June i, 1887.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



^39 



Times, I believe, are hard iu Colombo, and estate 

 stock-brokiug might in time become a persuit of 

 consideiabie advantage to members of the mercantile 

 world iu Ceylon, 



To recapitulate: 1 again say " Union is strength," 

 divide the risk, instead of being dependent upon one 

 crop in one district let the planter consider whether 

 his capital would not be better laid out in various 

 crops in different parts of the country. The cost 

 of management may be slightly increased, but the 

 results will be safer and planting investments less 

 speculative. H. 



London, April 10th, IS87.— Local " Times." 

 ^ 



SILK IN INDIA. 



The Indian silk industry is the subject of more 

 attention now than it has been since the days of its 

 greatest importance. Sericulttue received a great im- 

 pulse from tile European early settlers, who built 

 factories for the production of the raw material. 

 These factories were large massive buildings erected 

 iu wide enclosures and protected by high walls. The 

 residence and factory buildings were generally laid out 

 in such a manner that the whole enclosure could be 

 turned into a fortress if necessary. As the country 

 became more settled, European cipitalists stepped in, 

 and travellers passing through the silk districts at 

 the present time will observe standing monuments of 

 the period of keen competition. It appears to have 

 been the custom in those days to erect princely 

 mansions with imposing gateways to prove to the 

 rearers of the worms and to the country in general the 

 wealth and greatness of the owners. But there was 

 a business idea underlying this display of ostentation 

 in the jungle. The subst;intial show was meant to 

 attract the rearers of cocoons on the look out for 

 good prices. If one of these mansions secured the 

 title of "Burra Koti," the monopoly was secured to 

 the fortunate owner, and other competitors had to 

 retire from the scene, leaving piles of masonry as 

 monuments of the fruitless contest. This process 

 practically left the monopoly of the silk industry in 

 Bengal in the hands of a small group of capitalists, 

 carrying on operations in widely separated districts. 

 As the industry prospered, operations were extended, 

 out-factories were built, and the old contest was re- 

 newed. At the time of this revival Cora silk was 

 greatly in demand for export, thus causing a local 

 demand for raw material for the native looms, and 

 the inferior native reeled silk commanded almost as 

 good prices as the finer quality reeled by European 

 filatures. The native was thus able to raise his prices 

 for cocoons, and the market was immediately affected. 



The European owners of filatures agreed not to 

 outbid each other, but to purchase cocoons at market 

 rates. This, however, led to no improvement, and the 

 manufacture of fine raw silk for export rapidly changed 

 from an important industry into a mere commercial 

 speculation, such as it is to a large extent at the 

 present day. Kightly or wrongly, Bengal silk has al- 

 ways had a bad name, but it would appear from the 

 prices now ruling that it is in every way as good as 

 Italian, if not superior. All that can be urged against 

 Bengal silk is that, owmg to a certain want of firm- 

 ness in the cocoon, the result of reeling is not all 

 that might, perhaps, be desired. The producer of the 

 Indian cocoon is in some important respects like his 

 brother, the cultivator of tbe soil. You may point 

 out to the latter how he may grow the best wheat 

 in the world, but unless you can prove to him that 

 the result will place more rupees to his credit, your 

 teaching will be utterly disregarded. But the moment 

 you show him that it is to his personal profit to use 

 improved seed or better methods, the cultivator is 

 surprisingly ready to take advantage of any counsel. 

 In the f-ame way the rearer of cocoons has found 

 from practical experience the quantity of mulberry 

 leaf it pays him best to allow his worms to consume 

 iu order to give him a certain gain, and to this 

 present day it has been found impossible to convince 

 him that it would pay to rear cocoons of the 

 Itahan quality. "When he once sees this he will 

 cbange bis traditional tactics, but aot till then. At 



present, the rearer finds it pays him best to half starve 

 his worms ; his father did so before him, and he will 

 continue to do so as long as it pays. He is quite 

 content with the result, and it is not yet aKcertainid 

 by his teacher that the delicacy of Bengal silk may 

 not after all be due to the process of feeding and 

 forcing in vogue. As a matter of fact the various 

 worms to be seen in Bengal are of a very moijc'rel 

 description. Some rearers attempt to classify aud 

 keep the breeds separate, and succeed partially in 

 doiug so, but the difficulties in the way are enor- 

 mous. In this matter the native would appreciate 

 help and advice from Europeans, but unfortunately 

 the Europeans most capable of aiding him have no 

 time to devote to the subject, and still less to give 

 to the somewhat delicate task of popular instruction. 

 Duriug the past few years, however, a very cou- 

 siderable amount of attention has been directed to the 

 study of silk, and it may be hoped that the move- 

 ment—for it is nothing less— will not be without its 

 effect on the practical working of the industry. In 

 England quite a host of men are interested in the 

 future of Indian silk; Mr. Kondot, on behylf of the 

 French Government, has been making a searching 

 study of Eastern silks and dyes ; and not many mouths 

 a^^o Mr. Thomas Wardle, of Leek, who visited India 

 in connection with the silk collection for the London 

 Exhibition, gave a new and more serious turn to the 

 iu.lustrial phase of the ehquiry. The Revenue and 

 Agricultural Department has given some attention to 

 the matter, but it may be worth while to consider 

 whether Government might not with advantage make 

 silk the subject of a special enquiry, and do what it 

 can to turn the present movement to account. The 

 time is distinctly favourable for some such action, and 

 there can te no doubt that for want of a fixed 

 central agency a great deal of valuable information 

 is lost, and the development of the industry is re- 

 tarded. It would be important if a public Association 

 could be formed for the purpose of fostering the 

 study of the special subject, and in these days the 

 manifold difficulties and discoveries in the silk world 

 are adequate to the sustenance of such an Association, 

 and its necessary pendint, a monthly periodical. "We 

 understand that a laboratory for the study of Indian 

 silk producers is to be established at the Imperial 

 Museum Calcutta, and that Mr. Wood Mason, the Super- 

 intendent of the institution, is already engaged in 

 the work of studying and classifying the worms, and 

 in making accurate drawings of them in the various 

 stages of their development. He has succeeded in 

 rearing some very shapely cocoons, in spite of many 

 drawbacks, and the further results of the work will 

 be looked forward to with great interest by all who 

 have given any attention to the subject, "it is by 

 means of such an enquiry, carried out to its logical 

 si.(jueuce, and aided by a strong alliance of fellow- 

 workers, that we may yet hope to see a languishing, 

 industry revived, and the Government freed from the 

 rei)roach of neglecting one of the commercial re- 

 suurces of the country, — liidiaa DaUu News, 



[What about the promising experiment by Mr. Koss 

 of Kowdapellella with silkworn)s brought from China 

 or Japan and by Mr. Kobert Eraser of "Waripolla?— Ed.] 



COxMrOSTS FOE TOT PLANTS. 

 One of the most important matters connected 

 with the cultivation of imported or acclimatised 

 plants, — which have in this country to be cultivated 

 mainly in pots or restricted borders, frequently under 

 glass or carefully shaded houses, and liave, as a con- 

 sequence, to be, constantly supplied with water by 

 a"tificial means — must always be the constituents of 

 the soil iu which they are potted or planted. Although 

 certain p'auts — the Croton for instance — appear to be 

 nut over particular as to what description of soil is 

 used as a basis for a compost, yet even such plants 

 attain to different degrees of health and vigour when 

 the soil most suited to their nature preponderates. 

 Good culture in all other respects lessons the evils 

 arising from a misapplication of soils ; but when a plant 

 finds its element in this respect, and is otherwise 



