HINTS ON SILKWORM-BEARING IN THE PUNJAB. 



well, if properly sharp. Twisting and bruising of branches 

 must be carefully avoided, as, besides damaging the tree 

 directly, these readily admit disease germs which may pro- 

 duce disastrous results. In cutting down leaves from a big 

 tree, small twigs should be cut. People are apt, however, to 

 cut down large branches so as to get a large quantity of 

 leaves without much trouble : a practice highly injurious to 

 the tree. No person should be allowed to take branches 

 over half an inch in diameter from trees without permission. 

 Care should also be taken that less than three-fourths of 

 the leaves are removed from any one tree in any year, and 

 that these leaves are removed equally from all round the 

 tree. 



PART II. THE REARING OF SILKWORMS. 



12. Though there are various kinds of mulberry feeding European 

 silkworms, lonibax mori, the European silkworm, is the best, Sllkworms - 

 and it alone should be reared in the Punjab to the exclusion 



of all other varieties. This silkworm produces only one crop 

 a year, in the spring. Its cocoons are superior and contain 

 more silk than any other variety of mulberry cocoons. 



13. European silkworms require a temperate climate Tracts suit- 



r> ,1 . T IT x i a ble for rear- 



for their rearing and an equable temperature and a ing. 

 tolerably moist atmosphere to spin good silk. In the 

 Southern and Central Punjab these conditions do not gene- 

 rally obtain, as the spring, which is the time for silk spin- 

 ning, generally becomes hot early. But in the Northern 

 Punjab, especially in the submontane tract, these silkworms 

 do well. 



14. Eggs should on no account be prepared locally, 

 for they are liable to be disease-infected. Guaranteed 

 disease-free eggs should be obtained every year from the best 

 European grainage establishments through the Director of 

 Agriculture and Industries, Punjab : to him notice of re- 

 quirements for the following spring should be given by May 

 15th. These eggs cost Rs. 2-8 per ounce, plus freight 

 charges, which come to about two annas an ounce. The 

 eggs arrive in India from Europe early in October : during 

 the cold weather they are kept for hibernation at Simla, at 



