July 7. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
265 
damaging effect of dry weather, to which this crop is 
always liable when sown at an early period. The time 
of sowing must depend, in a great measure, upon the 
period the crop may be required for use. When required 
for early feeding by sheep, or stalled beasts, the land 
being intended for a crop of wheat afterwards, the 
Turnips may be sown any time after the 20th of May f 
without being liable to run to seed stalk ; and the reason 
why this crop is preferred to that of the Swedish Turnip 
for early feeding, is because, upon most light land, the 
succeeding corn crop proves much better; for although 
a greater weight of the Swedish Turnips may be fed 
upon tbe laud, yet the land will be kinder, and in a 
better state for Wheat, or Barley, after the feeding off a 
crop of Common Turnips. 
When this crop is required for general purposes, such 
as feeding sheep on the land during the winter months, 
the best time for sowing is from the 14th to the 24th of 
July. If the main crop for winter feeding is sown much 
before this period, the roots lose a great portion of their 
nutrition, and become unpalatable to the stock ; and in 
the same proportion that the roots lose their nutrition, 
so are they liable to decay. 
Turnips sown after the middle of the month of July 
are not so liable to be taken away by the fly, because, 
in ordinary seasons, this insect is hatched, and dis¬ 
appears previously to that time. 
The quantity of seed sufficient for an acre of land is 
about two pounds, the seed being somewhat smaller 
than that of the Swedish Turnip. When sown at the 
last-named period, Turnips are best drilled at eighteen 
inches apart between the rows, and left at about twelve 
inches apart in the rows ; in this way roots of a mode¬ 
rate size will be produced, which are always the most 
nutritious, and least likely to decay. 
Joseph Blundell. 
(To be continued.) 
ON THE MANAGEMENT OF SILKWORMS 
WITH COMMENTS AND ADDITIONS. 
By the Prior Jacopo Midi. 
( Continued from page 231. ) 
Healthy and vigorous worms will form their cocoons in 
about three days ; but the time will be longer or shorter as 
the temperature is higher or lower, and according to whether 
they are exposed to alternations of heat and cold, and to 
sudden draughts of wind, and whether the atmosphere be 
dry or damp. The cocoons made by worms treated upon 
our plan may be removed the sixth or seventh day, includ¬ 
ing the one on which the worm ascended. It may be 
delayed till tbe eighth, but not beyond the ninth, as the 
cocoons are every day losing weight. It must be confessed 
that it is difficult for the husbandman all at once to relin¬ 
quish old plans and adopt others, though easy in them¬ 
selves, and this may occasion some difference in the cocoons. 
The maturity of a cocoon is recognised by a certain hard¬ 
ness to the touch, and the sound the cocoon makes when 
shaken. 
The gathering of the cocoons, like all other rustic liar- 
I vests, is attended with so much hilarity, that confusion 
sometimes occurs, which renders a few precautions needful. 
Those worms should first be taken which first ascended the 
bush. Each broom , as it is called, should be removed care¬ 
fully, not thrown from top to bottom in confusion, to the 
danger of crushing and soiling the cocoons. It will be well 
to begin with the lower hurdles, and go up regularly. Those 
cocoons not quite finished, as well as those containing dead 
worms, must be laid aside. A very few of these, mixed 
with the others, will suffice to depreciate the price of all, 
especially if there be any putrid worms among them, which 
soil many good cocoons if packed together. Also the coarse 
silk, called Buva or Fluff, should be carefully removed, as 
well as all impurities which, from want of care, or other 
causes, may attach to them. In some countries, the Fluff 
is not removed till they are taken to market;- but expe¬ 
rienced merchants prefer to see it taken oft’. 
The boxes, or other receptacles being full, are placed on 
the hurdles in layers not more than three inches thick, 
that Hie air may circulate among them. Without being 
deceived by false ideas that the cocoons formed at a certain 
time first diminish and then increase again in weight, it is 
a good rule to take them to market as soon as they are ripe. 
Experiments have proved that the cocoons lose 71 per cent, 
of weight in ten days, merely by the drying of the chrysalis. 
Even now the cocoons may be injured by want of care in 
the ignorant agriculturist. Care must be taken that the 
temperature does not exceed 18° r. (73° f.) ; if so, the 
windows in which the sun shines must be closed, and the 
cocoons turned, especially if they are spread on the floor, 
or if fermentation be feared among them. 
The proper preparation of the seed, or eggs, is most 
important; and the best chance of our making progress in 
an art hitherto neglected by masters and servants from the 
very beginning, is the care and attention bestowed upon 
procuring good seed. It is an universal law that, in the 
production of all creatures, the better the seed, the more 
perfect the fruit; but this seems to be lost sight of, as we 
remarked at the beginning of this treatise. 
The cocoons being gathered, after worms have been well 
reared no scrupulous care is necessary in the selection; 
but if not, or if any accident should have happened, the best 
must be chosen. It may be even necessary occasionally to 
buy cocoons from other worm establishments. It is thought 
that the most healthy and robust worms are those, who, 
having eaten for eight days after the fourth change, are first 
to make their cocoon, and amongst these, those who mount 
highest are strongest. It will be well to separate the co¬ 
coons which are first ready for the purposes of propagation. 
The cocoons should be examined, and those of a mid¬ 
dling size taken, as the large produce coarse silk, and the 
small ones no great quantity. They must be firm to the 
touch, especially at the two ends. They should be of even 
texture, such as are called royal cocoons; some prefer 
those of a pale straw colour, and which have a little ring 
indented round the middle. 
There was a fancy, some years ago, for worms which spun 
white, or, as it was called, Persian silk; but though the 
merchant will give a higher price for it, it is not much cul¬ 
tivated, as it is less abundant, and more liable to injury. 
Although generally the red, green, and yellow cocoons are 
not chosen, they have been known to produce good silk, a 
proof of the necessity of frequent experiments before any 
particular practice is approved or condemned, as is often 
the case in treating of different systems. 
There are no certain indications by which to distinguish a 
male from a female cocoon, but those supposed to be the 
least fallacious are the following:—They say that the 
cocoons containing a male are pointed at one or both ends, 
and are smaller in the middle, while the rounder ones 
generally contain females. Experience has shown, how¬ 
ever, that though the greater part of the cocoons thus 
selected prove right, still, in so many instances they are 
wrong, that no dependence can be placed on this test. Some 
people place the male and female worms in separate bushes, 
fancying that the male has his eyes open, while the female 
has merely a semicircular stripe for an eye. 
As to the number of cocoons, it is usually reckoned that 
a-pound-and-half yield one ounce of seed. A good choice 
must be made of the room where the moths are to issue 
forth and deposit their eggs. The temperature must not be 
lower than 15° R. (06° r.), and it must be warmed occasion¬ 
ally if necessary. At 15° the moths will come forth in 
fifteen days, at 10° 17° or 18 c r (08° 71° 73°iv), in eleven 
or twelve days. It will contribute to the health and strength 
of the moths, and to the perfection of the seed, that the 
