Breeding and rearing of the silk worm by Crozier L. S

Author:Crozier, L. S. [from old catalog]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Sericulture. [from old catalog]
Publisher: New Orleans, Printed at the Democrat office
Published: 1880-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

As you go to uncoupling, put the females on a cloth or paper hung oh the wall or on a rod, to insure cleanliness in the seed, for if you should spread them on a table they would soil each other and stain their eggs, too, with their droppings. Preserve the males in a box by themselves, avoiding to mix them with those not yet used, which are preferable; but sometimes both are wanted, particularly the last day. As the females, whether paired or not, never fail to lay their eggs at two o'clock p. m., one needs always to have males to spare in store. As soon as she is uncoupled, she commences laying small eggs, yellow the first day, and which gradually acquire their natural color in three days.

The moths live for about twelve days from the breaking out of the cocoons. If the seed has not been impregnated, it remains ever yellow and after a while dries up, while that which has acquired the lilac color stays round, slightly flattened, but always full till the next spring. It is left to dry where it was laid, for some days, when it is removed to a place cool and dry, as already explained in the forepart of this book.

Never forget that rats are very fond of silk worm chrysalises, moths and eggs. They will cut through the cocoon to get the worm. In short, they feast on that insect and relish it, no matter in what dish or shape; keep them off carefully.

If stained, ill-shaped, feeble moths are found, feed them to the chickens. It is better to have less seed than to have some of inferior quality mixed with the good. Especially never procure seed from a region where silk worms are affected with certain particular diseases, and such districts are many, but apply to capable and, above all, to honest persons.

I will now speak about silk worm diseases, though I think it may be

Eerfectly useless, owing to the excellency of this climate. Still it would e possible for you to kill your silk worms by feeding them wet leaves, or gathered too early in*the morning with the dew on. Let them fast a whole day, rather than to impose them to such risk. Always have at least two meals gathered in advance, and near the close of the breeding one day's food for the next in extensive large breeding. In small breeding it is practicable to cut whole branches, and put them in-doors to dry, after shaking off the rainwater, or, to make the best of a propitious hour, to gather in a few moments the needed provision. If there is any dew, never pick your leaves before the sun has dried them.

DISEASES OF THE SILK. WORMS.

It is useless to go back in the history of the silk worms, previous to 1869, if we will not be exposed to renew some old error about the diseases of the silk worms. The progress of the microscope has

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