THE SECRETS OF SILKWORM CULTURE

Enlarge Image Image Gallery The tiny black spots you see here on Me tissue are eggs ... which will hatch into silkworms (shown munching on a mulberry leaf) in about three to ten days. After 30 days of grazin ~-during which the wrigglers each eat about a quarter pound of leaves and increase their initial weight by 10,000 times! these critters'll encase themselves in robes of silk, producing cocoons a little larger than a quarter. The fat, brown pupa (on the paper towel) that inhabits the cocoon will either be killed-by heating in the oven or (for a longer period of time) in the sun-and its covering harvested ... or the chrysalid will be allowed to hatch into the silkworm moth (again, perched on the leaf). Such adults will soon mate, reproduce, and die ... thereby completing their life cycle (the entirety of which-you'll notice-is shown in this photo!). PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR

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If you're tired of the same old arts-and-crafts scene and looking for an exciting, different part-time pursuit ... give some thought to the inexpensive, mysterious, Oriental practice of sericulture (or silkworm cultivation).

The knowledge needed to raise such tiny "livestock" has been handed (Own from generation to generation for centuries, and the silkworm ranks with the honeybee as one of the world's most profitable domestic insects.

Mary Stock (who lives in Canton, Ohio) started a silkworm farm more than four years ago, and she's been kind enough to share her knowledge with MOTHER's readers. In ancient China, revealing such silkworm secrets would probably have resulted in death by torture, and—even today—printed matter on the subject is hard to come by ... with most available texts written either in highly technical terms or in Oriental languages!

THE EGG AND YOU

Ms. Stock says that—in sericulture at least—there's definitely no question about whether the moth or egg comes first ... it's the egg every time, and these "silkworm seeds" are very difficult to find. In fact, so few folks raise the little silkmaking machines nowadays that Mary had to do a good bit of searching before she located a supplier—Marguerite Shimmin (who lives at 2470 Queensbury Road, Pasadena, California 91104)—and bought 200 eggs from that lady for $2.00 ... which was all the money that the Ohioan had to invest to get her start in the silkworm business.

There is, however, one other requirement for successful sericulture: a ready supply of mulberry leaves. The most important variety—as far as hungry silkworms are concerned—is Morus alba, the white-fruited mulberry of China. This is a hardy tree that will grow in almost any soil, and worms fed on its leaves are said to produce the finest silk. Another popular species is the Morus nigra, or black-fruited mulberry, which is native to Italy and produces berries that make a great syrup or pie. You'll find, however, that the caterpillars will munch away on any kind of mulberry leaves you happen to have on hand. (Consult the last section of this article for information on where to buy mulberry seedlings.)

Three-year-old trees produce the best feed for silk production, and a healthy mulberry should yield from 20 to 30 pounds of leaves during the time your worms are in their growing stages. (That's about enough greenery to supply 100 wrigglers with chow for the 30 days—more or less—that they'll need food.)

You may be able to locate silkworm eggs through your local spinning and weaving organizations. It these sources don't pail out, though, you can write to Marguerite in Pasadena or Mary (at 3811 Lincoln Street East, Canton, Ohio 44707). Both women will be glad to share their knowledge and egg supplies, but be sure to send a self-addressed, stamped envelope—and at least $2.00—with any request for eggs or information.

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