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in the production, manufacture, and sale of English Silks, 
do not number much less than a million of persons. It 
surely then is a subject worthy of consideration ; for though 
it is not expected that, even if the rearing of the Silkworm 
were to be successfully introduced amongst the rural popula- 
tion of this kingdom, it would supersede the importation of 
foreign silk, it would at all events be the means of bringing 
into the home market a large amount of raw material for 
the first time, and consequently secure a proportionate share 
of capital to be expended on native products, instead of 
being sent to the foreign merchant. 
The great difficulties urged against the probability of 
successfully carrying out this project are the changeable 
climate of Britain, and the inadequate supply of the 
necessary food required for the worms, with other minor 
obstacles. The variableness of climate cannot be entirely 
obviated without considerable expense, which would conse- 
quently increase the price of the article, and thus defeat the 
object in view. The insufficiency of mulberry plants in 
cultivation, however, is more easy to remove. If a market 
is produced for the mulberry leaves, the supply will soon 
meet the demand. When the latter becomes an object, let 
additional plantations of the trees be cultivated in proportion 
to the amount required, and then, lest the trees cannot bear 
the great loss of leaves which the frequent gathering of 
them would entail, and continue to produce a good crop in 
time for the next demand, the trees might be only partially 
stripped, or alternate trees defoliated, which would ensure a 
succession of leaves, and only require a larger number of trees 
to commence with. Mrs. Whitby says one of her earliest 
pupils had a productive nursery at Godalming, for the white 
mulberry (moras alba), and many others were planting in 
different parts of England, and she is so sanguine in her 
expectations, that she thinks if gentlemen in England and 
