60 



dyes more freely than the Eria, and is well worth in- 

 vestigation. 



I feel certain, from the comparative fineness of the fibre, 

 that this silk is undeveloped both as a reeled and thrown 

 product, and that organzine and tram of finer deniers 

 than Tusser could be obtained from the cocoons as well as 

 a regular and even thread. The cocoon is larger and firmer 

 than that of the Eria, and can be reeled without difficulty. 



My spinners have suggested that the Government of 

 India should authorise the collection of a few hundred 

 pounds more of Muga cocoons for further developements ; 

 and in supporting their suggestion, I hope, for the purpose 

 of seeing what can be done in dyeing and printing this silk, 

 that the Government of India may consent to send for the 

 necessary quantity. My spinners would, if requested, buy 

 the whole or part of them, and have requested me to urge 

 the collection of wild silks in India, so that much greater 

 quantities may be put in the market, the demand in 

 England, France, and Germany being already enormous. 



The following is a copy of a letter from Messrs. Clayton, 

 Marsdens, and Co., who are the largest silk spinners in Hali- 

 fax, and well illustrates the large demand which exists at 

 present for wild silks : — 



" The manipulation of the waste products of Tusser and 

 other wild silks has been a study with my firm for some 

 years past, and we have arrived at such a state of perfection 

 in the yarns produced from them that we may fairly say 

 that as an industry it is thoroughly established. 



"These waste products consist of the foul and spoilt 

 threads thrown off in the process of reeling from the 

 cocoon, of the husks remaining when the reeling is com- 

 pleted, of spoilt or pierced cocoons, and of the waste made 

 in winding the reeled silk for manufacturing purposes. 

 All these products are now of value, and the demand for 

 them is largely on the increase, consequent upon the ex- 

 tended demand for the improved yarns now made from 

 them. They have been found particularly suitable for silk 

 plushes, a trade largely on the increase for shawls and 

 other garments, and for the manufacture of dress materials. 

 The demand for these yarns for some of the above pur- 

 poses, at present, far exceeds the supply. In the face of 

 these facts, the supply of the raw material becomes a most 

 important question, and the efforts of the Government of 

 India to develop the resources of India to meet this in- 

 creasing demand are very timely, and must prove beneficial 



