Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Part 9

As for their _Working_, he gives this account of it, that the first day they make only a _Webb_; the second, they form in this _Webb_ their _Cases_, and cover themselves all over with Silk; the third day, they are no longer seen, and the dayes following they thicken their _Cases_, alwayes by one _end_ or _thread_, which they {90} never break off, themselves.

This, he affirms, they put out with so much quickness, and draw it so subtle and so long, that without an _Hyperbole_, the _end_ or _thread_ of every _Case_ may have two Leagues in length. He advertiseth, that they must be by no means interrupted in their work, to the end, that all the Silk, they have in their bellyes, may come out.

Some eight dayes after they have finished their Work, as many of the best _Cases_, as are to serve for _seed_, _viz._ the first done the hardest, the reddest and best coloured, must be chosen, and put a-part; and all diligence is to be used to winde off the silk with as much speed, as may be, especially if the _Worms_ have nimbly dispatched their work.

Here he spends a good part of his Book, in giving very particular Instructions, concerning the way of winding off the silk, setting also down the form of the Oven and Instruments necessary for that work, which is the painfullest and nicest of all the rest.

Touching their _Generation_, he prescribeth that there be chosen as many male as female _Cases_ (which are discerned by this, that the males are more pointed at both ends of the _Cases_, and the females more obtuse on the ends, and bigger-bellyed) and that care be had, that no _Cases_ be taken, but such wherein the _Worms_ are heard rolling; which done, and they being come forth in the form of _b.u.t.terflies_, having four wings, six feet, two horns, and two very black eyes, and put in a convenient place, the males fluttering with their wings, will joyn and couple with the females, after that these have first purged themselves of a kind of reddish humour by the fundament: in which posture they are to be left from Morning (which is the ordinary time of their coming forth) till evening, and then the females are to be gently pulled away, whereupon they will lay their eggs, having first let fall by the Fundament another humour, esteemed to proceed from the seed of the males; but the males are then thrown away as useless.

He advertiseth, that if they be coupled longer than 9. or 10. hours, (which they will be, and that sometimes for 24. hours together, if they be let alone) either the female will receive very great hurt by it, or much seed will remain in her belly. {91}

The seed at first coming out is very white, but within a day it becoms greenish, then red, at last by little and little gray, which colour it retains alwaies, the most coloured of an obscure gray, being the best; those grains which never quit their whiteness, having no fecundity in them.

Each female emits ordinarily some 300 grains, more or less, some of them not being able to render them all, and dying with them in their belly. One ounce of seed will require an hundred pair of _Cases_, of as many Males as Females.

Care must be taken, that no Rats, Mice, Ants, or other Vermin, nor any Hens, or Birds, come near the Seed, they being very greedy to eat them.

This is the substance of what is contained in this _French_ Author, published at _Paris_ on purpose to promote the _Making_ of _Silk_ there, as well as it is practised already in other parts of that Kingdom; which is represented here, to the end, that from this occasion the design, which the English Nation once did entertain of the _increasing of Mulberry trees_, and the _Breeding of Silk-worms_, for the _Making of Silk_ within themselves, may be renewed, and _that_ encouragement given by King _James_ of Glorious memory for that purpose (witness that _Letter_ which he directed to the Lords Lievtenants of the several shires of _England_) and seconded by his _Most Excellent Majesty_, that now is, be made use of, for the honour of _England_ and _Virginia_, and the increase of wealth to the people thereof; especially since there is cause of hope, that a _double Silk harvest_ may be made in _one_ Summer in _Virginia_, without hindring in the least the _Tobacco_-Trade of that Countrey.

_Enquiries concerning _Agriculture_._

Whereas the _Royal Society_, in prosecuting the _Improvements of Natural knowledge_, have it in design, to collect _Histories of Nature and Arts_, and for that purpose have already, according to the several Inclinations and Studies of their Members, divided themselves into divers _Commitees_, to execute the said design: Those Gentlemen, which do const.i.tute the _Commitee_ for considering of _Agriculture_, and the _History_ and _Improvement_ thereof, have begun their work with drawing up certain {92} Heads of _Enquiries_, to be distributed to persons _Experienced in Husbandry_ all over _England_, _Scotland_, and _Ireland_, for the procuring a _faithful_ and _solid_ information of the _knowledge_ and _practice_ already obtained and used in these Kingdoms; whereby, besides the aid which by this means will be given to the general End of collecting the aforementioned _History_, every place will be advantaged by the helps, that are found in any, and occasion ministred to consider, what improvements may be further made in this whole matter. Now to the End, that those _Enquiries_ may be the more universally known, and those who are skilful in Husbandry, publickly invited to impart their knowledge herein, for the _common_ benefit of their Countrey, it hath been thought fit to publish the _effect_ of them in Print, and withal to desire that what such persons shall think good from their own _Knowledge_ and _Experience_ to communicate hereupon, they would be pleased to send it to the Printers of the _Royal Society_, to be delivered to either of the _Secretaries_ of same. The Enquiries follow.

1. For _Arable_.

1. The several kinds of the soyls of _England_, being supposed to be, either Sandy, Gravelly, Stony, Clayie, Chalky, Light mould, Heathy, Marish, Boggy, Fenny, or Cold weeping Ground; information is desired, what kind of soyls your Country doth most abound with, and how each of them is prepared, when employed for _Arable_?

2. What _peculiar_ preparations are made use of to these Soyls for each kind of Grain; with what kind of Manure they are prepared; when, how, & in what quant.i.ty the Manure is laid on?

3. At what seasons and how often they are ploughed; what kind of Ploughs are used for several sorts of Ground?

4. How long the several Grounds are let lie fallow?

5. How, and for what productions, _Heathy_ Grounds may be improved? And who they are (if there be any in your Country) that have reduced _Heaths_ into profitable Lands?

6. What ground _Marle_ hath over head? How deep generally it lieth from the surface? What is the depth of the _Marle_ it self? What the colour of it?

Upon what grounds it is used? {93} What time of the year it is to be laid on? How many loads to an Acre? What Grains _Marled_ Land will bear, and how many years together? How such _Marled_ Land is to be used afterwards, &c?

7. The kinds of Grain or Seed, usual in _England_, being supposed to be either Wheat, Miscelane, Rye, Barley, Oats, Pease, Beans, Fitches, Buck-wheat, Hemp, Flax, Rape; We desire to know, what sorts of Grains are sown in your Country, and how each of these is prepared for Sowing? Whether by _steeping_, and in what kind of Liquor? Or by mixing it, and with what?

8. There being many sorts of Wheat, as the White or Red Lammas, the bearded Kentish Wheat, the gray Wheat, the red or gray Pollard, the Ducks-bill Wheat, the red-eared-bearded Wheat, &c. And so of Oats, as the common Black, Blue, Naked, Bearded in _North-wales_: and the like of Barley, Pease, Beans, &c. The Enquiry is, which of these grow in your Country, and in what Soyl; and which of them thrive best there; and whether each of them require a peculiar Tillage; and how they differ in goodness?

9. What are the chief particulars observable in the choice of Seed-Corn, and all kinds of Grain; and what kinds of Grain are most proper to succeed one another?

10. What Quant.i.ty of each kind is sown upon the Statute-Acre? And in what season of the Moon and year 'tis sowed?

11. With what instruments they do Harrow, Clod and Rowl, and at what seasons?

12. How much an Acre of good Corn, well ordered, generally useth to yield, in very good, in less good, & in the worst years?

13. Some of the common Accidents and Diseases befalling Corn in the growth of it, being Meldew, Blasting, s.m.u.t; what are conceived to be the Causes thereof, & what the Remedies?

14. There being other Annoyances, the growing Corn is exposed to, as Weeds, Worms, Flies, Birds, Mice, Moles, &c. how they are remedied?

15. Upon what occasions they use to cut the young Corn in the Blade, or to seed it; and what are the benefits thereof?

16. What are the seasons and waies of Reaping and Ordering each sort of Grain, before it be carried off the Ground? {94}

17. What are the several waies of preserving Grain in the Straw, within and without doors, from all kind of Annoyance, as Mice, Heating, Rain, &c?

18. What are the waies of separating the several sorts of Grain from the Straw, and of dressing them?

19. What are the waies of preserving any stores of separated Grain, from the Annoyances they are obnoxious to?

2. For _Meadows_.

1. How the above mentioned sorts of Soyl are prepared, when they are used for Pasture or Meadow?

2. The common Annoyances of these Pasture or Meadow Grounds being supposed to be, either Weeds, Moss, Sour-gra.s.s, Heath, Fern, Bushes, Bryars, Brambles, Broom, Rushes, Sedges, Gorse or Furzes: what are the Remedies thereof?

3. What are the best waies of Drayning Marshes, Boggs, Fenns, &c?

4. What are the several kinds of Gra.s.s, and which are counted the best?

5. What are the chief circ.u.mstances observable in the Cutting of Gra.s.s; and what in the making and preserving of Hay?

6. What kind of Gra.s.s is fittest to be preserved for Winter feeding? And what Gra.s.s is best for Sheep, for Cows, Oxen, Horses, Goats, &c.

Advertis.e.m.e.nt.

_The _Reader_ is hereby advertised, that by reason of the present Contagion in _London_, which may unhappily cause an interruption aswel of _Correspondencies_, as of _Publick Meetings_, the Printing of these _Philosophical Transactions_ may possibly for a while be intermitted; though endeavours shall be used to continue them, if it may be._

_LONDON,_

Printed with Licence, by _John Martyn_, and _James Allestry_, Printers to the _Royal Society_, at the _Bell_ in St. _Pauls Church-Yard_. 1665.

{95}