MISCELLANEOUS ECONOMIC PRODUCTS 569 



the hitter as silk "waste," an inferior grade ; (2) to cultivate the 

 eri worm whose cocoon, though an inferior silk, with only a 

 limited Indian market, is not of the reelable kind and therefore 

 does not necessarily involve the destruction of the pupa or 

 chrysalis. Though the product in either case could not compete 

 with the properly treated mulberry cocoons of other countries, 

 yet it is thought that this might be compensated for by obtaining 

 a large outturn, which might be effected by selecting and 

 rearing multivoltine strains; this latter factor is especially in favour 

 of sericulture in a tropical country, the silk-worm in Europe being 

 always univoltine, i.e., producing but one crop annually, the worms 

 undergoing metamorphoses once a year only. 



Both the mulberry and castor-oil plants Hourish in Ceylon 

 at various elevations, the latter having become naturalised and 

 is often found in a wild state, especially in the neighbourhood of 

 villages. The castor-oil plant is readily propagated by seed, and 

 the mulberry by cuttings. MR. C. DRIEBERG, Secretary to the 

 Ceylon Agricultural Society, who has done much to foster the 

 new industry, writes: "The Ceylon Agricultural Society is 

 endeavouring to establish the silk industry in Ceylon by every 

 available means distributing silk- worm eggs, leaflets of instruc- 

 tions, seeds of the castor-oil plant and cuttings of mulberry. At 

 Peradeniya, a demonstration silk farm has been started by the 

 Society which has recently been given over to the Salvation Army 

 to work, in view of the facilities which that body possesses for 

 reaching the people. Work on the farm is progressing satis- 

 factorily, and excellent samples of silk of the Eri, " Mysore," and 

 a hybrid " Mysore-Bengal" worm have been reeled. At the farm, 

 instruction in silk culture is given to teachers and others, and 

 it is hoped ultimately to push the industry through Government 

 Vernacular Schools. It is hoped that ultimately silk-culture will 

 be taken up as a home industry in the villages. 



According to CAPTAIN JORGEXSOX, Manager of the Salvation 

 Army Silk Farm at Peradeniya, if the eri cocoon is obtained 

 white and free from stain and dirt, it will command a satisfactory 

 price in the European markets. "In order," he writes, "to 

 produce the desired article, our plan is to cut open the cocoon 

 on the fifth day before the chrysalis removes its outer skin, which 

 often causes a stain. Each cocoon is cut open with a pair of 

 scissors, and the chrysalis thrown out to the fowls. It is a simple 

 operation, and can be done by children. This plan, however, may 



