Essential Collection on Sericulture: Volume II

Page 11

Flower-patterned grids and bamboo-framed "brooms" are arranged on top of the shelves. Additional horizontal beams original: heng leng (橫楞) and shelf boards are installed for workers to stand on so they can distribute the silkworms from a height. Once the cocoons have formed, the lower horizontal beams and the reed mats original: lu lian (蘆簾) are removed; this process is known as "removing the supports" original: chu tuo (除托). By doing this, any dead silkworms, waste original: sha (沙); specifically silkworm excrement or frass, and fungi fall directly to the floor. This technique—where the structure is established before the silkworms are brought up—is commonly practiced in the villages and towns to the southeast of the prefectural city. While local customs result in different structural designs, their utility is identical. One should take advantage of leisure time to prepare the straw brooms in advance so as not to be rushed when the time for cocooning arrives.

Picking the Maturing Silkworms

The silkworms that reach maturity first are called Early Mothers original: kao niang (考孃). The term kao is a phonetic shift from the word for "old" or "mature"; the name signifies the first of the brood to ripen. The maturation of silkworms occurs in slightly different stages. If you observe these "Early Mothers," you must first pick them up and place them on the tips of the brooms; this action is called "picking the mature ones" original: liao kao (撩考).

Using willow branches original: yang tiao (楊條) is the best method for this task. Select willow branches that still have their leaves and spread them flat over the surface of the silkworm bed. Once a silkworm has matured, its natural instinct is to lift its head and climb upward; upon encountering the willow branches, it will immediately crawl up along them. When the willow branches are full of silkworms, lift them up and shake the worms into a lacquered tray original: qi pan (漆盤), then distribute them evenly onto the straw brooms. Any silkworms that have not yet matured should be gathered from the edges toward the center and given a thin layer of feed.