55 



wider range of growth than cotton, and probably before 

 long several of our Ultra- Austral colonies may begin to 

 export silk. The cost of colonial labour seems to be the 

 only hindrance. 



In a correspondence I had with Mr. Lister since this 

 report appeared he informed me that Eria and Muga silk 

 are, to his mind far before Tusser ; but any of them could 

 be used profitably when all the conditions of profitable 

 success are duly considered. He feels no manner of doubt 

 that, with time and patience, wild silks will be profitably 

 used. With regard to Tusser, he says that when it is 

 reeled by the natives it is so full of faults as to be dear at 

 any price, and when reeled by Europeans so costly as not 

 to pay. This adds another strong argument in favour of 

 my earnest recommendation to the Government of India 

 that the natives of India, whose time is less valuable and 

 labour less costly, should be taught the European methods 

 of reeling. He asks, " As to Eria, is it simply a question of 

 cost of production in the first place, and then can it be 

 reeled ? If not, can it be produced so cheaply as to pay to 

 use it for combing and spinning ? " My reply is emphati- 

 cally, " Abandon all ideas of reeling Eria silk ; the cocoon 

 is too soft, and the fibres mingled together too irregularly, 

 to afford any hope of successful reeling commercially. 

 Produce it on a large scale, comb and spin it, and the 

 success is complete." Mr. Lister's opinions are of the 

 highest possible value, as he is probably the largest spun- 

 silk manufacturer in Europe, and, besides his immense 

 spinning establishment at Manningham near Bradford, he 

 has sent out to India a large and expensive staff to 

 cultivate the wild silks and the plants on which the worms 

 feed, and has gone thei-e himself in order that the experi- 

 ments may be carried out under his own supervision. 



CHAPTER X. 



The Moonga, Mooga, or Muga Silk. 



This silk is produced from the worm known as the 

 Moonga, Muga, or Mooga, Anther cea Assama (Heifer) ; also 

 the Saturnia Assama, of Westwood. It is found in Assam, 

 and also sparing^ in the Dehra Doon, and is the next in im- 

 portance to Tusser (see Map, Plate XXVI.) Mr. Geoghegan's 

 description of this silk occupies three pages of the Blue- 

 book on the Silk Industry of India, from which I abstract 

 the following particulars : — 



