Mary Ostler

I have got it into my thick skull that I will enjoy raising Silkworms.  The whole selective breeding for specific traits appeals to the farmer in me.

I could be raising silkworms right now, as everything you need to raise silk can be bought on line. Somehow buying silkworm chow  seems like cheating, so long before I even think about silk worm racks, and eggs I must grow a mulberry tree. Back in December I received a packet of mulberry seeds, and promtly started stratification of the seeds (soaked in water for three days, then in the fridge for three months). I then planting them back in March in a plastic seed greenhouse. Three months later the biggest of the seedlings has now been planted in a large pot. Periodic updates on the tree will follow.

I have found a fair amount of pre 1700 books on the cultivating of  silkworms (google book search is your friend). This will be the longest term project I have ever started.