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THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



near Bolton, several plantations were laid out by Mr. Bodmer, of Manchester, 

 the well known Engineer, with a view to aid sericiculture, which, however, 

 proved a failure. 



There are a few large trees in the neighbourhood of Manchester yet, and 

 several are known to be abont sixty years old ; all of them are, I think, 

 Morns nigra, and are grown principally for their fruit, which is very sweet. 

 If sericiculture were successfully carried on in this country, it would be 

 essential to grow Morus alba, of which the fruit is very insipid. The first 

 silkworms reared in Europe were fed on the black mulberry leaves, the only 

 species then cultivated in England, although it was well known that the 

 white mulberry was cultivated in Greece. The white mulberry was then 

 introduced into all the temperate regions of Europe. This mulberry tree 

 offers several advantages, the leaf is earlier, it also gives a much greater 

 abundance of leaves in a shorter period, and the quality of the leaf produces 

 that sort of silk most approved of by the manufacturers. The quality of the 

 silk does not solely depend on the food, but also on the degree of temperature 

 in which the silkworm has been reared. Morus alba is indigenous to China, 

 and was introduced into England in 1796. Morus nigra is indigenous to 

 Italy, and was introduced into England in 1596. Silkworms may be fed on 

 rose tree leaves when mulberry leaves are not obtainable, and this is preferable 

 to feeding them on lettuce. I have been informed that they will feed on 

 sallow and dandelion. 



The success of rearing silkworms depends on the healthy state of the insect, 

 and it is essential they should have a sufficient supply of food of a good 

 quality, and cleanliness. These insects are often reared successfully on a 

 small scale, and to what fatality can we attribute such an apparent paradox 

 as that a few hundred worms shall succeed, while a few thousand shall as 

 constantly fail. Silk produced in northern climes is finer and firmer than 

 silk produced in temperate climes; it is only a question whether a sufficient 

 supply of good food can be procured in the northern climes. During the 

 last century, somes Erench refugees in the south of Ireland, laid out consider- 

 able plantations of Morus alba, and had begun the cultivation of silk with 

 every appearance of the most perfect success ; their subsequent removal caused 

 the important opportunity to be neglected, and though the trees are said to 

 have been very flourishing, they have since been entirely cut down. This 

 fact, however, leaves no doubt that the climate is congenial to the cultivation 

 of the white mulberry, if cultivated with moderate attention. It is very pro- 

 bable that sericiculture would be a success on the south and western coasts 

 of Ireland, or perhaps the Isle of Man, and the western coast of Wales. 



A leaf market is necessary for people in towns to rear silkworms, and such 



