£ REPORT ON THE DISEASES OF SILKWORMS IN INDIA 



latest and most detailed Government contribution to the study 

 of sericulture in India, much stress is laid upon disease as a factor 

 in the decline of the silk industry in this country, and many 

 recommendations are made on every subject connected with seri- 

 culture. Acting on Professor Lefroy's suggestion, a beginning was 

 made in 1916 by the Imperial Agricultural Bacteriologist in the 

 study of disease in silkworms. In 1919 I was sent out specially to 

 do this work, and the following report is an account of my findings 

 in this field. 



Such is, very shortly and very imperfectly, a slight history of 

 what we know of silkworm diseases in the past in India, and what 

 steps have been taken to deal with the problem. It is extremely 

 difficult to generalize on " silkworm diseases" in India, because in 

 this country not only are there at least five quite distinct diseases 

 to be reckoned with, "but there are three different genera of silk- 

 worms concerned. I propose, therefore, to deal with each disease 

 and each silkworm separately, making such deductions and such 

 recommendations as seem called for under each section, and finally 

 giving a summary of general conclusions and recommendations. 



