June 2, 1902.] 
Supplement to the '^Tropical Agriculturist,^' 
855 
The history of the various attempts that have 
been made to establish the silk industry in Ceylon 
is thus summarised by the Editor of the Ceylon 
Handbook and Directory : — 
There is a spot on the banks of the Kelani river 3 
or 4 miles above the Bridge of Boats en route to 
Hanwella called " Orta Seda " {%h\, Sedaioatta) 
or Silk Garden, where the Portuguese are believed 
to have fed »ilkwormj. The Dutch unsuccessfully 
attempted to propagate the Silkworm plant (mul- 
berry) trees, and produce Silk at Jeffna. (See 
Tennent, vol. I, page 265.) Tennent also notices 
the presence of the Tusser eilkmoth v?hich feeds 
ou the country almond {Terminalia Catappa) and 
the very common Palma Christi or castor-oil plant; 
but nothing has been done with the Tusser to 
make it a commercial success. lu the British 
period Bennett takes credit for introducing the 
white and digitated mulberry (as well as the opium 
poppy), and on 21st September, 1829, a Government 
regulation was passed to encourage the growth of 
" silk and opium " among other agricultural pro- 
duce. He thought the Northern Province eminently 
adapted for the silkworm and mulberry plant, 
being the least humid part of the island ; as 
Tennent thought it best adapted for the Tusser 
silk and castor-oil plant. Bennett gives instructions 
(page 217) for the formation of mulberry nurseries, 
and he quite hoped to see silk a staple of the 
north of Ceylon. He proposed shading the mul- 
berry plant with plantains and afterwards to grow 
an undercrop of Indigo. Latterly, experiments 
with the true silkworm have been tried more than 
once, more particularly by a coffee planter in 
Haputale, on whose produce a favourable report 
was received, but the difficulty of securing careful 
skilled labour and the injurious effects of thunder- 
storms ou the silkworms prevented the continuance 
of the experiment. Sir Wm. Gregory took a great 
interest in the Silk-growing, as in all other experi- 
ments with new products. In 1872 he reported that 
the "mulberry tree grows quickly and vigorously 
in Ceylon, and the worms are reported to be 
hardy and to thrive well, but the difficulty was to 
find patient and skilled hands to wind the eilk." 
Accordingly he recommended the dried cocoon to 
be sent to Europe to be spun, but the cost of 
female labour in England is another difficulty. 
Sir Wm. Gregory introduced and distributed 
Japanese silkworm eggs in Ceylon. The late Mr. 
Bury of Golconda, Haputale, Father Palla at Galle 
and Mr. P.N. Braiue in the Central and North- 
Western Provinces among other?, took a special 
interest in silkworms, and, for a time, had a fair 
measure of success, also Mr. C. Ralston White in 
Haputale West and Mr. R. Fraser of Wariapolla, 
The Matale Agricultural Association (in July 1888) 
took steps at the instauce of Mr. E. Gordon Eeeres 
to endeavour to establifih Sericulture among the 
natives of tha lUst.rict. A good plan would be to 
establish gioves of mulberry tree* and a silkworm 
hut near every vernacular school as one means of 
technical instruction. It would be well if the 
Ceylon Government could offer a sufficient bouus 
for the production of an appreciable quantity of 
this and other nsw products which only require 
a good start to take root iu the island, dev elope 
and prosper. 
We have referred to this subject and summarised 
the information regarding sericulture in Ceylon, 
as it is now proposed by Mr. E. E. Green, the Gov- 
ernment Entomologist, to make a fresh attempt 
to popularise silkworm rearing among our village 
population through the School Gardens that 
have lately been established. The proposal hag 
the approval of the Director of Public Instruc- 
tion, and already the Superintendent of School 
Gardens has made a start with the distribution of 
mulberry cuttings to school teachers. Thus the wi»h 
of our correspondent of 1896 and the suggestion of 
the Editor of the Ceylon Handbook and Directory 
will bo given effect to, with what result remains 
to be seen, but with an already existing agency 
for the fostering of the industry, and under the 
advise of an expert in Mr, E. E. Gesen, the attempt 
to popularize sericulture as a home industry 
for the village population starts under fair 
auspices. 
A PINE GAUVA. 
Some time ago the Bulletin of the Botanical 
Department of Trinidad described under the above 
heading a variety of the gauva found growing in 
the suburbs of Port of Spain and known as the red 
or Cayenne gauva. The fruit is oval in shape and 
of an average size of Sg in. in its longest and 2f in. 
in its shortest diameter. It Las fewer seeds than 
the ordinary kinds, and is filled with semi-solid red 
pulp in the interior. For making the celebrated 
Gauva Jelly of the Weit Indies it deserves to be 
widely cultivated. The weight of an average 
specimen is '35 lb., thus taking seldom more 
than three fruits to the pound. The flavour is 
said to be excellent. 
We are glad to state that we have received 
through the courtesy by Mr. T. H. Hart of the 
Botanic Department of Trinidad a packet of the 
seed of this gauva, and in writing Mr. Hart says : 
" I trust you may be successful in raising plants, 
as it is a variety well worth growing." 
A NEW MANURE. 
Mr. John Hughes, in a paper read before the 
Society of Arts made the following important 
statement: — "The time has come," he said, "when 
manures should be adapted to the soil, rather thon 
that the soil should adapt itself to the manure. 
Obviously soils differing so much in their chemical 
composition and physical character as chalk and 
clay, peat and sand, granite and gravel, require 
different manures in the same way as they require 
different cultivation and different kinds of crops. 
It is not scientific, it is not economical, and it 
cannot be to the advantage of the farmer, that one 
kind uf manure should be sold for application to 
all kinds of soils." 
Such a pronouncement ou the subject of manur- 
ing by a chemist who has had ample opportunity 
of judging of the value of manures and their 
effect on soil, deserves to be carefully considered 
by us. In this country, the practice of employing 
chemical fertilizers is of recent date, and where 
here has been little opportunity for growers to 
