Back Aa

Birds and All Nature, Vol. IV, No 6, December 1898

Close

<h2><SPAN name="THE_SILK-WORM" id="THE_SILK-WORM"></SPAN>THE SILK-WORM.</h2> <p>THE Caterpillar, or Silkworm, is at first of a dark color, but soon becomes light, and in its tints much resembles the perfect insect—a circumstance common in Caterpillars. Its proper food is the Mulberry, though it will likewise eat the Lettuce, and some few other plants, on which, however, it does not thrive equally well, and the silk yielded is of a poor quality.</p> <p>The Silkworm is about eight weeks in arriving at maturity, during which period it changes its skin four or five times. When about to cast its skin it ceases to eat, raises the forepart of the body slightly, and remains in perfect repose. In this state it necessarily continues for a time, in order that the new skin, which is at this time forming, may become sufficiently mature to enable the Caterpillar to burst through the old one. This operation is performed thus: The forepart of the old skin is burst; the Silkworm then, by continually writhing its body, contrives to thrust the skin back to the tail and disengage itself; this is difficult, however, since it is no uncommon occurrence for them to die from not being able to free themselves.</p> <p>When full grown the Silkworm commences spinning its web in some convenient spot, and as it does not change the position of the hinder portions of its body much, but continues drawing its thread from various points, and attaching it to others, it follows that after a time its body becomes, in a great measure, enclosed by the thread. The work is then continued from one thread to another, the Silkworm moving its head and spinning in a zig-zag way, bending the forepart of the body back to spin in all directions within reach, and shifting the body only to cover with silk the part which was beneath it. In this way it encloses itself in a cocoon much shorter than its own body. During the time of spinning the cocoon the Silkworm decreases in length considerably, and after the work is done it is not half its original length. At this time it becomes quite torpid, soon changes its skin, and appears in the form of a chrysalis. In this state the animal remains about three weeks; it then bursts its case and comes forth in the imago state, the moth having previously dissolved a portion of the cocoon by means of a fluid which it ejects. The moth is short lived; the female in many instances dies almost immediately after she has laid her eggs; the male survives her but a short time.</p> <p>China was the first country in which the labors of the Silkworm were availed of, and Aristotle was the first Greek author who mentions it. It was not until the fifteenth century that the manufacture of silk was established in England. The raising of Silkworms in the United States has been attempted with success in the Southern States, and especially in California. As the Silkworms in Europe are affected by disease, immense quantities of eggs are sent from this country.</p> <p>Reeling from the cocoons is only performed in countries where the silk is produced. In plain silk-weaving the process is much the same as in weaving wool or linen, but the weaver is assisted by a machine for the even distribution of the warp, which frequently consists of eight thousand separate threads in a breadth of twenty inches. The Jacquard loom, invented by a weaver of Lyons, has been the means of facilitating and cheapening the production of fancy or figured silks to an extraordinary extent.</p> <p>The Pan-American delegates during their tour through this country were presented with silk flags by the Woman's Silk-Culture Association of Philadelphia. The flags were made from material produced in the United States.</p> <p>The eggs from which our photograph was taken are "live eggs," and if properly handled will hatch out in the spring. In order to bring about this result care must be taken that they do not become too warm; freezing will not hurt them, but heat or dampness will cause them to hatch or spoil.</p> <p>Forty thousand eggs weigh about one ounce, and when hatched will produce about one hundred pounds of fresh cocoons.</p> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</SPAN></span></p> <table class="sp2 mc w50 p2" title="SILK-WORMS." summary="SILK-WORMS."> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span class="ac w100 figcenter"> <SPAN name="i_042.jpg" id="i_042.jpg"> <ANTIMG style="width:100%" src="images/i_042.jpg" width="442" height="600" alt="" /></SPAN></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="x-smaller ac w100">Life-size.</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xx-smaller ac w100">No. 1—Silkworm eggs. No. 2—Fourth-stage Worm. No. 3—Pupa in Cocoon. No. 4—Cocoon. No. 5—Male Moth. No. 6—Female Moth. No. 7—Unspun Silk. No. 8—Raw Manufactured Silk. No. 9—Manufactured Silk</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <hr class="chap" /> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</SPAN></span></p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />

1 of 2

2 of 2