132 THE CALIFORNIA 



superior article. In this opinion I fully concur. The 

 coming of these gentlemen from France will probably 

 induce other silk growers to come also, which would be 

 a great benefit to the State. 



[Mercantile Gazette, January 9, 1866.] 

 SILK CULTURE. 



Of cotton and silk we have made a successful begin- 

 ning : of the former about 800 acres raised in 1865, 

 wliile of silk and silkworm culture the following commu- 

 nication received from L. Prevost, of San Jose, st;, 

 that 



u Having noticed in your valuable paper an article 

 alluding to the culture of the silkworm in California, and 

 remarking your appreciation of the importance of this 

 interest, I desire to give you briefly a statement em- 

 bodying the result of five years' experiments. I stated 

 several years ago my belief that the climate of Califor- 

 nia was superior to all others for the raising of the silk- 

 worm, and the attention I have since given this subject 

 only strengthens that conviction. It is also gratifying 

 that this opinion has received the complete endorsement 

 of two practical and scientific silk growers, representing 

 the largest silk houses of Europe, who called upon me 

 on their return from China and other portions of the 

 globe. After examining the silk cocoons I had raised, 

 they pronounced California the best country in the world 



