104 ON SERICICULTURE. 



Viceroy to superintend silk culture under the government ; 

 in California there is now a large production of silk, and 

 from 150/. to 250/.* have been realized, it is stated on good 

 authority, in one season from one single acre planted with 

 mulberry trees. In our colonies, Government grants are 

 being made in various parts of Australia and New Zealand 

 to encourage Sericiculture, and it is not improbable that 

 Jamaica will follow suit; at the Cape, perhaps the best fitted 

 of any climate for the growth of the mulberry, progress is 

 being made, and excellent silk has been sent to this country. 

 It would be well if intending emigrants would learn a little 

 about silk culture before leaving England ; with this view, 

 we intend shortly to open at Colchester a school of Serici- 

 culture, where the necessary operations may be seen in full 

 swina:. Various devices have been communicated to me for 

 the purpose of economizing labour in silk culture, which will 

 be developed and brought out from time to time. The first 

 of these is the mulberry-leaf cutter f already referred to, 

 which was most successfully used by me last season. Eggs 

 have already been sent from California and Australia to 

 the continental markets, the precursors of a large trade. 

 One point, as regards Australia, deserves special remark. 

 Mr. Brady of Sydney states: *' For three summers and two 

 winters I have had silk-worms of the mulberry breed in 

 every stage, and during the whole of that period of over 

 700 days I have had silk every day; moths, eggs, cater- 

 pillars of every age and cocoons contemporaneously, without 



* This amount was derived mainly from the sale of eggs ; which at 

 the present high prices, viz , 15s. to 255. per oz , produce a most lucra- 

 tive return to those countries which, like Japan, California, Australia 

 and England, &c., are free from diseases. 



f This may be obtained from Messrs. Teutschel, Colchester. See 

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