66 



RAW-SILK. 



No. 2. 



Letter from Dr, Roxburgh^ Superintendejit of 

 the Honourable Company's Botanical Garden^ to 

 the Bengal Board of Trade, dated the 23d 

 November 1812. 



(G.) Sir : 



D^'^Roxburgh ^ have received your letter of the 6th instant, 

 *° Trade together with an extract of the general letter from 



23N©v. 1812. the Honourable Court of Directors, under date 

 15th May 1811, together with the copy of the 

 minute of the Board of Trade of the 1st of October 

 1796, and beg you will inform the President and 

 Members of the Board, that it would afford me 

 much real satisfaction to be able to render even 

 the smallest assistance in the important inquiry 

 under their consideration; but, unfortunately, I 

 have no practical knowledge of the management 

 of silk-worms, nor do I think I can suggest any 

 thing useful, that is not already better known to 

 the Board than to me. 



The observation in the minute, " improper food," 

 this I think may be the sole cause of degeneracy, 

 if such has really been the case ; and I think it 

 corresponds with the habits of the natives, who 

 bestow as little labour on their husbandry as they 

 possibly can; and without much care, constant 

 attention, and labour, the Indian mulberry -plant, 



as 



