This last circumstance might be, in part, owing to the warmth of the season. The cocoons thus produced were not only of larger size than those of the first crop, but what is still more important, they were beautiful and shining, and of the whiteness of snow. At the Fair of the American Institute of New York in 1833, cocoons were produced of two successive crops of silk. The first crop were hatched 11th of May. The second crop the 8th of July, and a third crop might have been produced. All being fed on the Morus muticaulis, they were of a snowy whiteness. In the same year Mr E. Stanley of Ogden, N. Y., produced two successive crops, the second were hatched by accident, and the Cocoons were fine. In Brattleboro', Vt, in the same year two successive crops were produced from the common white mulberry. And in 1834, as Dr Holmes has recorded, two crops of cocoons, both of them large and perfect, were produced in Winthrop, Maine. See his account in the Maine Farmer, vol. iii. Feb. 20, 1835, published at Winthrop. In all these cases, the second crop of silkworms was produced from the eggs from the cocoons of the first crop. Dr Millington however, states that this practice is wrong. In his valuable communication in the American Farmer for January, 1829, he has stated that the eggs of the same year hatch but partially, or do not hatch so regular as those of the former year. He notes the date and the day the eggs are produced, on the papers on which they are deposited; and those eggs of a similar age are brought forward to hatch at the same time, and then they usually are all ready to spin together. These are carefully rolled up and preserved in dry boxes, and kept in a dry cool cellar, and in June or July of the following year and when the heat of the climate or season requires it, they are transferred to a dry ice house. Among the great advantages of having silk-worms of dif ferent ages in the same apartment, Dr Millington states, "that the same room and shelves will hold abundantly more worms at the same time, without being crowded; and a room and shelves which will but barely accommodate 100,000 full grown worms, will better accommodate 250,000 consisting of four or five different ages, provided each age or parcel are about equal in number, and are * * hatched at about seven or eight days apart. Another advantage is, the same number of hands, with the same quantity of labor, will make more silk and do it with less trouble and perplexity, than when the whole crop of worms are of the same age and all spin at the same time. When silk-worms are young, they are extremely small, and require but little room, little food, and little attention. All the food they consume, up to the time they are sixteen days old, would not make more than one meal for them when full grown; consequently when the whole crop of worms are of the same age, there is at first but little to do; but for a few of the last days they will eat voraciously, and must all be removed and cleaned frequently, and all set to spinning at the same time. So much to do at the same time creates a hurry and perplexity which must eventuate in a loss for want of time to do all that is required. * When the worms are of different ages, the labor required is more equalized. A part of them will constantly be of the age to require considerable attention. But this parcel will be so small, that the hands will have spare time to attend to the younger parcels. I have certain shelves allotted to each parcel during a certain age; and other shelves exclusively for them to spin on. I begin with the fresh hatched worms, placed on the shelves allotted to worms of that age. After their first moulting I pass them to the shelf allotted to the next age, and again supply the first shelf with fresh hatched worms. In this manner I continue, through the whole season, to bring young worms on the first shelves, and pass them on until they reach the spinning shelves, from which the cocoons are removed, to make room for the next succeeding parcel." "Last year I had silk-worms constantly in feeding from the 20th of April until after the 20th of October." We are assured on first rate authority, on that of Gideon B. Smith, Esq. of Baltimore, that Dr Millington is an eminently practical, scientific agriculturist, and has made silk one of the principal objects of his attention during several years. Mr Smith from his own experience, "bears testimony to all Dr Millington's remarks. And considers his as the very best article which had yet appeared." This in January, 1829. Dr Millington resides at St Charles, in Missouri, about latitude 38°. was I am perfectly aware, that the excellent Dr Pascalis, at the time he published his work on silk at New York in 1829, endeavored to explode the idea of attempting to raise numerous crops, or even two successive crops of silk in a season. He states some plausible reasons for his objections, particularly the record of the failure of an attempt near Lyons about 1820-and also the failure of the attempts at the Isle of Bourbon, situated beneath a fiery sun, and within the burning zone. In the next year and in No. 2 of his valuable work, "The Silk Culturist" for January, 1830, Dr Pascalis has recorded the successful introduction of the silk culture to the north of France, a thing which had been deemed at least, equally as problematical thirty years before. Also that Dr Deslongchamps had even succeeded in raising a second crop of cocoons from the eggs of the first. Dr Deslongchamps was one of a society of savans at Paris who had performed many experiments to prove that this branch of industry can be successfully carried on through all the northern departments of France. He also had ascertained by experiments at Paris, that the cocoons which were produced by silk-worms fed exclusively on the Morus multicaulis, were even rather heavier than other cocoons. The more complete and effectual conversion of Dr Pascalis to the system, does not appear so fully until afterwards, when speaking of the M. multicaulis which he had received from France, he says, "after the discovery of this plant, a doubt no longer exists, that two crops of silk may be produced in a single season. XVII. MODERN METHODS OF COMTE DANDOLO FOR REAR- [Extract from Dr Pascalis' " Practical Instructions," &c.] Specimen house of Mons. Matthiew Bonafoux of Piedmont, the disciple of Comte Dandolo. I omit the diary. The house, though calculated for 160,000, yet in this instance it contained but 80,000. The house is isolated and exposed on all sides. It is by the side of a brook. It is twenty feet square in the clear, of course the same in height. Around the four walls, at ten feet from the floor, there runs a frame gallery, which facilitates the attendance of the nursery in all its parts. There are five windows and thirteen ventilators through the walls, so disposed as to admit fresh air on all sides. These last are a foot square more or less, and furnished with slides; and seven ventilators in the roof to open with cords. There are two stoves in opposite angles, each with an air chamber for heated air; also, a fire place in the side with a broad hearth, for fires of light blaze or flame fires. There are forty hurdles, each fifteen feet long and three feet wide, sufficient for four Opposite the principal door is a small house in two apartments, one of which is for the attendants, and the other for preserving the implements and also used as a hot house for hatching the eggs. ounces. There are various implements and furniture which I shall not describe. A Hygrometer for ascertaining the moisture; but a saucer with some half pounded salt will shew the amount of moisture. Excess of moisture is rectified by the stoves or by flame fires. The Thermometer regulates the heat within, which in the beginning is 75°, but is lowered gradually to 63° in the last days, though the weather is constantly growing warmer. Also a Fumitory or large bottle containing seven ounces of sea salt, three ounces pulverized manganese, and two ounces of water; a large spoonful of oil of vitriol being added, causes an effervescence, which neutralizes the bad smell or miasma. The silk-worm according to the diary, passed through the five different ages in forty days. The 80,000 silkworms consuming 2887 pounds 6 ounces of leaves, besides a certain quantity of foliage, given in intermediate meals, not herein included. In the last stages the leaves were given whole. The space occupied in the last stage is stated in the diary at six hundred and seven square feet; but in the recapitulation, it is put down at three by three hundred and fortyfive feet, which would be something more, or equal to the space in the clear of twentythree hurdles. Total weight of cocoons three hundred and four pounds eight ounces, or sixteen to the ounce; all firm, well nourished, sizeable, of a fine straw color. One pound of cocoons has required nine pounds of chopped mulberry leaves. Let it be remarked, that this house stands alone, exposed, on its four sides to the four winds. And with the ample space above, it might well contain double the number usually allotted in the same area, in buildings covering a wide space, or in secluded situations. Excess of moisture being rectified by flame fires, which are sometimes kindled four times a day. Dr Pascalis, an eminently scientific gentleman, has by electricity inspired the silk-worms to hasten their labors. By insulating the hurdles, and by the aid of the electric machine and jar, he has succeeding in bringing their labors to a close in twentyseven days. He states that he is willing, though it divides the honor of discovery, to appeal to the celebrated Abbe Boissier de Sauvages, who wrote 70 years ago. Sauvages had expressed his belief that the finely pointed appendage or process, proceeding from the last ring of the silk-worm was a mysterious organ, the use of which could not be defined, unless it was an electrical point or tractor. He proposes to correct the unwholesome condition of a damp atmosphere by fires, which will diffuse a dry heat: adding, "That temperature is at all times best for nurseries, in which the air is the most electrified, and electrical experiments are the most successful." Comte Dandolo rectifies the dampness of the air "by burning in one or two chimneys, shavings or straw, or any small dry brushwood, because the external air thereby attracted, will comfort and restore the languishing worms; and this renewed air by no means can increase the necessary or internal temperature. Another reason why blazing fires are to be preferred, is the quantity of light disengaged from dry.combustibles; it is surprising how useful this reviving light proves to the insects, and how much it contributes to their health and growth.' * * THE grape vine is a deciduous tree, with an irregular contorted stem, and long flexible branches. They trail on the earth, or, connected by their tendrils to trees, they rise vertically, even to the summits of those which crown the forest. The leaves are large, smooth, or downy, serrated, lobed, or entire. The leaves and footstalks of the white or yellow grapes, change from a green to a yellow color, late in autumn; and those of the red or black grapes, to a reddish hue. The blossoms are produced in long clusters or racemes, from the wood of the same year; they possess a fra |