Essential Compendium of Sericulture

...this is called supporting the mature ones original: tie kao (貼考); the act of assisting the silkworms as they begin to mount the frames. Once nine out of ten silkworms have reached maturity, you no longer need to pick them out individually. Instead, you should use many hands to quickly gather them and move them onto the "mountain" original: shang shan (上山); refers to the mounting rack or trellis where cocoons are spun. If you are too slow, purple silk threads will begin to tangle everywhere, and some silkworms will even start attaching their cocoons to the mounting ladder original: ti (梯); the structure used to access the shelves.

Generally, the maturation of silkworms follows the same timing as their dormant "sleep" phases. The first brood of silkworms sleeps during the early morning and evening, and likewise, they reach maturity in the early morning and evening. These can be gathered and moved to the mountain all at once. However, the second and third broods do not sleep during the late evening, nor do they mature at a uniform time. Therefore, you must move them up as they ripen; they cannot be handled in a single batch.

The Shelf Should Not Be Too High or Too Low

Regarding the height of the mounting shelves, finding a middle ground is most important. As a rule, the shelf should be approximately five feet about 1.5 meters above the ground. It must not be too high; if it is, it will not be able to capture the warmth from the fires original: huo qi (火氣); heat was often used to stimulate silk production and dry the air. Nor should it be too low. If it is too low, the space beneath the shelf will be cramped original: ju cu (局促), making it difficult for people to move and work.

The Shelf Must Not Be Stuffy

The area above the shelf must be primarily airy and well-ventilated original: shu shuang (疎爽). If it is airy, the atmosphere can penetrate the structure, and you will not have to worry about "stifled cocoons" where poor airflow causes the silkworms to fail or the silk to lose quality. For this reason, mounting shelves should never be constructed beneath the floors of a multi-storied building.

Mature Silkworms Must Not Become "Over-Ripe"