THE TECHNOLOGIST. [Makch 1, 1864. 



358 SERICULTURE IN OUDH. 



were available. The worms may be reared with very tolerable success 

 wherever the mulberry thrives, provided care as to temperature be 

 bestowed. Upon this poiut there has been a very great and unnecessary 

 outcry and self-laudation iu some quarters, for the only things necessary 

 to insure the introduction of the worm with a reasonable chance of 

 eventual profit, are funds, and attention in rearing. Depend upon it 

 that with perseverance and proper attention to the speculation, you will 

 succeed to your satisfaction. You have asked for my "opinion, and I 

 have given it candidly, though I speak rather as a naturalist, than as a 

 mere speculator." 



On the 14th November, 1862, I received a small quantity of eggs of 

 the China silkworm from Mr. Turnbull. They hatched on the 18th 

 November, 1 862. Cast their first skin on the 27th ; cast their second, 

 3rd December ; cast their third, 11th December ; cast their fourth, 22nd 

 December. Began to spin on the 8th January, 1863. 



A very few worms died when quite young. The nights were frosty, 

 and I took the precaution to cover the worms at night with sheets of 

 paper to prevent the cold from killing them. I did so because this worm 

 was not acclimatized in Northern India, but has been reared for 

 many generations in Bengal, so that it was necessary to give it every 

 possible advantage in rearing it for the first time. 



The worms grew very well. A small proportion died when they 

 were ready to spin, others had already spun a thin layer of silk round 

 themselves, and then died in the caterpillar state. Some spun a thin 

 layer of silk and changed into a chrysalis, and finally the majority 

 made apparently good, but small cocoons. Only two weak moths came 

 out of the cocoons, which I had kept for eggs, and on inspection, I 

 found the chrysalis of all the others dead. I sent a number of the 

 cocoons to Mr. Turnbull, for his opinion as to their quality, and the 

 following was his reply : — " I will be candid, and tell you your cocoons 

 are what we consider rubbish, and unfit to reel." 



So that as far as silk was concerned, this first attempt with the China 

 silkworm was a failure. But as I knew the cause of the failure, I was 

 not at all disheartened. The worms as I said hatched in November, a 

 time at which the leaves of all the mulberry trees excepting the Morus 

 muhlcaulis* turn yellow T and drop off. One can easily imagine that such 

 was not the proper food for producing good cocoons. 



The Morus multicaulis, it is true, had good and tender leaves, but 

 one frosty night disposed of them all at once. So that the unfortunate 

 worms were obliged to choose between half withered leaves and leaves 

 injured by frost. Add to this the coldness of the nights, which in 

 November I should say are very different from the Bengal nights, and 

 the cause of failure is anything but difficult to understand. Never- 

 theless, the worms lived with a very small mortality up to the spinning 

 time, and most of them spun, which indicates a certain amount of 

 * Small entire-leaved China mulberry. 



