1$38] 



1*'ARMERS' REGISTER. 



353 



provinces, lyintr between 25° ;ind 35*^ of north lati- 

 tude. Thermonietrical observations have also 

 proved that the moan icmperature of the norlhern 

 and southern provinces of China dilli^rs but iitile 

 from that of Provence in France, tiie winters be- 

 ing somewiiat more severe, and the summers a lit- 

 tle hotter. The work also shows, that the culti- 

 vation of the silkworm was carried on to an enor- 

 mous extent in tiie most northern provinces of 

 •of China, and we have no reason to suppose that 

 the cultivation has been discontinued.' Nor is it 

 at all necessary that these silkworms should be 

 reared in vast quantities or in larire buildings; il 

 this was necessarj"^, how could the Chinese pea- 

 sants pay their taxes, which are generally given 

 in silk? The population of the country being ex- 

 ceedingly great, the land has been for ages divid- 

 ed into very small holdings; indeed, to this cause 

 only can we attribute the declaration of Barrow 

 and other travellers, that the appearance of the 

 country is rather that of a vast collection of gar- 

 dens, than that of an agricultural district. The 

 philosopher Meng-Tsu, who lived in the fourth 

 century before the Christain era, says, " that of 

 the portion of land allotted to each fiimily, it is 

 ssifRcient to plant the twentieth part with mulber- 

 ry trees, to enable the family to clothe them- 

 selves;" and since then, the tax imposed on each 

 peasant's family is generally paid by a certain 

 number of bushels of grain, a fixed quantity of 

 silk stuffs, and some ounces of silk thread. This 

 proves inconteslably that each family rears worms 

 to clothe themselves, as they cultivate the fields 

 with their hands to feed themselves. Hence we 

 may reasonably inli^r, that the methods prescribed 

 in the Chinese treatise are equally applicable to 

 private nurseries on a small scale: indeed, we 

 might go much further and say, that the great es- 

 tablishments are exceptions, rather than the cot- 

 tage of the husbandman; for as the work was 

 drawn up fbrthe general instruction of the nation, 

 can we suppose that the writers had not in view 

 the circumstances and condition of these for whom 

 the work was intended? And as the vast majori- 

 ty of the inhabitants are of moderate means, 

 ought we not to believe that the work was chiefly 

 written for them, rather than for rich capitalists 

 possessing large establishments'? 



We feel convinced that this branch of industry 

 can easily be introduced into this country; and we 

 do not deem the day fiir distant, when it will 

 prove a source of wealth to thousands. Should 

 our remarks lead to this desirable result, it will 

 certainly be a source of great gratification to us; 

 should we fail to exche public^ interest, we shall 

 still have the consolation of thinking that we have 

 faithfully discharged our duty. 



CHINESE OPINIONS AND PRACTICES IN MUL- 

 BERRY CULTURE. 



[The few short extracts which follow, are from the 

 Chinese work referred to in the foregoing article. In 

 the enumeration and description of the various kinds 

 of mulberry tree, it will be perceived that not one re- 

 sembles the morus muUicai/Iis, commonly called the 

 Chinese raulberry.— Ed. Far. Reg.I 



Vol. VI.— 45 



Different kinds of mulberry trees. 



Isl. The small mulberry trees (dwarf trees) 

 have long branches, called nhi-sang (ladies' nml- 

 berry trees) and i-sang. [Eul-ija JDiclionary.] 



2d. The yen-sang or chan-sang is the wild nml- 

 berry tree, the mountain tree. [Same work.] 



3d. The tseu-sang or seed mulberry tree; its 

 fi'uit shoots out before its leaves. [Japanese En- 

 cyclopedia, book Lxxxiv, Ibl. 1.] 



•1th. The mulberry tree called khi-sang (that is 

 to say, chicken mulberries) have leaves veined 

 with red; ihcy are rather thick. The silk worms 

 that are ied on them produce a thin cocoon, 

 which furnishes little silk. [Tchong-chnu-chou.'] 



5th. The white mulberry tree bears thick leaves, 

 that arc as large as any one's hand. The cocoons 

 of the worms that are fed on them, enclose a 

 strong and abundant silk. This leaf furnishes 

 twice as much silk os that of the ordinary mul- 

 berry tree. [Ibidem.] 



Oih. The mulberry tree, of which the leaves 

 are plaited, and covered with a yellow pellicle, is 

 called kin-sang, or the gilded mulberry iree. All 

 ihe silkworms cannot be led on the leaves of this 

 tree, of which the color foretells that the tree will 

 soon dry and perish. [Ibidem.] 



There are some mulberry trees that do not pro- 

 duce fruit; they are vulgarly called nan-sang ov 

 male mulberry trees. [Japanese Encyclopedia.] 

 The mulberry trees, of' which the fruit sprouts 

 out before the leaves, necessarily bears very few 

 leaves, [Tchong-chou-chou.} 



To sow mulberries, the fruit of the black mul- 

 berry tree of Lou. must be taken. The yellow 

 mulberry trees of the country of Lou cannot be 

 preserved a long time. [Thsi-min-yao-chou,] 



The mulberry trees of the country of Khing 

 (ancient name of the province of Hou-koaang) 

 and of the country of Lou, may be planted in 

 level plains, where the ground is limey and clay- 

 ey, and also in light earth. If the ground touches 

 a mountain or hill, that is hard and mixed with 

 red veins, it is only suitable for the mulberry 

 trees of the country of Kking. [Nong-sang-yao- 

 tcki.] 



The different kinds of mulberry trees are very 

 numerous, we cannot describe them all. 



The best are those of the country of Lou, and 

 of the country of A'hing. The mulberry trees of 

 Kking yield a great quantity of fruit, but those of 

 Lou very little. Those of which the leaves are 

 thin, pointed, and divided in lobes, are the trees of 

 the country of Khing. They bear solid and hard 

 leaves. 



The mulberry trees of the country of Lou have 

 round, thick, and juicy leaves. 



The mulberry trees of which the branches and 

 leaves are large, and thick, are a species of those 

 of Lou. 



The mulberry trees of ICliing have solid roots 

 and full hearts ; they last for a long time. Those 

 are the kind to be planted. 



The mulberry trees of Lou have less solid roots, 

 and hearts not so full ; they cannot last for any 

 length of time, (dwarf mulberry trees.) Trees 

 called ti-sang are formed from them ; but the trees 

 of lOiing have neither as many branches, nor as 



