RAW -SILK. 



41 



The Resident there observes, respecting it, as (E.) 



Silk Cocoons 



follows. of Bengal. 



The Commercolly chassars formerly raised no 

 cocoons except the dessee ; but in the year 1790 

 two sorts of nistry cocoons were introduced by 

 Mr. R. Becher, who was then the Commercial 

 Resident. The dessee is by far the best of all the 

 tribe of silk-worms, and produces the best sort of 

 silk, both as to the staples and colour : indeed, the 

 first A can only be made from the very best sort 

 of cocoons of this description. In one year there 

 are five crops of them: 1st. the October bund, 

 2nd. the November bund, 3rd, the March bund, 

 4th. the April bund, and 5th. the June and July 

 bunds. The cocoons of the first are the best in 

 the year. The November bund is more productive 

 in worms than the October, merely because in the 

 latter there is a more plentiful supply of mulberry- 

 plant to feed them with, as it does not perfectly 

 recover from the effects of the periodical rains in 

 time for the worms of the October bund ; but the 

 silk from the October bund is preferable to that 

 of the November bund, and the worms yield a 

 larger produce. 



In those seasons when we have occasionally 

 showers of rain without hail (which ruins the 

 mulberry-plant) the March bund is an excellent 

 one, producing plenty of cocoons and good silk ; 

 but in those years when there is very hot weather 

 without rain, and when the thunder-storms are 



accompanied 



