1837.] Remarks on the Silks of Assam. 27 



above the ground produce the best silk. The second year the crops are 

 inferior in quality and quantity, and the third it is little if at all 

 superior to the common mooga. The Mazanhoory silk is nearly white, 

 and its value fifty per cent, above that of the common fawn-colored. 



The tending of the worms on this tree is much more laborious than 

 on any of the others : young trees only being used, they have to be 

 constantly removed to fresh ones : the smoothness of the bark also 

 renders it necessary to help them in moving from branch to branch. 

 This tree is more abundant in Upper than in Lower Assam — last year 

 it was for the first time found to exist in the forests of the Moruny, 

 on the eastern boundary of this district : the Upper Assamese who are 

 settled throughout this district (they form one-fourth or one-fifth of 

 our population here), have never met with it in any other place. 



No. 2. Champa. — The Champa is found, as the Addakoory, where 

 forests have been cleared : the silk of the worms fed on it is called 

 " Champa poolia mooga." It is held in the same estimation as the 

 " Mazanhoory ;" I do not know whether it is also used when young — 

 the tree is not met with in Lower Assam. 



No. 3. Soom. — The Soom is found principally in the forests of the 

 plains and in the villages, where the plantations of this tree are very ex- 

 tensive. It attains a large size and yields three crops of leaves in the 

 year : the silk produced by it is of a light fawn color, and estimated 

 next to the Mazanhoory : the plantations are most abundant in the 

 eastern half of this district. 



No. 4. Kontooloa. — This is a large tree found both in the hills and 

 the plains — also a few in the villages : the leaves are too hard for 

 young worms: they are reared on the preceding (No. 3), till the 

 third moulting, and then put on this tree ; by which process the silk 

 obtained is stronger than that from worms reared entirely on. the 

 Soom. 



No. 5. Digluttee. — A tree of a small size not much used on that 

 account : the silk equal to that obtained from No. 3. 



No. 6. Pattee shoonda. — Middle-sized tree, found principally in 

 forests — few to be met with in the villages of Lower Assam — used 

 when the leaves of No. 3 are done. 



No. 7. Sonhalloo. — The Sonhalloo is found in the forests of the hills 

 and plains, where it attains a very large size : it is also found in the 

 villages, where in six years it attains its full growth (thirty feet) ; it is 

 very abundant in the western portion of this district. Rara, Jumna, 

 Mookh, Jyntea, and the valley of Dhurmpoor — at the latter place, 

 where the hill tribes of Mikirs and Kachdris clear dense forests for 

 the cultivation of rice and cotton, numbers of the plants spring up 

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