SILK GROWER'S MANUAL. 107 



silk-producing countries, as she now is among the gold- 

 producing. 



Familiar with the silk culture in Europe, and a prac- 

 tical horticulturist, Mr. Prevost was early satisfied that 

 ihe climate of this, his adopted State and home, was 

 favorable to silk growing, and having tested the problem 

 of its capacity to furnish food for the worms in the 

 thrifty growth of the mulberry, he started his plantations 

 and sent abroad for silkworm eggs, none of which, for 

 several years, though obtained from various quarters of 

 the globe, produced any worms. From a lot received 

 in 1860, however, he succeeded in hatching and raising 

 a small number, by which he obtained his first cocoons, 

 samples of which, sent to Europe, attracted attention on 

 account of their superior quality, due to the peculiarity 

 of our climate, the advantages of which, so far as the 

 health of the worms and certainty of crop, and quality 

 of silk would be concerned, did not fail of appreciation 

 by those largely interested in the silk business there, 

 where it was seriously threatened by disease in the 

 family of silkworms, inevitably incident to all climates 

 subject to rains during what is termed the " feeding 

 season." But the economy of labor, which the absence 

 of rains during this season enables the culturist to effect 

 here, was not realized by them, and has only been fully 

 demonstrated by the experience of Mr. Prevost, which 

 may be thus summed up. The conditions of our climate 

 are favorable to the growth of the white mulberry (the 

 best silk food) . It insures healthy worms ; certainty of 

 crop, both of silk and worms ; silk of superior and even 



