360 ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETIES. 



Her ladyship herself gives the following report of her 

 experiments : 



" Of the silk-worms I have nothing at present to say, 

 as they are not yet come out ; but last summer I netted 

 over three dozen trees, and placed 500 worms on them. 

 They yielded 480 cocoons. A bird got under the nets, 

 and took off some before it was arrested in its mischiev- 

 ous career. No wind or weather seemed to hurt the 

 worms, and we kept some of the later ones on the trees 

 when even the leaves were frost-bitten, but the worms 

 did not seem to suffer. I have no doubt as to their 

 hardiness. The three dozen trees would have fed at 

 least 2000 worms, if we had had them, as the more the 

 worms devour the leaves the stronger the latter shoot 

 forth." 



These facts seem to establish not only the probability 

 of cultivating the ailanthus silk-worm in this country, 

 but the ease with which it may be carried out. The 

 shrub itself grows hardily and abundantly in the coun- 

 try already, and it may be seen flourishing in several 

 of the gardens of the metropolitan squares, notably Bel- 

 grave and St James's. It will, indeed, live anywhere, 

 and delights in poor and sterile soil ; and where it lives 

 the worms will live also. 



" The Council cannot but think that the general in- 

 troduction of this new form of cultivation would be 

 most beneficial, as it could be carried out on any even 

 the smallest scale by every cottager or small landowner 

 who has a garden ; and a ready market may be found 

 for the smallest parcel of cocoons. To ladies especially 

 this operation may be recommended by the fact that 

 they may, without the slightest hyperbole, grow their 

 own silk dresses in their own gardens." 



These are hints worthy of the attention of many who 

 complain that they " have nothing to do," as well as of 

 those who "have nothing to wear; " and for their in- 

 formation we add that Lady Dorothy Neville has pub- 



