198 THE MODERN HISTORY OF SILK. 



The chief reason alleged for the necessity of 

 finding out a substitute for mulbeny-leaves is, that 

 these leaves are not produced early enough in this 

 climate to become the food of the infant worms. It 

 is well known that the leaves of the mulberry-tree 

 seldom begin to unfold themselves before the latter 

 end of May, or the beginning of June. It is like- 

 wise a matter of notoriety, that those few Silk- 

 womis which have as yet been bred in this island, 

 have mostly been hatched in the beginning of May, 

 or even earlier. From hence there has been sup- 

 posed a necessity of providing some more early 

 vegetating plant for their food, before the leaves of 

 that tree are ready for them. That no such neces- 

 sity exists is very apparent. Is it not natural to 

 conclude, that the constitution of the air, respecting 

 warmth, should at one and the same time expand 

 the leaf, and hatch the insect, whidi was intended 

 by the all-wise Providence to inhabit and feed on 

 that leaf? This, we may observe, is the constant 

 course of nature, with respect to all other insects 

 and their food. We have every reason to suppose 

 that this is the case with the Silkworms, and the 

 mulberry leaves, in those countries where both are 

 indigenous ; and there cannot be the shadow of a 

 doubt, that this effect would naturally and invari- 

 ably obtain as well in this climate as any other, 

 did not human imprudence intei-pose to prevent it, 

 and art obstruct the intention of nature. The eggs 



