37 
pounds sterling. This silken gut resembles very much catgut, 
but is finer in appearance ; it is employed as strings for the guitar 
in Spain, but throughout Europe is used chiefly for the ends of 
fishing lines, on which to fix the hook. I had some difficulty in 
finding out the process of manufacture, and the following may 
not be quite complete :—When the worm is well developed and 
showing signs of spinning its cocoon, it is at once removed from 
the feeding tray and put alive into strong vinegar; in this it is 
kept for about fourteen days, the head and tail are then removed 
and the double entrail is pulled out between two fingers of each 
hand to its utmost stretch, forming two strings, each generally 
measuring from 9 to 15 inches, according to the size of the silk- 
worm ; these are repickled for a time, they are afterwards rounded 
in a similar fashion to that of a leathern shoe lace; another process 
follows—in order to neutralize the acid absorbed they are then 
dried, and the process is complete.” 
Specimens of Victorian silk have been sent on various occa- 
sions to Europe, and extremely favorable reports have been 
received—of equal commercial value to those of any country, and 
So on, 
Baron von Mueller informs us as to the profits of sericulture 
elsewhere. He quotes a fact from California, according to which 
£700 was the clear gain from 3} acres of mulberries, the working 
expenses being £93. In this country, California, this industry is 
assuming enormous dimensions, since 1870 between 7,000,000 and 
8,000,000 mulberry trees having been planted. The Commissioner 
of the United States for Agriculture estimates that an acre 
should support 700 to 1,000 mulberry trees, producing, when four 
years old, 5,000 lbs. of leaves fit for food. On this quantity of 
leaves can be reared 140,000 worms, from which over a net profit 
of from £80 to £240 per acre may be obtained by one person 
only. Mr. C. Brody, of Sydney, thinks the probable proceeds of 
silk culture to range from £60 to £150 per acre. The dis- 
crepancies in these calculations arise from difference in cost of 
labour, soil, attention, climate, and so on. 
MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
The cultivation of these may be regarded as a very minor 
industry ; still, as we import a great number, either in a natural 
or prepared state, there is no reason why we should not cultivate 
those which readily grow here. I may mention camomile, sar- 
saparilla, phytolacca, rhubarb, tansey, broom, and numerous 
others. Liquorice does as well with us as anywhere. In a spot in 
my old garden at South Yarra it was rampant, a perfect weed, 
and it seemed almost impossible to keep it within bounds. It 
delights in a deep sandy loam. The roots are fit to use in about 
