248 TEA AND SILK FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND. 



green, orange, and white cocoon varieties, and for a quantity of 

 the white mulberry trees on which the worms feed. At the 

 same time an order was sent to Sydney for 500 white mulberry 

 trees, two years old. The intention is to establish silk culture 

 in New Zealand, in accordance with the idea which was initiated 

 by Mr. Federli, of the Survey Department, who is an expert in 

 that branch of industry." It will be seen with a feeling of regret 

 that the eminent services rendered to practical sericiculture 

 eleven years ago in Xew Zealand by Mr. T. C. Batchelor of 

 Nelson, and Mrs. Bladen Neill's able advocacy of the same 

 industry for both New Zealand and Australia before the British 

 Association at Bristol in 1875, are thus being quietly ignored. 

 It is hopeful, however, to find that the Government has really 

 made a commencement, and that one of their own officials is 

 getting the credit of reviving an industry which at the present 

 moment might have been as important to the colony as wool 

 is now if more attention had been paid to "the actual results 

 obtained by Mr. Batchelor, and to the eloqu /Uce of Mrs. Neill. 

 As the matter at present stands there is "/round for hope in 

 colonial sericiculture but very little upon wnich to congratulate 

 the executive. It has already been shown that the industry, 

 conducted by itself without some natural ally alongside of it to 

 divide the expense of production, cannot possibly pay. Yet this 

 is the groove in which it is being directed. Every resident in 

 New Zealand and thousands at home who have paid attention 

 to the subject knew, many years ago, that the mulberry grows 

 luxuriantly in many parts of the colony, and that silk of good 

 quality has already been obtained ; there is, therefore, no further 

 necessity for the indulgence of mere experiment. The time for 

 vigorous action has surely arrived. Here is a colonist's idea of 

 what the Government is credited with having done, quoted from 

 The Press, Christchurch, 6th June 1881 : — '' A Wanganui nursery- 

 man, writing to the Chronicle, expresses surprise that the Govern- 

 ment should have decided to send for 500 white mulberry trees, 

 and adds that for years past large numbers of these trees have been 

 grown in the nurseries of the colony, but there being but little 

 demand the supply has fallen off. He is, however, in a position 

 to supply a considerable number, and believes that as many 

 thousands could be crot as the hundreds now asked for. To 

 persons who contemplate making a trial of silkworm culture 

 such a statement should be highly gratifying." By all means 

 let the Government encourage the colonial nurservmen to culti- 

 vate the mulberry in quantity, which would probably be the 

 cheapest and most popular way they could devise of giving 

 initial aid to sericiculture; let them, if they prefer it, themselves 

 establish nurseries for the supply of every known species of silk- 

 worm-feeding shrub, not forgetting an equal breadth of ground 



