90 REPORT ON THE DISEASES OF SILKWORMS IN INDIA 



in times of the high temperatures and humidity, while muscardine 

 demands such conditions before it can evince itself to any appre- 

 ciable extent. 



Still another, though less obvious, cause is to be found in econo- 

 mic conditions. I have already said that poverty doubtless keeps 

 the ryot from undertaking improvements, but an economic reason 

 such as a big drop in the price of silk may be the ultimate cause of a 

 big outbreak of disease. This, as we have seen, was doubtless the 

 cause for the great amount of disease in Bengal about 1875. While 

 the increased production in Europe about 1845-50 was the reason 

 for the terrible plague of 1850-70. Examples might be multiplied, 

 but perhaps enough .has been written to show how many and 

 various are the factors governing the origin of disease. 



4. Can disease be controlled in India ? There is no doubt 

 that diseases can be fairly efficiently controlled in India, although 

 it is admittedly more difficult in a tropical country than in a tem- 

 perate country. Pebrine can be kept from becoming epidemic, and 

 if all rearers could be induced to take examined seed it would be 

 almost stamped out. The ravages of muscardine, by adequate 

 ventilation and disinfection of the rearing houses, could be kept 

 greatly in check, and outbreaks could be kept from assuming very 

 serious proportions by careful rearing and by taking immediate 

 precautionary measures whenever the first dead worms were found. 

 The fly can be kept at bay by netting windows and doors or other- 

 wise guarding against its entrance into the rearing rooms. The 

 rot diseases are admittedly more difficult. Much can be done 

 by careful rearing and efficient ventilation, but there will always 

 be elements that cannot be controlled in regard to these diseases, 

 so that complete mastery over them cannot, at all events at pre- 

 sent, be expected. 



Disease, I have said, can be to a great extent controlled, but 

 only, be it noted, under certain conditions. The practice of using 

 examined seed must be made universal and improvements must 

 be effected in the rearing houses, in the rearing methods and in 

 the cultivation of mulberry. If these conditions are not fulfilled 

 the disease question must always remain uncertain, and frequent 

 and heavy losses will undoubtedly be the lot of the unfortunate 

 rearer. 



5. Has disease caused degeneration of the worms in 

 India ? Lefroy in his report points out that the Indian worms 

 have not degenerated according to the opinion of several experts. 

 Cocoons produced by diseased worms are usually very inferior, and. 

 if disease is always present the cocoons will always be bad. It 

 has been proved in Cambodia that even when breeding" from highly 



