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S Y L V A BOOK ii 



intendent of His Majesty's Manufactures) who has so 

 successfully reviv'd it, that 'tis prodigious to consider 

 what an happy progress they have made in it ; to our 

 shame be it spoken, who have no other discourage- 

 ments from any insuperable difficulty whatever, but 

 our sloth, and want of industry ; since wherever 

 these trees will grow and prosper, the silk-worms will 

 do so also ; and they were alike averse, and from the 

 very same suggestions, where now that manufacture 

 flourishes in our neighbour countries. It is de- 

 monstrable, that mulberries in four or five years may 

 be made to spread all over this land ; and when the 

 indigent, and young daughters in proud families are 

 as willing to gain three or four shillings a day for 

 gathering silk, and busying themselves in this sweet 

 and easie employment, as some do to get four pence 

 a day for hard work at hemp, flax, and wooll ; the 

 reputation of mulberries will spread in England and 

 other plantations. I might say something like this 

 of saffron, which we yet too much neglect the culture 

 of ; but, which for all this I do not despair of seeing 

 reassum'd, when that good genius returns. In order 

 to this hopeful prognostick, we will add a few 

 directions about gathering of their leaves, to render 

 this chapter one of the most accomplish 'd, for certain- 

 ly one of the most accomplish'd and agreeable works 

 in the world. 



1 1 . The leaves of the mulberry should be collected 

 from trees of seven or eight years old ; if of such as 

 are very young, it impairs their growth, neither are 

 they so healthful for the worms, making them hydrop- 

 ical, and apt to burst : As do also the leaves of such 

 trees as be planted in a too waterish, or over-rich soil, 

 or where no sun comes, and all sick, and yellow leaves 



