Cocoon Support

a support for the winding of cocoons by the caterpillars of silkworms. The cocoon supports used in raising mulberry silkworms are made of bundles of dry, small-leaved, branching herbaceous plants with thin, rigid stems, such as wintercress, baby’s-breath, hedgemustard, shepherd’s purse, and cow soapwort. Every case of mulberry silkworm eggs requires 300–350 cocoon supports. Artificial cocoon supports are also used, including straw supports 80–100 cm long, cardboard supports with square cells, each of which accommodates one cocoon, and plywood or wooden supports consisting of thin strips nailed parallel to each other.