. During the 
last days of the batch the temperature should 
be about 75 degrees. The color of the eggs 
will change as the temperature rises, passing 
successively through violet, ashy aud yellow 
shades until - they become nearly white. 
Worms hatched on the first day are removed 
to another tray and are known as the first 
hatch, and so on until four hatches are made, 
after which those which appear weak should 
be thrown away. As the worms are batched 
place over them a frame covered with tarla¬ 
tan and on this place little pieces of tender 
leaves. They will begin to molt in five or 
six days after hatching. During the first 
age they should be fed six times a day on 
finely chopped leaves; during the second four 
times; during the third, four; during the 
fourth the leaves need not be cut up, but 
more should be given, and in the fifth age 
they attain full growth, cease eating and are 
ready to go up and spin. In three days from 
the commencement of spinning they finish 
their cocoons which in five days are ready 
for picking. 
GATHERING AND STIFLING. 
The finest cocoons should be chosen for 
eggs, and such must be l°ft in the branches 
eight or ten days; the others are to bo care¬ 
fully removed without flattening or bruising. 
Sort out the imperfect and soiled ones and 
discard those which are black, soft and wet. 
The stifling process which prevents the 
chrysalis from emerging may be performed 
by steaming, hy hot air, by charcoal fumes 
or by solar rays. Steam them iu a coarse 
bag for half an hour over boiling water, then 
spread on sheets in tbe sun until dry. Heat 
them in an oven with a temperature of 212 
degrees for 30 minutes. Or place tbe cocoons 
in a tightly-closed room, or in a hogshead or 
box and bum a pot of charcoal beneath them. 
In the South they may be stifled by exposure 
to the suu for three or four days. In the ac¬ 
company ing cut, Fig. 454, we present views 
from the Silk Industry Exhibition recently 
closed in this city. 
To sum up the conditions of success in silk 
culture: first procure the best annual breeds 
of silk worms; second, buy the eggs io No¬ 
vember before the embryo has moved; third, 
procure the best varieties of mulberry for 
the feed, aud, fourth, begin moderately 7 . 
Concerning the probabilities of a wonderful 
success in this business, our course is conserva¬ 
tive. On the one hand we deplore the ex¬ 
travagant promises made by enthusiasts in 
silk culture; on the other, we do not wish to 
discourage any who can see their way clear 
to engage in the business—our advice being 
to begin gradually and work up. This is not 
a specialty for which all other business can 
be forsaken but rather au avocation, or addi¬ 
tion to general farming or whatever other 
vocation one may pursue. 
SORGHUM "CULTURE AND MANU¬ 
FACTURE. 
With Western farmers the cultivation and 
manufacture of sorghum is fast becoming a 
leading industry, and with the recent devel¬ 
opments in the conversion of sorghum juice 
into good marketable sugar considerably 
more interest is being awakened, and with 
each year we can reasonably expect this inter¬ 
est to spread, as success becomes more certaiu 
and the profit good. 
Sorghum delights in good, level soil and 
warm weather, not too wet. It does better 
in seasons of drought than in those of exces¬ 
sive rain. It should not be sown until warm 
weather is settled, say, about the first of May. 
In selecting a plot, light, clayey soil is pre¬ 
ferable, aud a piece of new land of that char¬ 
acter is best, as it produces cane that will 
make light-colored juice, while on rich, black, 
heavy soil the sirup will be dark and not so 
good in flavor, and it will not make sugar as 
easily. Clean ground is by far the best, as 
the growth when small is very slow, and un¬ 
less care is taken the weeds will smother 
the plants. 
My method of growing it has been to plow 
deep and barrow well so that the ground is in 
as fine a condition as possible; then lay it off 
as shallow as possible in rows four feet apart 
one way, aud then drill in the seed. Some 
sow jn hills three or four feet each way, aud 
then thin to five stalks to a hill, I have tried 
this plan only once, but that satisfied me that 
it was far better to sow iu drills, and then 
thin to one or two stalks, 10 or 12 inches 
apart in the drill. It needs to be covered 
very lightly; one can generally kick enough 
dirt over it, a3 it barely need3 covering. If 
covered too deep, it will not germinate as it 
should. Five pounds of seed are plenty for 
an acre of ground if sown in this way. 
It is when it is young that it requires the 
most attention. The growth is very slow at 
first, and unless it is taken care of at this time 
it will be stunted and after cultivation will 
not remedy the matter. If the ground is 
foul hand-hoeing will have to be resorted to, 
as a plow cannot well be run close enough to 
the stalks to clear off the weeds as the work 
should be done. After sorghum once starts to 
grow, it needs very little attention, as the 
growth is very rapid and it will soon shade 
the ground so that weeds cannot grow. 
Quite a serious mistake was made last sea¬ 
son in recommending manufacturing when 
the seed is iu the dough. I tried a patch this 
year and was glad to quit and wait until the 
seed was fully matured before stripping and 
working it up. Wbere'possible, the best way 
is to strip, cut, top, and baul right to the mill. 
Here another questiou presents itself: where 
molasses is the only object, we have two ways 
of getting the work done. One is to haul the 
cane to a stationary mill. In this case the 
party owning or operating the mill will locate 
it at one place and cane must be hauled to him, 
already topped and stripped. He furnishes 
his own team, fire-wood and water, boards 
himself and team, charging his customers 
half or two fifths of the molasses, or a certain 
price per gallon for making it. According to 
the other plan, the mill comes to the cane- 
grower's place and works up his cane on the 
premises. The mill being portable can be set 
wherever it is needed. This often obviates 
hauling with a wagon, as the mill can be set 
in the middle of the sorghum plot where the 
cane can be readily carried to it. In such 
cases the cane grower must furnish water and 
fuel and board for the hands and team. So the 
question settles down to which is the cheaper. 
From my own experience I am of opinion 
that it is less expense to haul the cane a rea¬ 
sonable distance (anything under three miles) 
than to haul tho mill over to the premises. 
An object, however, is gained by the latter 
plan the cane can stand until one is ready to 
work it up; while if it is hauled away to a 
mill, it may lie there some time before it can 
be worked up. 
In stripping (he cane there are different 
ways of working. When the cane stands 
straight some tako a lath and at) ike down¬ 
wards on each side of the stalks, knocking off 
the leaves clean. Others pull the leaves off, 
using both hands at once. Others cut out and 
top and lay in piles and strip iu that way. Of 
the two last ways it is hard to tell which is 
the more expeditious. 
In cutting and topping, where it is desired 
to save the seed, I take the second row and 
cut and top it; then come back on the third 
row; this leaves the lops of two rows in 
one. Then take the first row and cut and 
top so that the heads will fall in the same 
row' as before. Come back on the fourth 
row in the same way, and you have the se^d 
of four rows in one. The cane should be laid 
inconvenient piles for handling, the tops all 
one way. 
The manufacture, where molasses only is 
made, is very simple. The juice is pressed 
out of the cane hy running the stalks between 
sets of rollers, after which it is taken to a shal¬ 
low copper pan or evaporator and boiled until 
the proper consistency is obtained, of course 
skimming as cleanly as possible as it boils. Af¬ 
ter it has cooked sufficiently it is run off into 
a vessel to cool, after which it is measured 
and divided. This is the simplest process; 
but we have different evaporators that work 
upon different plans; there are also different 
processes of clarifying and purify ing the sirup, 
which are in use among large manufacturers, 
who manufacture au excellent quality of mo¬ 
lasses, and also of sugar. 
As to saving seed where only a small quan¬ 
tity is desired, I always go through the cane 
and select the tallest, largest and best stalks 
and heads and cut them off and hang them up 
for seed. It is economy to save all the seed 
as it makes excellent feed for all kinds of 
stock, especially for poultry; aud when want¬ 
ed for feed it iB not necessary to thrash it out; 
one can easily thrash off all he wants in a 
short time by taking a deep box or tub, lay¬ 
ing a stick or board in the bottom and then 
beating the heads over it. 
Some claim that when cleaned properly and 
ground the seed makes excellent griddle- 
calces, but so far I have never tried the exper¬ 
iment. I always, though, save all my seed to 
feed to the stock, believing it puys well for 
the trouble. 
As to kinds, there are quite a number; but 
so far as my experience goes I place Early 
Amber and Orange at the head; the Amber 
coming first, followed by the Orange. This 
year I found that the Orange yielded the most 
juice aud required considerably less skimming 
and not quite so much boiling to make molas¬ 
ses as the Amber. Still I shall plant both 
kinds next season. Silver Slip, Goose-neck, 
Honduras and other varieties are raised; but 
I prefer an early cane. n. j. shepherd. 
Miller Co., Mo. 
f arm Cconomtj, 
SULKY PLOWS, 
I believe that sulky plows will soon come 
into general use, and that the discussion of 
their merits and demerits through the col¬ 
umns of the Rural New-Yorker will be 
highly beneficial to farmers, not only by post¬ 
ing them up with regard to sulky plows, but 
by pointing out their weak parts and objec¬ 
tionable features, so as to attract the atten¬ 
tion of manufacturers to their shortcomings, 
and then, in time, they wall all doubtless be 
overcome and we shall have better plows. 
Therefore I say, let the discussion go on; but 
let it be a two sided discussion: let us follow 
the example set by the Rural, which gives 
its failures a.s well as its successes. 
Are farmers not, as a general thing, too loud 
in their praises of their farm implements ? 
Read the testimonials of the makers of differ¬ 
ent kinds of farm machinery; they are filled 
with praises long and loud; each one is the 
best; can not manufacturers do blowing 
enough without the assistance of the farmers? 
Too much praise does not do manufacturers 
any good, lo say that any one machine is 
the best of its class after trying only the one 
is an unfair testimonial. But it may be said 
that farmers are not competent to criticize 
farm machinery with regard to the best 
mechanical construction. If they are compe¬ 
tent to praise they are competent to criticize 
Who is more competent to give an opinion of 
a nmchiue than the man who uses it every da y? 
In the matter of sulky plows there is one 
thing farmers eau do—they can tell which is 
the first part to give way under a sudden 
strain ; which is tho first part to wear out- 
what it costs to keep a sulky plow in repair,’ 
and. last and most important of all, how much 
more a sulky distresses the team than a hand 
plow. Sulky plows, as they are made, are 
not an unqualified success; they possess ad¬ 
vantages which under favorable circum¬ 
stances cannot be questioned; but their field 
of usefulness is limited, and they are defective 
in principle and make-up. The makers of 
sulky plows claim to carry the weight of the 
plow, truck, furrow and driver on the wheels. 
Whether they do this or not, I will let the 
users of sulky plows decide. For my part, I 
will say that T never saw one that would do it 
entirely. When the plow is made that will 
carry the whole wt ight on its wheels, then we 
shall have a light-draft sulky plow. 
There is another feature in the sulky plow 
that I have hoard many farmers complain of, 
and I make the same complaiut myself; this 
feature is the tongue. I think it is a settled 
fact that as long ns tongues remain on sulky 
plows they will distress a team more than 
hand plows. In a smooth, level field, free from 
obsti actions, and with the soil in good plowing 
condition, a tongue may seem to be of little 
hinderanc-e; but these conditions are seldom 
found all together; the tongue is distressing 
on the team in turning at the corners, espe¬ 
cially when turning on the plowed ground 
with three horses. If the surface is uneven, 
as in corn stubble, and if the tongue is free 
from side-draft, it (the tongue) will be con¬ 
stantly playing from side to side, jerking first 
one horse, then the other, often striking them 
smart blows on the arm of the legs. When¬ 
ever the point of the plowshare strikes a solid 
obstruction the point of the tongue comes 
down with considerable force and the horses’ 
necks get the benefit of it, and, last, no three 
horses can walk with the same freedom to a 
sulky plow with a tongue as they can to a 
hand plow. Worry on a team is the same as 
heavy draft. 
Many farmers overlook these things, as they 
give their whole attention to the quality of 
the work done by the plow, but the horses’ 
necks and shoulders will generally show the 
evil effects after a week’s work. This has 
been the experience of my neighbors and 
myself, and I would like to hear from others 
through the Rural ou the question of sulky 
plow tongues. Tbe plow that I am using 
now I like best of any I ever had any expe¬ 
rience with, It is the iuclirifd-wheel plow 
that several of the Rural correspondents 
have spoken so highly of. It is a good plow 
and does good work, but I think it is open 
to much improvement. 
As far as draft is concerned, it varies so 
much in different soils, and in accordance 
with the condition the soil is in, that it takes 
some time with close observation to tell just 
how heavy one’s sulky plow does run. The 
team after a week’s work is a better dyna¬ 
mometer than the ones that sulky plow agents 
generally use. 
Plow-makers have done much to lighten 
the draft of sulky plows; but the farmer can 
do as much, if not more, by keeping his soil 
in proper condition by proper rotation aud 
the free use of clover. s. H. G f 
Greenville, Ohio. 
