/Silk-worm hreedinu and ^lalistics. 499 



Book of exalted solid learning — the Book of Books," as it 

 were, a collection of the most ancient historical annals of tlic 

 Chinese Empire, which was comj)iled b. c. 484, by Confucius, 

 from the memoranda of former writers of history, as well as 

 from the information furnished by ancient monuments. Even 

 empresses in those halcyon times did not deem it beneath 

 their dignity to collect mulberry-leaves and feed the silk- 

 worms, while various treatises were composed by imperial 

 pens, respecting the cultivation of that most useful plant. 

 The interest taken in silk-rearing by these the highest per- 

 sonages in the Empire, has remained unbroken to our own day, 

 and quite recently a Chinese governor enriched the already 

 copious, literature uj^on this subject with a comprehensive 

 work, written with the laudable object of stimulating the in- 

 habitants of the silk-producing districts to a more extensive 

 and improved system of silk cultivating. 



The two best species of mulberry, those which are best 

 adapted for the consumption of the worm, are : '' Loo " 

 [Morus alba), with long leaves, little fruit, and firm roots, 

 which flourishes chiefly in North China, and "King" (llorus 

 nigra), with narrow leaves, more abundant fruit, and alto- 

 gether a hardier plant, which grows chiefly in the South. 



According to old Chinese notions, there are eight different 

 species of silk-worm, which spin their cocoons at various 

 periods * of the year between April and November. 



* Thus Yuen-tschin in the third month (April of our calendar), Chay and Yuen in 

 the fourth month (May), Gae-tschin in the fifth month (June), Sai in the sixth mouth 



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