75 



The employment of Roossa grass baskets at a later stage 

 has also probably a superstitious significance. 



The interest of Government in the matter extends only 

 to introducing the industry to the notice of the Deccan 

 ryots ; when they have once been made acquainted with 

 its value, Government will leave it to be carried on as a 

 commercial speculation. Every Government must neces- 

 sarily have a direct concern in adding to the exchangeable 

 products of its subjects. When the latter are on an 

 equality as regards intelligence and civilisation with 

 their rulers, the national prosperity is in sufficiently safe- 

 keeping and may wisely be left entirely in their hands. 

 But when it unfortunately happens that a Government is 

 far ahead of its people in intelligence and civilisation, as in 

 this country, it is bound to directly interest itself, to a 

 certain extent, in any practicable and moderate scheme 

 which may be proposed for their material benefit. In 

 concluding this subject, I would beg to add that it would 

 be probably nnadvisable to carry the preparation of the 

 cocoons in this Presidency beyond the stage of undyed 

 raw silk. 



The best books on the Tusseh moth are Jardine's 

 Naturalist's Library Volume, " Sastic Moths/' " Remarks 

 on the Silk Worms of Assam," by Thomas Hugon, in the 

 6th vol. of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 

 " On the Indigenous Moths of India," by Dr. Heifer, in the 

 same volume. "Account of the Tusseh and Arincly Silk 

 Worms of Bengal," by Dr. W. Roxburgh, in vol. 7 of the 

 Transactions of the Linnsean Society. " Silk Culture in 

 India/' at page 115 of Royle's " Reproductive Resources of 

 India." " Account of the Silk Trade and Silk Manufactures 

 of the Punjab," in part 2, vol. 10, of the Journal of the 

 Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India. There is 

 also a report of the proceedings of the East India Company 

 in regard to the trade, culture, and manufacture of raw silk, 

 published in 1836, which I have not yet seen, and on the 

 experiments formerly instituted for the introduction of silk 

 culture into this Presidency there is Signor Mulli's " Guide 

 to the Silk Culture in the Deccan," printed in 1838, in 

 English, Goozerattee, and Mahrattee, and a pamphlet 

 " On the introduction of Silk, and the Cultivation of the 

 li Mulberry under the Bombay Presidency for the Agri- 

 " Horticultural Society of Western India," by Dr. Charles 

 Lush, formerly superintendent of the Government Gardens 

 at Dapooree. Reference to the subject is also made in the 

 following reports of the Chamber of Commerce of Bombay : — 



