110 



RAW-SILK. 



(K.) supply practicable, I beg leave, to suggest, that 

 ^iilsidenr ^b^i*® would be no difficulty in sending on different 

 atSoonamooky. ^^^y^^ by the letter dauk mail, a few small parcels 

 of cuttings, of six or eight inches in length, which 

 would not exceed a pound weight. With such 

 assistance, experiments might iininediateli/ be made 

 here and elsewhere, while waiting for young 

 plants purposed eventually to be sent by sea. 



As it may possibly be useful to Mr. Lush to be 

 apprised of the nature of our mulberry-plants in 

 Bengal, and the process of cultivation, I take the 

 liberty of offering a few passing remarks, which I 

 hope may not be considered intrusive, on a subject 

 of so much interest. 



REMARKS. 



The Indian mulberry- 

 plant is not allowed to rise 

 above a foot and a-half or 

 two feet. It is cut twice a 

 day, as required, to feed the 

 worms. The plant is thus 

 exhausted in about the third 

 year, and is then rooted out ; 

 but is easily renewed by cut- 

 tings and planted in rows, 

 with just room enough be- 

 tween to admit of the culti- 

 vator weeding, dressing, and 

 earthing up the roots. 



The dessy or kajlah leaf 

 pinnated, 



There are two species of 

 mulberry-plant in the au- 

 rungs of the Soonamooky 

 residency, west of the Bhau- 

 grutty river, as shewn in the 

 margin. One is the dessy 

 (indigenous), called "kaj- 

 lah;" the other ha-dessy (ex- 

 otic) : See Fig, %. both bear 

 fruit, which begins to set to- 

 wards the end of October and 

 ripens in about two months. 



The satee is supposed to 

 be the madrassie or foreign: 

 its bark is of a pale grey co- 

 lour ; that of the "kajlah'' 



is 



