Hobbies And Interests
Silkworm History
Silkworm cultivation began in Asia, but according to the Smithsonian, silkworms were introduced to Byzantium around 550 A.D. Legend has it that two monks smuggled silkworm eggs out of China and presented them to Emperor Justinian I in Constantinople. Silk cultivation eventually spread to Italy through Sicily in the 12th and 13th centuries. In colonial times the industry spread to America, although the art never really flourished here.
Silk Cultivation
Silk cultivation was back-breaking work, according to the Smithsonian, and raising the insects required constant attention. Silkworms need mild, constant temperatures. To maintain the temperatures, whole families would help maintain constant fires. The process began with incubation of the eggs, which took 10 to 14 days and began after the mating of adult moths. The Smithsonian quotes the Silk Museum as saying that women would sometimes keep the moths in direct contact with their skin and sometimes even between their breasts. Once hatched, the tiny worms had to be constantly fed with mulberry leaves. At the end of their larval stage they would begin to spin cocoons. The cocoons were placed in an oven to kill the moths, as the moths would ruin the silk if allowed to emerge. Enough moths would be allowed to survive in order to procreate.
White Mulberry Trees
The white mulberry tree is native to eastern and central Asia. The leaves from this tree are the silkworm's preferred diet. As the silkworm was introduced into the west, the white mulberry tree naturally followed. The trees were introduced into Europe, and during colonial times into North America, for silkworm cultivation. "Mother Earth News" states that the tiny worms will eat any type of mulberry leaves; however, the silk made from worms eating the white mulberry are said to produce the finest silk. "Mother Earth News" also suggests that three-year-old trees produce the best silk.
Artificial Diet
The technology of feeding silkworms has improved, and recently artificial diets have proved successful. This means silkworms can be raised without a staple of mulberry trees present. The main ingredient is mulberry leaf powder, and an artificial diet can be purchased easily online.