152 THE CALIFORNIA 



They all arrived here early in the spring of 1860. 

 When they arrived I showed them to a friend, Mr. 

 Jacob Muller, a competent silk-grower ; he thought 

 that the eggs were good, at least some .of them. It 

 proved afterwards that the Chinese were not very good, 

 as one or two dozen only hatched ; but the lot from 

 France hatched out finely. My friend Mr. Muller 

 helping to get this lot of worms through, they produced 

 fine and superior cocoons. Samples of these I forwarded 

 to France, and they were found to be of first quality. 



The same year (1860) I sent cocoons, bouquets of 

 cocoons and real silk, to all our Fairs, all over our silk 

 State ; but the officers of the different societies at that 

 time did not understand their duty, and the importance 

 of that rich culture, as they were giving silver goblets, 

 etc., (as their lists of premiums show) to things that 

 could not advance the interests of the State one dime, 

 and did not even give a diploma to the first California 

 silk, with the exception of one, the Man Jbaquin Valley 

 Agricultural Society, which had the honor of giving a 

 diploma to the first silk producer in California. 



Since 1860 I have always raised the silk, but never 

 observed any disease among the worms, notwithstanding 

 that I have raised them in bad places, not being able 

 to have any thing better. I have changed the mode of 

 feeding so as to curtail the work. This will be described 

 hereafter, at its proper place. 



In 1865 1 raised about one hundred and five thousand 

 worms, and consequently the same amount of cocoons, 

 and had a great number of visitors, among whom was 



