VIII. SUMMARY. 



1. All recognized silkworm diseases are found in India. 



2. These diseases are the same in India as in other parts of the 

 world. 



3. The diseases of mulberry, muga and eri worms are the same. 



4. Pebrine is of importance only in mulberry worms. In 

 village stock it is still rampant, but in stock from examined seed, 

 such as is supplied by Government nurseries, it is not serious. 

 Losses from pebrine are still heavy, however, as the large majority 

 of rearers use unexamined seed. 



5. Muscardine is also almost confined to mulberry worms, and 

 it is a most serious pest. Although the procedure for checking 

 attacks is well known, no steps seem to be taken when an epidemic 

 breaks out and whole rearings are frequently lost. 



6. The " fly " levies a heavy toll on all silkworms in Bengal 

 and Assam. The measures for checking it are somewhat costly 

 and little is done in this direction. 



7. Flacherie is not of great importance as a rule in mulberry 

 worms, except among univoltine ones, probably causing less loss 

 than any other disease. It occasionally causes serious loss among 

 muga and eri worms. As the cause of this disease is mainly 

 climatic it will be very difficult to control efficiently although good 

 rearing and healthy surroundings will do much. 



* 8. Grasserie is said to cause considerable loss in India to all 

 silkworms, but it has not been much in evidence during the period 

 of" these investigations. It is frequently a sequel to some other 

 disease but may also be caused by climatic vagaries. 



9. While conditions in India are such as to make the control 

 of disease considerably more difficult than in temperate countries, 

 there is no reason why diseases should not be controlled, and where 

 efficient sericultural departments are in existence this is being done 

 with a considerable degree of success. 



10. The disease problems in Indian sericulture are ones of pre- 

 ventative medicine and as such they will depend largely on the 

 human elements concerned. » 



11. The crux of the whole question is the " ryot." If improve- 

 ment is to be effected the village rearer will have to be instructed 

 in the causes of disease and induced to go in for improved methods 

 of rearing. 



12. In order to do this the provincial sericultural departments 

 will, require to be recruited from the best type of man available,. 



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