SILK GROWER'S MANUAL. 59 



[From the California Fanner, July 12, 1866.] 



SILK CULTURE. 

 LETTER FROM MONS. PKEVOST ABOUT SILKWORMS AT SACRAMENTO. 



BRANNAN RANCH, July 7, 1866. 



Editor Farmer DEAR SIR : I have been so much 

 in a hurry all the time at Sacramento that I have not 

 been able to find a minute to write to you before. 



As the silk culture is before the people, and as it is 

 important to all to know something about it, the public 

 has a right to know how and why we had the disease 

 on the worms at Sacramento. It will be seen that it is 

 not owing to climatic circumstances but to a combina- 

 tion of a great many unforeseen difficulties that I have 

 been laboring under there and could not avoid. 



During the five years that I have been raising the 

 silkworm in California, previous to this year, I have 

 never observed any disease among the worms because I 

 had fresh mulberry feed to give them, but in the Agri- 

 cultural Hall what had I to contend with ? 



1st. In the beginning, when I was in need of very 

 tender leaves for my young worms, I was receiving old 

 dusty leaves that worms three weeks old would hardly 

 have been strong enough to eat, so that it is very easy 

 to see that they have been suffering right at the start. 



2d. With the exception of a few days, we had con- 

 stont cold weather from time to time, the Sacramentans 

 say they never saw the like of it before. 



3d. I have been obliged many times to feed with 





