STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 209 



quantity of silk of his own reeling, of an excellent quality, and being 

 the first to demonstrate the entire practicability of silk manufacture in 

 California, your committee would recommend the award of a special 

 premium to Neumann of no inconsiderable value. 



W. WADSWOETH, 

 I. S. D1BHL, 



Committee. 



SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT. 



In a report intended simply as an announcement of award of pre- 

 miums, it is quite impossible to discuss the success or merit attached to 

 method of culture, production or manufacture of any product, agricul- 

 tural or mechanical. 



The report of the Silk Committee of the State Agricultural Society 

 was, therefore, of a character distinguished for its brevity. In view, 

 however, of the great prospective importance to our State of this new 

 industry, it may not be deemed amiss if we briefly discuss a few of the 

 main points that seem to be presented by the experience of the recent 

 past in relation to the culture of the mulberry, silkworms and silk. 



Commencing with the culture of the mulberry : In all parts of the 

 State, from the gravelly foot-hills to the river alluviums, the mulberry in 

 all its varieties, as far as tried, grows with astonishing luxuriance; but 

 it is a question, admitting of grave doubt, as to the equal value of their 

 leaves for feeding. 



Nowhere in Europe do we find the rich, moist lands along the rivers 

 devoted to mulberry culture. The silk growers there have certainl}' had 

 long experience and the practice of endless experiments with leaves from 

 every variet} 7 of soil. They say that leaves grown on rich alluviums are 

 too wateiy, and not as rich in the nutritive quality necessary to the pro- 

 duction of silk, in quantity and quality, as leaves grown upon the high 

 and gravelly lands. 



The new Japanese colony in El Dorado County selected their lands 

 with special reference to the production of silks and teas. Would 

 it not be well to make a note of this? And yet in Italy the mulberry 

 is extensively cultivated along the banks of rivers, and it may be that 

 our long and hot summers may cause our lowest alluviums to produce a 

 healthy and nutritious leaf. 



It has long been known that saline soils, if onlj- slightly salt, are 

 wholly unfit for the production of healthy food for silkworms. May it 

 not be quite as likely that our strong alkaline soil may prove equally 

 unfit for a healthy production of leaf? It may be said that leaves pro- 

 duced on such soils have shown good results in Sacramento County. 

 Admit it; but may it not be quite as likely that the success was more 

 owing to salubrity of climate and natural vigor of the worms than to 

 any quality of their food. 



We know that worms fed last year from leaves of certain localities- 

 were healthy, whilst this year they seem quite the reverse; but perhaps 

 owing to other causes than food. We have yet much to experiment 

 upon in California in the matter of silk culture. 



The ill success that has attended the feeding of worms the past sum- 

 mer seems to have been confined almost entirely to the low grounds of 

 the valleys, whilst complete success has attended the feeding among the 

 foot-hills. 



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