APPENDIX G. 



A. ZIEGLER ON THE CULTURE OF THE SILK-WORM. 



Introductory Note on Silk Culture in California. — Advantages of the Culture of the 

 yilk-worni. — The Breeding of the Ciiterjiillars. — The Breeding-room. — The Eggs 

 and their Development. — The Food and Feeding of the Caterpillars. — The differ- 

 ent Periods in the Life of the Silk-worm. — Air, Light, Warmth, and Space. — 

 Cleaning the Crates. — Putting up the Si^inning-bushes. — Diseases of the Silk- 

 worm. — Enemies of the Silk-worm. — Propagation of the Caterpillar, and obtain- 

 # ing the Eggs. — Taking off and assorting the Cocoons. — Killing the Cocoons. — 

 Converting the Cocoons into Money. — Winding and Winding Establishments. — 

 The Floret Silk. — The Magnaries. 



Introductory Note. 



Silk Culture in California. — This important branch of agriculture, which 

 makes every province where it is cultivated prosperous and even wealthy, I have thor- 

 oughly examined, and, after comparing the circumstances governing the culture of 

 the mulberry-trees, breeding the silk-worms, and manufacturing silk, I am thorough- 

 ly convinced that California possesses more advantages for this culture than any oth- 

 er country which I have visited. IMany of my readers will at once condemn this 

 statement on account of the high price of labor, but this charge I refute by the fact 

 that in Europe the high tax on mulberry-trees and land, the very high price of the 

 land itself, will more than counterbalance the higher price of labor here, where Chi- 

 namen — eminently fit for this purpose — could be got for a trifle. Then, again, in 

 Europe the tree grows from five to six years in the nurseries ; then planted in the 

 field ; when so planted it takes two years more before it will furnish more than a few 

 pounds of leaves ; in fact, a tree must be at least twelve years old that gives a good 

 revenue. This is not the case in California. One year in the nursery, then [ilanted 

 in the field, will give, when four years old, more leaves than the mulberiy-tree in Eu- 

 rope. Sum up the high taxes on land and trees, the valuation of the land and the 

 interest on it ; the culture of the young trees, all for eight years more than here, and 

 your high price for labor will diminish almost to nothing, and far below the price of 

 labor in Europe. Then, again, the all-important fact that in California the silk- 

 worm can be raised in the open air — at all events, in open sheds, covered at the top, 

 if you please, with corn-stalks, or even straw piled on rails — while in Europe costly 

 stone or brick buildings have to be raised, with thermometers hanging in them, and 

 even with this precaution a thunder-storm will often destroy the whole brood, losing 

 labor and expense, and, in fact, the season, as the trees will not, contrary to nature, 

 bring forth new leaves ; but, if the breeder escapes this calamity, the extra care and 

 labor he has to take for cleaning and airing his delicate worms is as much more ex- 

 pensive as raising oranges and grapes in a hot-house to that of the open air. As we 

 have no thunder-storms, we could raise the worm on the tree itself, were it not for 

 the birds destroying them. They can be raised here, without doubt, under sheds, 

 and what farmer is so poor who could not make a shed of posts and rails, and cover 

 it with canvas or straw ? 



I have given reasons enough in the above lines to convince reasonable minds that 

 the difference in the price of labor between here and Europe will be counterbalanced 

 by the taxes mentioned, the costly buildings, high price of lands, etc., etc. But, for 

 argument's sake, admit that, on a large scale, with high labor, silk-raising would not 

 be profitable, would this be a good and sufficient argument to throw this enterprise 

 overboard ? I say no. It is a well-established fact in California, as well as in the 

 Western States, that no farming operation, on a large scale, with high labor, can 

 be carried on successfulJv. Everv man who attempted it failed, and was ruined. 



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