CHLTUBE OP SILK WORM P. 
5 
the eggs to the liatcliing took between six and seven dajs, the 
egge h^mg kept in a cuol i>lace, Tlie first cban^ of skin took 
piace on the seventli day, the second on the tenth, the third on 
the fourteenth, and on the nineteenth day the wonns attained 
niatnrity and began to spin * The spinning took from two to 
three days, bo that from the laying of the egj^e to the completion 
of the cocoons takes about 30 days. It may therefore be assumed 
that two broods could Ixj reared in. three months, or eight in the 
year. 
The silk varies in colour from pale greenish yeOow to white. 
The Chinese, however, bred out the greenish and yellowish 
varieties, and the strain now in the country is almost pure white. 
CHOESE MTJLBEREY CTJLTTJKE. 
The mull>erries were introduced from China, being brought 
here as cuttings. They are a big leaved, long fruited variety, 
and grow into bushes. The jungle was felled and the land was 
then stuunx?d and dug over to remove roots, made into shallow 
ridges, and the cuttings planted on top of them at distances of 
about one foot apart aloii^ the rows, the rows being three feet 
apart. The land was all carefully drained by deep ditches and 
kept free of weeds l)y constant hoeings, the plants being 
manured by the refuse leaves, etc., from the reariiig of the 
worms. The plants being so close, it is not possible to allow 
.them to grow to any si^ie^ and they are therefore kept down by 
periodical severe i>runitigs. As might be expected, by forcing 
the plants to grow under these very artificial conditions, tho 
least neglect or disease tells very sei-iously on them, particularly 
when they are being continually stripi>ed of their leaves to feed 
the wonus, 
DISEASE OF THE MULBERRIES. 
In July of 1891 I went to Ayer Kuning and noticed tlia 
all the mulberries Were affected by a leaf disease much rcsuii 
bliug in its general appearance the well-liuowu cofFce leaf diseaKo 
On tiie young leaves faint yellowish dots were to be seen, and 
these liecame larger and more yellow on the older leaves, aiid 
reached a diameter of aliout one- third of an inch. Beneath, 
these spots were more or less covered with bright yeUow spores. 
The leaves dropped long !>efore, in the natural cotirse of events, 
they would have done, and the bushes looked very bare and 
miserable in consequence. Almost the entire plantation was 
affected, but the Chinese said that the worms would eat 
the diseased leaf, and I saw it being given to them, and they 
* In November and Dcc(Mnbc?r tho woruis eliaage their skin once more 
than hero stated, and are about fivo daj B longer in attaining maturity. 
