564 
DE VERINNE ON THE MULBERRY TREE. 
species, while in those kinds of mulberry on 
which silk worms are fed, an almost endless 
variety of leaf may be found. This being 
the case, it becomes of importance that cha- 
racters should be taken from the fruit, stem, 
stipula, or parts of the plant To do this 
properly every known variety must be pro- 
cured for comparison, a task which can 
scarcely be completed satisfactorily by any 
individual in India.* 
The following are the replies of J. M. De 
Verinne, to the queries submitted by Dr. 
Leish to this Government. 
5th Par. of Dr. Leish’s letter. — There are 
twm important points yet to be established 
with regard to the several kinds of mulberry. 
1. Wliat kinds do the worms prefer? 
2. What kinds will grow best as standard 
trees ? 
2. Cont. What are the best adapted for the 
cultivation on the Bengal plan ? 
8t!i. Par. of Dr. Leish’s letter. 
1. Kas such a plan ever been tried in the 
Bengal Provinces, and, if it has, with what 
success ? I'his relates to the plantation of 
mulberry now' forming at Poona and Ahmed- 
nuggurupon the Italian plan. 
2. Will the leaves be improved or other- 
wise, as food for the w'orms in this country, 
by being produced from old trees ? 
3. Provided the leaves and the frees be 
improved by age, and produce a larger crop 
as they grow older, still will it be possible 
with any supposable rate of profit to compen- 
sate for the capital of a silk farm lying dead 
for four years, and in a country where labour 
is dearer than in Bengal, and irrigation is 
necessary ? 
The kind with the small leaf of a dark 
colour, rather thick, called double leaf, more 
difficult to pick and has been found to be the 
best cultivated for the nutrition of silk worms 
in Italy. 
Species Morus alba. 
Both the species called Morus alba, of a 
white beri'y, and the Morus nisjra, of a black 
berry, wdth upright large trunks, dividing 
into large branchy very spreading heads ris- 
ing tw'enty feet high and more — further 
valuable information on this subject may be 
gained by a reference to the “Treatise of 
Monsr. L’Abbd Boissier de Sauvages, de la 
Socidtd Royale des Sciences de Montpellier, 
de L’Acaddraie Imperiale Physico-Botanique 
et de celles des George Fili de Florence,” 
for the treatment of standard trees refer to 
pages 35 to 54 inclusive. 
* The lately published volume of Dr. Lard- 
ner’s Cabinet Oyclopoedia “ on the culture 
and manufacture of Silk,” is full of loose 
statements and contradictious regarding- the 
species used in India, China, &c The infer- 
ence is that very little is accurately known 
on this subject. 
I think the common “ Dasee” Morus In- 
dica is the best adapted for the cultivation 
on the Bengal plan, (as described by Mr, 
Shakespear) which is pretty nearly the same 
all over Bengal ; in some places however they 
strip the leaves off the stems instead of cut- 
ting both together. 
I cannot say w'hether it has ever been 
tried in Bengal. 
In Europe old mulberry trees produce bet- 
ter leaves than young trees, and as the trees 
grow older, the leaves diminish in size and 
improve materially, so that they at last at- 
tain a very excellent quality, and 1 should 
think the same effect would be produced here. 
_ 3. On referring to pages 349 to 361 inclu- 
sive, of Dandolo’s Treatise, this question 
will be found, in a great measure, to be satis- 
factorily answered, and will apply equally to 
this country, as it does to the one where it 
was written. 
The St. Helena silk worm eggs, mentioned 
in the 2d par. of Dr. Leish’s letter, were re- 
ceived by me in November last, reared and 
hatched in January and February last ; spun 
their cocoons, became moths, and laid their 
eggs ; which eggs have again hatched, the 
beginning of this month, and will give a se- 
cond crop. The worms w'ere fed entirely on 
the common “ dasee” Morus Indica, intro- 
duced by me on the farm, and planted and 
cultivated on the Bengal method. If I could 
procure some cuttings of the Morus alba, I 
would give them a fair trial here as standards 
according to the best methods adopted on the 
continent. 
It is astonishing to observe that no ad- 
vantage is taken of the wide field open in 
this country for the improvement in the cul- 
tivation of the mulberry tree, more especially 
the species which is known to be the best 
adapted for the food of the silk worm either 
as standards, half-standards, dwarLstand- 
ards, or shrubs, and the breeding and rearing 
of silk worms by those who are properly ac- 
quainted with the minutiae of this particular 
study, and the fact is, that those who do 
really understand it, do not meet with the 
proper support and encouragement they re- 
quire, and when this is wanting, no material 
improvement will ever take place in this 
branch of Indian commerce. 
Mr. Storm states that there are four kinds 
of mulberry used for feeding the silk worm 
in the districts adjoining Calcutta. 
The native names are, saw, bhore, dasee, 
and China. 
The two first produce fruit (black), but the 
last two have no fruit. The leaves of the 
saw are very large, but they are not given to 
the worm till they have passed two goomes. 
The leaf of the bhore is small and jagged. 
The leaf of the dasee is small and plain, 
and the China leaf is also small, but jagged 
at the stem. 
The leaves are considered all equally good 
for feeding the worm. 
