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

132 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF SILK.
Februaiy ; 2. In May and June ; 3. In June and July ; 4. In
August and September ; 5. In October and November ; the first
and last being the most valuable."
Dr. Anderson informs us, that in Madras the silk-worm goes
through all its evolutions in the short space of twenty-two days.
It appears, however, that the saving of time, and consequently
labor, is the only economy residting from the acceleration ; as
the insects consume as much food during their shorter period of
life, as is assigned to the longer-hved silk-worms of Europe.
We extract the following paper, with slight emendations,
from Ellsworth's Report of the Patent Office for the year 1844,
being a commmiication from Dr. Stebbins of Northampton,
Mass*., to the Editor of the American Agriculturalist, as having
some bearing upon the present subject.
" As requested, I forward you a sketch of Mr. Gill's cra-
dle for feeding silk-woniis, (It is not necessary for us to give
a drawmg of it in a work like the present, which is chiefly
intended for the general reader, and besides, this machine
is already sufficiently known to silk culturists.) I have five
patches of mulberr)^, (in all, len or twelve acres,) two parcels
of which you have seen. The one adjoining my garden, by
estimation, may furnish foliage sufficient for a million and
a half of wonns. The mulberries consist of the white, black,
alpine, broosa, moretta, alata, multicaulis, Asiatic, and large-
leaf Canton. The two latter I prefer for my o^^Tl use
the Canton for early feeding with foUag'e, and the Asiastic for
branch feeding. The Canton is highly approved of for produ-
cing heavy and firm cocoons, which, by competent testimony
and experiments, have been found in favor of the Canton feed
as five to eight, and is the true species used by the Chinese,
as testified by a resident Missionary, the Rev. E. C. Bridg-
man, and more recently by Dr. Parker, while on his late visit
to the United States. I consider the peanut variety of worms
the best for producing the most silk of a good quaUty.
" From an elevated plat near my cocoonery, you had a view
of our extensive meadows spread out at the foot of Moimt Ho-
» Sec Chapter XIII. p. 211.
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