Dr H. De Vecchj de Piccioli
M/S (Karnataka State Archives, Agriculture, 1837-1912, 3 of 1869)[1]
General Rules (p.1)
As a general rule in trying to
acclimatise in one country the products of another differing from it in respect
of climate, as Japan and Mysore – it is
necessary to be particularly careful and to take certain minute precautions in
order to compensate for each difference.
Japanese worms are very delicate
and it is their nature to be affected by variations of temperature. For these
reasons, the cultivators who would wish to obtain good results in the breeding
of Japanese silk worms should observe as much as possible the following simple
instructions.
Incubation and
hatching
A few days before the eggs are
expected to hatch, they must be washed several times for (p.2) the purpose of
removing from them dust and other particles that might be covering them.
Experience has proved that when the eggs are properly washed in cold water and
when they are thereby subjected to a low temperature and made properly clean
they hatch more {readily} and regularly. The eggs should be washed in a salt
water bath. For that purpose a large bowl should be taken and filled to the two
thirds with clear water to which salt should be added [‘x’ in margin] in
proportion of ‘x’ 6 tolas for every large {chatty[2]}.
When the salt is well dissolved, the cartoons[3]
must be placed in the bath and it must be left there for two days; and {precaution}
should be taken to press them from time to time in order that the liquid may
penetrate everywhere and operate equally on all points of the cartoons. The
effect of the salt is to ... ... take
away the dirt without affecting the ... of the egg which is covered with a thin...}
shell devoid of pores. In certain warm countries as (p.3) in Abyssinia and in
certain parts of China this bath is kept in for five days in freezing water. In
Mysore it would be proper to be satisfied with forty eight hours. At the end of
that time the salt water must be decanted and clear fresh water substituted
several times until there remains no salt left in the chatty, as may be
ascertained by tasting for instance. For further precaution it would be
advisable to leave the cartoons for ... more hours in fresh water and then they
must be removed and spread with precaution, one by one on baskets prepared for
their reception, and they should be allowed to dry in the shade. The cartoons
should be frequently turned to allow them to dry more rapidly.
When the cartoons are perfectly
dry they should be carried into the chamber where they are to be hatched. The
place should be free from damp and it should be protected ... as much as
possible from currents of air. In case the hatching chamber be damp it is
necessary to dry it by keeping in it a sufficient quantity of (p.4) { if ... ... ... without ...} the place be exposed
to currents of air, it {may} be sufficient to place mats on the doors and
windows for the purpose of keeping out ... gusts of wind. The breeding chamber {should}
be kept perfectly clean from dust, epidemics and all sorts of filth. The
baskets and stands ... properly washed and cleaned, and if possible the walls
should be freshly whitewashed. {Mairukoturi}, one of the best Japanese ... in
his treatise on the breeding of Silk worms commends besides that all strong
smells ... of tobacco, of onion, or garlic should not be in the breeding room, that
unclean {people} should not be allowed to attend to the {worms}which are
particularly liable to be affected by smells. {He also recommends} that many
should not sleep in the breeding rooms, because during the night the air in the
chamber ... not renewed but is tainted by the breath {and} perspiration of the
sleepers and it becomes polluted and unhealthy.
(p.5) When the young worms begin
to appear they should not be fed forthwith, but it is advisable to wait until a
certain quantity of them are out of the shell. As the hatching usually begins
at about eight o’clock in the morning it would be advisable to wait till two to
feed them for the first time. The neglect of the precaution is the cause of
much inequality in the size and age of the worms of one batch. It is strictly
necessary to set aside the horrid practice in Mysore of detaching the worms
from the cartoons by scraping them off with a feather. The small delicate
creatures by being {dragged} over the hard and grainy surface of the cartoons
are killed in large numbers and those that escape are generally more or less
hurt. It is also necessary to abandon the practice of laying large leaves over
the eggs to remove the young worms. Because the large leaves by being wet and
cold absorb the heat of the minute worms and kill them, by lowering the
temperature of the eggs fatally arrest the [‘x’ and underlining, with marginal
‘x’ and ‘hatching’].
The only proper way of acting is
as follows. When a large number of worms have made (p.6) their appearance, a
few leaves should be taken and cut into very fine slices which should be
sprinkled on the cartoons. The worms will {then} gather on the leaves. The cartoons
should be taken to the baskets that are prepared for the reception of the worms
and they should be gently ... so that the worms may {be moved} with the leaves.
This operation should be {performed so} that the worms do not fall from a great
{height and} should be hurt or falter by being {treated} rudely. It may happen
that all the worms have not been transferred to the {baskets} but that a few
worms still adhere to the {cartoons}. In such case these worms may be detached by
gently tapping with the finger on the back of the cartoons so as to throw down
the worms.
It is very important for the
three or four days to keep and ... air from the breeding chamber because the
young worms are so delicate that one {gust of wind} is enough to kill the whole
of them. I have already suggested precautions to take (p.7) by placing mats on
the doors and windows. For the first three days the worms should be fed with
leaves cut very fine, in small quantities at a time but frequently, once in
every hour even to do for the first three days and after that once in every two
hours. Frequent renewal of the food is absolutely required for Japanese worms.
Because the leaves being cut very fine, are soon dry in the heated atmosphere
of the room and become quite useless as food for the worms which at this stage
are naturally voracious. If they then be deprived of food they will never be
able to recover afterwards from the evil effects of early neglect. The leaves
given during the first five days should be tender and if possible of the Sultans
leaves, which are more full of juice and more nutritious.
It is wrong to keep the worms in
the dark, as light is necessary to all organised and living beings, and it
promotes health and strength. The light should be admitted according to the age
of the worms. Much light is required when they are small and less when they
mature and {grow} (p.8) big. This point should be carefully attended to.
One of the most important reasons
... applicable at every stage of the {breeding} is to give sufficient space to
the worms, {not to} be thrown one upon the other, they are ... to feed and they
dirty each other with their dung and with their perspiration and {to be} more
liable to become sick and to die. Let the worms therefore have sufficient
{space} to live and to move about. That is one of {the main} conditions of success.
The great secret for the successful breeding of worms is to give them space,
sufficient air, and good leaves {according} to their age.
As already observed, great
variation {in} the temperature should be avoided always. If during the night
the weather is too {cold}, the room may be warmed with cow dung; if during the
day the weather is too hot, air should be admitted and a little water
{sprinkled} on the mats. But it is necessary to bear in mind that the
room should not be ... (p.9) as that would prove fatal to the worms.
To clean out the worms, it is
absolutely necessary to set aside the practice of taking them up with the
fingers as in this manner the little delicate creatures are hurt. The Japanese
proceed as follows to clean the worms and they call their method ‘feather
dressing’ in imitation of the manner that a bird cleans his wings by separating
the feathers one by one with his bill. Thus the Japanese with small sticks
divide the bed into small portions which they spread over the basket, each at a
little distance from the others. This operation which requires great attention,
having been performed the worms are fed by throwing leaves in preference in the
vacant spaces of the old dry bed. There should be enough fresh leaves to level
the space occupied by the worms. The young worms will naturally abandon the old
bed to take to the fresh leaves. In regards the feather dressing it is
important to observe that more the old bed is divided in small portions the (p.10)
sooner it is dried and the less the worms are liable to sickness. Juginidaa, a
Japanese {writer} says, with a dry bed are healthy worms.
First moulting
The
Japanese worms for six days after being hatched become {torpid} for the first
time, and within twenty four hours they shed their first skin. Immediately afterwards
they grow considerably, it is necessary to give them more space after {this}.
For this purpose, the operation of feather dressing should be performed but on
a larger ... It must be borne in mind that if this is well done there will be no
necessity to {move} the worms from one basket into another. Feather dressing
being over, the worms should {be fed} as they feel a great want of food about
this time. Their appetite however is soon satisfied. For the first day, or if
required for the following also, the worms should be fed five times, (p.11)
that at the interval of two hours, with tender Sultans leaves. The light should
be regulated as during the first stage. If the windows have no glass shutters,
oil paper may be used as a substitute.
Second
moulting
It
is usually after the sixth day that the worms become torpid for the second
time. At this stage the temperature should be carefully attended to. If the
weather is too warm the worms will awake too soon, and their skins not having had
enough time to be shed, will adhere about their lower extremity, causing
eventually their death. If the weather is too cold the worms will awake with a black
skin, they will have no appetite, they will be drowsy and they will soon die.
After the second moulting it is absolutely required to change the bed
altogether. For that purpose the superior layer alone of the bed ... separated from
the other layers, and later with all (p.12) the worms that are on it, to
another basket in which it should be gently placed. The old bed should be kept
for at least two hours in order that the worms that are {remaining} should have
time enough to ... It is by ... throwing
away {the old} bed that a large number of good worms are frequently lost. After the moulting, the worms should be fed
with sultan’s leaves {or} the grafted and other species lately introduced into
the country. The leaves should be cut thicker than before. During these days
the worms should be fed four times and after that at the interval of two {hours}.
It is now necessary to moderate the light. After the fifth day the bed should
be separated as prescribed above, in order that the worms may be free from damp
and bad smells ... they are torpid for the third time.
Third
moulting
When
the worms begin to ... the third moulting it is necessary to ... (p.13) into another basket with the aid
of small tender mulberry branches. For that purpose small branches with the
leaves are placed over the worms, which will soon take to them. The branches
with the worms are then carried into other baskets and they are placed so that
the worms may have plenty of space, because at this stage they grow rapidly.
The light should be further moderated and fresh air may be admitted with
precaution. During the first day the worms may be fed four times and after that
at the interval of two hours. At this stage the worms should be carefully and
frequently cleaned but always with the aid of branches. The cultivator should
beware not to use the rude method of cleaning the worms by taking them up with
the finger. Want of space and cleanliness would inevitable cause a failure. For
want of space the worms will not have within their reach a sufficient quantity
of leaves to feed upon and they will die of starvation, besides being subjected
(p.14) to various diseases in consequence of ... ...
Fourth
Moulting
The
worms take forty eight hours to shed their fourth skins. As they are {during
this} time in a torpid state, it is necessary to watch the temperature. When
the worms begin to awake they must be twice every ... into fresh baskets with
the aid of branches as already described.
The riots should always {avoid} the practice in Mysore of picking up
{the worms} and of gathering them into a large heap and of casting them
afterwards over the baskets as if they were covering seeds. It will be {necessary}
to insist on the evil effects of this procedure.
For
the first two days the worms are fed four times and after that at intervals of
two hours during the day and of three hours during the night, but in quantities
... according to their appetite. After this, {for the} fourth moulting, tender
leaves ... (p.15) for the feed should be adapted to the age of the worm.
Whereas tender leaves are indispensable at the beginning, they ... now prove
dangerous. For the worms want to devour them with avidity, and as they contain
but a small proportion of nourishment, the worms instead of benefiting would
suffer from indigestion and die. The loss at this stage would be so much more
serious as so much expense and labour would have been incurred in vain. Without
being tender, however, the leaves should be fresh but they should not be wet
either from rain or with dew. If the leaves have been gathered for some time, they
are apt to become heated, as may be ascertained by putting the hand in the
middle of them. If the leaves [x in margin] are heated, they must be rejected
at any cost, because they have begun to ferment and instead of being good to
feed the worms, they will act like poison. It has been already prescribed to
avoid all bad smells. The cultivators should therefore be careful not to (p.16)
cook their food over the worms room. Even ... perfumes are noxious, so that it
is wrong to place garlands of jasmine or other flowers around the baskets. Great
cleanliness should be observed at this time ... the worms eat much, {and} also
deposit dirt in large quantities. They should therefore be frequently moved
into fresh baskets, always with the aid of branches. The dung should not be
thrown on the floor but it should be collected and be carried out immediately
to the dung pit. For the smell emanating from its fermentation is very
poisonous.
Cocooning
Five
or six days after the fourth moult, the creature begins to be ripe for
cocooning. ... As they begin to abandon the centre of the basket and to climb
up the sides, it is time to prepare the arrangements necessary to assist them.
There are several ways of ... (p.17) for the formation of cocoons. The model sent
with the Manual is the best. It somewhat resembles the basket generally used in
Mysore, except that the worms are able to select their own positions instead of
being taken up by the fingers and set at random, and they are obliged to form
single cocoons, thereby avoiding the formation of double cocoons and the waste
of floss silk. While the worms are spinning they should be left very quiet. For
three days they should be kept close and partly in the dark. After that much ventilation
is good to dry the cocoons and to preserve the pupa in a healthy condition.
After six days the pupa is perfectly formed. The cocoons may then be safely
removed.
Eggs
To
obtain good eggs it is absolutely necessary to observe the following
recommendations. First to select the best cocoons among those that (p.18) are
formed during the final two days, and remove from them the whole of the loose
floss silk, and to place them gently in clean baskets to wait for the
appearance of the moth. Second, the
moths that have appeared during the first two days alone should be kept. All
the others should be thrown away as they are good for nothing. Thirdly, among
the moths of the first days, only those should be selected that are free from
black spots. The only good moths are those that are white and are well formed and
appear to be healthy. The male moths should flap their wings rapidly and move in
search of the female moths which should carry the lower part of their body high
and move it up and down frequently. When two moths are coupled they should be
taken away and put in a quiet place in the dark. Fourthly, {the} moths should
not be allowed to remain coupled for more than six hours, during the hot
weather or of seven hours during the cold. ... that they should be separated
gently so that the female (p.19) be not hurt. The males are then thrown away
and the females are placed for a few minutes on blotting paper to allow them to
reject a quantity of matter. They are at last placed upon the cartoons where
they are to deposit their eggs. After ten hours the female should be thrown
away, because the eggs that they lay after that time are not good. The cartoons
should be left in the same ... until the eggs are dry and become of a light
grey colour.
Conclusion
Abundant
space, sufficient food – according to the age of the worms,
cleanliness, a moderate temperature, these are the great secrets by which the
Japanese have preserved their breeds of silkworms free from sickness and by
which they have obtained abundant crops.If the cultivators in Mysore would
follow these small instructions with the desire to conform to them as much as
possible, they will not fail to obtain the benefit of their exertions and they
will contribute to restore an industry which the providing care of Government
is endeavouring to promote throughout the country.
(p.20) Bangalore 26th March 1870 Dr H. de Vecchj de Piccoli
[1] Transcribed from
authorised
but amateur digital photography in the Reading Room of KSA, Bangalore, 26.02.2010. It was not
possible to take apart the original manuscript, meaning that the right hand
margins of left hand pages were hidden. In addition, clarity and readability
vary considerably. Gaps are here marked ‘…’ and uncertain insertions with
brackets thus { }. Mistakes and
omissions are inevitable, marked or not, and though much is completely clear,
not too much reliance should be placed on particular words appearing in this
transcription. The general sense is mostly clear.
Corrections from the original
text in the Archives would be much appreciated from anyone who has the
necessary access, also information on any other texts that can be found. Please
contact simoncharsley@yahoo.co.uk
[3] ‘cartoon’:
doubt as to whether this term refers to paper sheets on which the eggs have
been laid, or to cartons containing them.
‘Cocoon’ derives from French ‘cocon’, the English form established from
the early 19th century and replacing a variety of terms used
earlier.
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