THE MODERN HISTOfcY OF SILK. 195 



frontier direction, after deliberation with the masters 

 of the schools, commanded that the holidays, which 

 had hitherto been kept in the months of September 

 and October, should, in future* be transferred to the 

 months of May and June, and that, during them, the 

 scholars should be employed in the management of 

 the Silk Worms, under the inspection of a teacher 5 

 one-half of the profits to be given to the teachers and 

 their assistants, and the other half to the scholars 

 who applied themselves diligently to the pursuit ; 

 amongst whom, the four who most excelled were 

 to receive double shares. The stands upon which 

 they kept Silk Worms were, in the first place, to be 

 paid for by the government, and afterwards to be 

 kept in repair out of the profits. In addition to the 

 extensive mulberry plantations which already existed, 

 all other open places, particularly the churchyards, 

 were to be planted with these trees ; and to every 

 person who employed himself in rearing Silk Worms 

 a certain number of trees was to be assigned. 



The gathering of the leaves was first to be per- 

 formed by the scholars, under the inspection of their 

 superiors. Whosoever intentionally injured a mul- 

 berry tree was called upon to plant fifteen, and be 

 answerable for their growing. According to an 

 order issued in the preceding year, the inhabitants of 

 the frontier regimental districts were obliged to make 

 good the decayed mulberry trees by means of new 

 plants, and were, in a particular manner, directed to 

 take one of the mulberry plantations. By means of 

 these and similar ordinances, the progress, both as to 



