Oct. 1, 1864.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



SILKWORM CULTURE. 131 



preparation of the cocoons. The whole establishment, inclusive of the 

 plantation, I computed to have cost 400 florins ; and at the end of one 

 year Mr. Teysnian had the satisfaction of being able to bring to market 

 80 lb. (Amsterdam weight) wound, and 89 lb. of floss silk, which were 

 sold on the 24th December last (1863) at Batavia for the sum of 400 

 florins. This year's yield will be still greater, for now, after the lapse 

 of six months, 50 lbs. of wound and much more of floss silk have been 

 offered for sale. 



But not only at Buitenzong were favourable results obtained, but 

 at Samarang, too ; and at Malang the trials were attended with success. 

 The degeneration of the worms, which was so much feared, is nowhere 

 visible ; the cocoons have, on the contrary, increased in size since the 

 worms have been carefully tended. The quality, too, of the silk is 

 better. 



The first musters (samples) sent to Europe were at 10 to 12 florins 

 per kilogramme ; the Buitenzong silk fetched, at the auction alluded to, 

 the average of 14| florins ; whilst a muster lately sent to Europe was 

 valued in France at 22 florins per half kilo. ! I believe that the facts 

 here spoken of are so many reasons for asserting that a lucrative culture 

 of the silkworm is not wholly imaginative. Mr. L. Weber says on the 

 subject, in the introduction to his 'Handleiding voor eenige Kultures op 

 Java ' (' Handbook of Cultures in Java '), " that the culture of the silk- 

 worm will in time be a means of existence for the European as well as 

 for the Malay, as will certainly be experienced by those who apply 

 themselves to it. From the results which I myself have obtained, I do 

 not hesitate to recommend its extension, and am convinced that the aid 

 of our rulers may be reckoned upon." 



Government, which lost such heavy sums with former attempts, is, 

 we are informed upon good authority, endeavouring to introduce the 

 culture of the Siamese silkworm on a large scale ; the inducement to 

 do so being the fortunate results which have attended the late trials. 

 Already the planting of mulberry-trees in the residency krawang has 

 been commenced. Private industry, too, should devote more of its 

 attention to the subject. Not that it is necessary to erect extensive and 

 costly establishments ; it is sufficient if many small and inexpensive ones 

 be founded ; favourable results will then lead to extension. The trials 

 with the so-called " wild silkworms " are not yet so far advanced. 

 Although several trials on a small scale have been successful, the varie- 

 ties of the worm are so numerous as to make it difficult to decide as to 

 the best of the known varieties of the wild silkworm ; not less than ten 

 sorts might be used for spinning purposes in Java. In other tropical 

 countries, as Surinam (Dutch Guiana), the Argentine Kepublic, and in 

 Brazil, the Bonibyx Cynthia and Arrindia have already been introduced ; 

 but Java herself has many silkworms which are found in a wild state, 

 and perhaps one or other of these deserves the preference above the two 

 just named. 



