Document: Instructions for managing silkworms

Instructions to manage silk worms cannot be easily written; it ought to be done by people who have done such or seen it done.

When the mulberry leaves begin to sprout, the eggs are laid in a bed under cover in a box to incubate; and as they hatch they are put into another box with the young mulberry leaves; and as they grow larger [ they are put ] into hurdles, giving them fresh leaves to eat 1, 2, 3, times a day. After they are big and eat steadily, they must be fed. When they are shedding their skins, they are given no food. Every two or three days the hurdle is cleaned, by removing the worms and placing them in a clean hurdle with fresh leaves; the rest is shaken away and swept out with a dry broom. Then it is fit again. When they are large enough, they are placed in branches to spin, in a dark room with moving the branches for 8 to 9 days, until they have finished. They take the cocoons or silk houses out into the sun so that the pulpa inside die, and do not chew through the cocoons. Those which are to be kept for seed are not put in the sun and chew through the cocoon. They are then placed on paper or cloth upon which they lay their eggs.

In order to unwind the silk houses, they are thrown into a flat shallow kettle with hot water which is kept constantly hot. Over it is placed a reel with which the silk is unwound from the cocoon with 3 to 4 strands together. This requires special experience.