ON THE CULTIVATION OF SILK IN TASMANIA. 401 



made a number of additional cuttings, which are now in the Society's 

 gardens. 



The only result of this, so far as to the mulberry, is that 80 of the 

 white mulberry and 40 boughs of the black have struck, and are 

 flourishing vigorously. More than 100 cuttings of the white mulberry 

 died. The black mulberry which were put in the damp alluvial soil 

 along the creek grew, and their success seems to show that in this way the 

 tree can be easily propagated. In addition to these a number of layers 

 have been made, and are in full leaf in the Society's gardens. 



The plantations formed from these sources, and in this manner, 

 would go a very little way towards raising the armies of trees which 

 will be wanted to supply the demand when silk is fairly established in 

 the island. The way to raise mulberry plantations at once, and on a 

 very large scale, is from seed. The difficulty has been that mulberry 

 seed at home hardly ever succeeds. Out of a thousand seeds in England 

 hardly one comes up. I took advantage, however, of Mr. Martelli being 

 in the island, to send, through him, to Genoa for a supply of the genuine 

 Italian seed. In Italy, where the value of the raw silk alone exceeds 

 four times that of the whole collective exports of Tasmania — mulberry 

 seed is sold in immense quantities, and to avoid imposition is regularly 

 examined and stamped. I have distributed the seed very widely, to the 

 Qneen's Asylum, the Botanical Gardens, His Excellency the Governo 

 and above thirty individuals who had land adapted for growing it, but 

 always with considerable doubts as to the results. lam, however, happy 

 to say that it has turned out a great success. At the Botanical Gardens 

 three seeds out of four of the white mulberry tree, came up, and there 

 are now about a thousand plants growing vigorously. If the rest turn 

 out equally well, there will be by the end of the year many thousand 

 plants growing in Tasmania. The seed at the Botanical Gardens was 

 grown in the greenhouse boxes, and will be planted out in the beginning 

 of autumn. 



I consider that the real difficulty in producing silk in Tasmania is now 

 solved. 1 know by experience that the silkworm thrives in this climate, 

 the pure mountain air here as in the Appenines and the Lebanon suiting 

 best the insect and tree. The great point was to raise very large quan- 

 tities of leaves, and every landowner who likes, can now'produce any 

 necessary quantity. But I am still obliged to remind the Society that 

 it is not likely to pay for years to come to employ hired labour in seri- 

 culture here. The trouble attending it is not much, and it lasts less 

 than two months in the year, but the profit will arise by employing the 

 spare time of those who are otherwise supported. The children and 

 patients at the Queen's Asylum and New Norfolk, the wives and children 

 of all persons having garden ground enough to grow a few trees will 

 find in it a certain source of profit small or great. The plants, however, 

 cannot be safely stripped till after five years, and in this lies the great 

 advantage of the Ailanllius that it grows in any soil, that its insect, the 



VOL. III. M M 



