SILK 



Mysore 



Madrasi or 

 Nistri Insect. 



Vigorous Efforts. 



Piedmontese 

 Keel. 



Too Sanguine. 



Heavy Losses. 



Manufacture of 

 Silk. 



Mysore. 



Japanese 

 Experts. 



School 

 Organised. 



Trade. 



INDIAN SILKS 



Madras and in December 1790, after many failures, succeeded in acclimatising 

 the Bengal worm. It would seem that this insect, subsequently conveyed back 

 to Bengal, may have given origin to the name Madrasi, the alternative name 

 for the nistri the Bom&j/ae crmtti of Hutton. Dr. Anderson urged that the 

 Peninsula, owing to its more equable temperature, had great advantages over 

 Bengal. In consequence, a vigorous effort was made by the Madras Government 

 to distribute Dr. Anderson's acclimatised insect to all parts of South India 

 deemed likely to prove suitable new areas, and every encouragement was given 

 to extend mulberry cultivation. Collectors, surgeons, paymasters, etc., became 

 superintendents of Government plantations all over the Presidency. About 

 this time Dr. Anderson reported a successful experiment to improve the Bengal 

 silkworm, 10 \ grains of silk being obtained as against 6 grains, the average 

 outturn in Bengal. Cocoons were wound on the Piedmontese reel and ultimately 

 a brilliant white silk was obtained. But it soon began to be believed that Dr. 

 Anderson had taken a too sanguine view of the possibilities of the Madras Pre- 

 sidency in the rearing of silk. All parts of South India were not alike suitable, 

 and a uniform climate, that might admit of breeding throughout the year, was 

 soon realised as by no means a desirable state of affairs. This story of the Madras 

 experiments is very largely that also of many other enterprises in India ignor- 

 ance of the conditions upon which alone success depends being the foundation 

 of a superstructure of failure and disappointment greatly calculated to retard 

 legitimate endeavours. The Madras Government spent 20,000 in four years s 

 and a further sum of Rs. 78,736, for the filature constructed at Vellavedu. 'They 

 shortly after advertised their plantations and property for sale, but obtained 

 no offers. 



Notwithstanding the failures and disappointments in the acclimatisation 

 of the silkworm and the establishment of a silk-reeling industry, the manufacture 

 of silk and satin made considerable progress in the Madras Presidency. And 

 beyond the Presidency the silk brocades and the plain silks of Mysore are famous 

 even to the present day. A century ago Buchanan-Hamilton (Journ. to Mysore, 

 etc., i., 208. 222 ; ii., 263) gave an account of the industry that to this day has 

 hardly been excelled for its fulness and thoroughness. Persons desirous of studying 

 the subject of silk in South India could not do better than begin their inquiry 

 by perusing Hamilton's account. 



MYSORE. In Mysore and Travancore greater success was attained than in 

 any part of the Madras Presidency proper. In 1849 Surgeon Smith published a 

 report of the silk experiments of Mysore from the date of its introduction by Tippu 

 Sultan to the date of his report. Coming down to recent times, the story of failure 

 has to be replaced with a record of success. The late Mr. J. M. Tata started an 

 experimental silk-rearing farm in Bangalore with a view to resuscitate the in- 

 dustry. In 1897 he personally visited Bangalore and chose the land for his 

 plantation and rearing-houses. He then sent off to Japan to obtain the services 

 of a superintendent and a selected number of trained operatives, both men and 

 women. It was soon ascertained that the tableland of Mysore approximates in 

 climatic conditions very closely to that of the warm zone of Japanese silk culture. 

 The services of Mr. T. Odzu were in 1899 procured as manager and the farm was 

 started a little beyond the Basavanagudi extension at the village of Yediyur. A 

 similar experiment was started by Mr. Partridge at Yellahanka near Bangalore. 

 Henceforward we read of steady progress in the Tata Farm, the Mysore authorities 

 having made it a grant of Rs. 3,000 a year in return for obtaining permission for 

 its utilisation as a sort of school where the Japanese methods of growing the 

 mulberry and rearing the insects might be taught to the people of Mysore. And 

 it may be added that it soon exercised even a wider influence in connection with 

 the proposed new silk farm of Pusa in Bihar. The Mysore farm was also visited 

 by Major Showers, in order to study the methods pursued. That officer ha.s 

 since organised a silk industry in Khelat (official letter dated April 29, 1905), 

 and says, " I may note here that about the best Indian silk that has reached 

 London yet, is that produced at the Tata experimental silk farm at Bangalore. 

 A sample of this silk was shown me by Mr. Frank Durant (Durant, Bevan & Co. ), 

 and he advised our taking that as a model at Mastung. This silk realised as 

 much as 17s. a pound." Such high testimony is thus fully expressive of the great 

 success attained by the Tata Farm. 



THE SILK TRADE OF INDIA. 



EARLY RECORDS OF INDIAN SILK TRADE. Varthema (Travels, 1510 (ed. 

 Hakl. Soc.), 38) speaks of the silk of Bengal being conveyed to Mecca. In a 



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