SILK CULTURE. 



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I'W 



Amongst tlie many industries highly suited to the climate of N. . 

 South Wales, but hitherto neglected, is that of the rearing of .silk 

 worms, for it has been well proved that their food— the mulbtM-ry suc- 

 ceeds well, and that the mulberry silkworm {humhijx m<iri) is jR-rfedly 

 at home, and produces silk of the best quality, showing that the 

 mulberry grown here yields not only good food, Init that it also secretes 

 the peculiar resinous substance which is so necessary for the iirodiictiun 

 of silk of the best marketable quality. 



It seems somewhat remarkable that, notwithstanding the facts, which 

 are beyond all question, that the mulberry thrives here in the greatest 

 perfection, that silkworms are remarkably healthy and vitrcjrous and 

 that the necessary skill in rearing them to the best advantage is forth- 

 coming, the colonists have not, until recently, given consideration to 

 silk culture. This may be accounted for, to some extent, to the fact 

 that the reai-ing of silkworms has generally been made a sort of play- 

 thing of by children, and it has become the custom to consider it 

 merely as a kind of toy, and unworthy the serious attention of adults. 

 However, it is somewhat singular (and perhaps a sort of consolation to 

 those who desire to see the industry prosper) that the introduction of 

 silk cultui-e has met with serious difiiculties in all those countries where 

 it has subsequently become so profitable. It will therefore be interest- 

 ing to give some instances. 



It seems to be beyond all doubt that the industry had its origin in 

 China. Duhalde, in his work, " Description de la Chine," says : " Up 

 to the time of this Queen (Si-ling- Chi), when the country was only 

 lately cleared and brought into cultivation, the people emplo^'cd the 

 skins of animals as clothes. But these skins were no longer sufficient 

 for the multitude of the inhabitants. Necessity made them industri- 

 ous. They applied themselves to the manufacture of cloth wherewith 

 to cover themselves. But it was to the Princess that they owed the 

 useful invention of silk stuffs. Afterwards the Empress named by 

 Chinese authors, according to the order of their dynasties, found an 

 agreeable occupation in superintending the hatching, rearing, and 

 feeding of silkworms, in making silk, and in working it up when 

 made." 



Figuier mentions that "M. Stanislaus Julien tells us of many 

 regulations made by the Emperor of China to render ohliyatory the 

 care and attention requisite to rearing silk. 



" Tchin-in, being governor of the district of Kien-si, ordered that 

 every man should plant 50 feet of land with mulberry trees. The 

 Emperor, under the dynasty of Witei, gave to each man 20 acres 

 of land on condition that he planted 50 feet with mulberry trees. 

 Hien-tsang (who ascended the throne in 80(3), ordered that the inhabit- 

 ants of the country should plant 2 feet in every acre with mulberry 

 trees. The first Emperor of the dynasty of Song (who began to reign 

 about the year OGO) published a decree forbidding his subjects to cut 

 down the mu.lberry trees. 



"By all these means, according to the testimony of M. Stanislaus 

 Julien, the business of the fabrication of silk became general in China. 

 This great empire soon furnished its neighbours with this ])recious 

 textile material, and created for its own profit a very important branch 

 of commerce." 



