400 ON THE CULTIVATION OF SILK IN TASMANIA. 



kept in pure air and sunshine as much as possible, and be steadily fed. 

 Abundance of food is, in fact, the main point, since an insect which in 

 50 days increases to 1000 times its original bulk, must necessarily be a 

 most voracious feeder. The larger the box in which they are kept, the 

 better, and the dead leaves, of course, require to be soon removed. Ob- 

 serving these few simple facts, they will grow to the cocoon with scarcely 

 any trouble. 



The silk from the cocoons raised last year, was sent home to England, 

 by Mr. Wilkins, to have its commercial value properly ascertained. I 

 regret not having by me the letter sent by his correspondent to Mr. 

 Wilkins, but it stated in substance, that the specimen was of unusual 

 fineness and strength and of a quality to command a high price in the 

 market. It was, however, difficult to ascertain its exact market value, 

 owing to the manner in which it had been reeled. Mr. Wilkins is now 

 in England, which is likely to be a considerable assistance, as he under- 

 stands silk practically, and is a strenuous supporter of its growth in 

 Tasmania. I do not, however, individually lay much stress on reports 

 from home, having seen so much of the Italian silk in masses at Leghorn 

 and elsewhere, as to feel assured of the quality of the Tasmania silk 

 being at least a high average. Anything above this will depend upon 

 the manner of reeling. 



I come now to the great point of all, the growth of the mulberry 

 tree. Putting aside the question of labour, the profitable cultivation of 

 silk in Tasmania depends simply upon the supply of leaves. I will 

 briefly notice what in this point has been done. 



There are in round numbers at a rather vague calculation, within 20 

 miles round Hobart Town, from 100 to 150 mulberry trees, about half 

 of which are at New Town. All of these are the black mulberry which 

 is generally assumed to give a rather inferior silk. The Valencian silk, 

 however, which stands well in the market is from the black, and the 

 difference of the two is not likely'to be considerable. The only white 

 mulberry in the south side of the island is the one so called in the 

 Botanical gardens. I doubt myself whether this is a real white one, but 

 have not the botanical knowledge to know r . 



Nearly two years ago, in the beginning of 1861, Mr. Abbott, at my 

 request, took a number of cuttings from this tree, and from the one 

 Ailanthus tree in the garden. At the end of the year, Mr. Hill, the 

 gardener at the Queen's Asylum, with some of the boys, was employed 

 in breaking up, trenching, and liniing a plot containing an acre and 

 three-quarters, which was hedged in and irrigated for making the first 

 plantation. As this piece, though the best available on the grounds of 

 the Asylum, seemed rather too stiff for young trees, in March last I took 

 on my own account a piece three acres on the New Town Rivulet at the 

 back of the Guvernment land, and broke it up for the young trees. Into 

 these two were put the cuttings from the white mulberry and Ailanthus 

 and fortv boughs of the black rnulberrv. At the same time Mr. Abbott 



