The history of silk, cotton, linen, wool, and other fibrous ... - Cd3wd.com

CHAPTER VIII.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHINESE MODE
OF REARING SILK-WORMS, &c.
Great antiquity of the silk-manufacture in China—Time and mode of pruning the
Mulberry-tree—Not allowed to exceed a certain height—Mode of planting
Situation of rearing-rooms, and their construction—Effect of noise on the silk-
\fOTm—Precautions observed in preserving cleanliness—Isan-mon, mother of
tlie worms—Manner of feeding—Space allotted to the worms—Destruction of
the Chrysalides—Great skill of the Chinese in weaving—American writers on the
Mulberry-tree—Silk-wonns sometimes reared on trees— (M. Marteloy's ex-
periments in 1764, in rearing silk-wonns on trees in France)—Produce inferior
to that of worms reared in houses—Mode of delaying the hatching of the eggs
—Method of hatching—Necessity for preventing damp—Number of meals
Mode of stimulating the appetite of the worms— Effect of this upon the quan-
tity of silk produced—Darkness injurious to the silk-worm—Its effect on the
Mulberry-leaves—Mode of preparing the cocoons for the reeling process—Wild
silk-worms of India—Mode of hatching, &c.— (Observations on the cultivation
of silk by Dr. Stebbins—Dr. Bowring's admirable illustration of the mutual de-
pendence of the arts upon each other.)
In China, the tradition of the silk culture is, as already-
shown, carried back into the mythological periods, and dates
with the origin of agriculture itself. These two pursuits or
avocations, namely, husbandry and the silk-manufacture, form
the subject of one of the sixteen discourses to the people. It
is there observed, that " from ancient times the Son of Heaven
directed the plough: the Empress planted the mull3erry-tree.
Thus have these exalted personages, not above the practice of
labor and exertion, set an example to all men, with a view to
leading the millions of their subjects to attend to their essential
interests."
In the work published by Imperial authority, entitled '• Illus-
trations of Husbandry and Weaving*," there are numerous
* The drawing, plate I. (Frontispiece) is a faithful copy of a loom represented
in this curious work. For this representation of a Cliineso weaving engine, as
well as several translations, explanatorj- of the silk-manufacture, &.C., we are in-
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