Copyright by B. L. Sing-ley
Orchards of white mulberry trees are grown to supply food for the silk worms. Here we see an orchard in Japan where men are gathering mulberry leaves which will be taken to the rearing-house in which the worms are fed.
Copyright by H. C. White Co.
The worms are kept in trays made of matting and these are placed on racks, for convenience and to give them plenty of air. The mulberry leaves are placed beside the worms which eat the tender parts between the veins of the leaf. When thousands of worms are eating, they make a sound like a gentle shower of rain. Here we see a tray of worms feeding on the leaves.
Copyright by H. C. White Co.
When the worms are full grown and ready to spin, they are placed on twigs or coarse straws spread over frames, as we see in this picture. There are two long silk glands running along the sides of the body of the worm which open together on the under lip. The worm spins the cocoon by ejecting from these glands a fluid which hardens immediately, forming a thread of 800 to 1200 yards in length, moving its head around in regular order for about three days.
Copyright by H. C. White Co.
The cocoons are brought to market In large baskets by the silk farmers. Here they are carefully examined and marketed. In natural order the worm in the cocoon is transformed into a chrysalis and later into a moth, which comes out of the cocoon. This_ruins the cocoon for reeling and hence the cocoons wrhich are to be used for the manufacture of silk are heated and the chrysalis killed.
