456 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ November ir, mi. 
Foil, but under all circumstances it differs very materially in this 
respect from Schoolmaster and Beading Hero, although both are 
dry ; hut perhaps the English language is not sufficiently replete 
to express the exact eating qualities of a Potato, especially where 
tastes and opinions as well as soil and locality must be taken into 
account. Growers for market in this locality give the Champion 
the character of being somewhat waxy, and I have seen some¬ 
where in the daily press a similar character accorded to it in the 
west of Ireland, but doubtless climate as well as soil has some¬ 
thing to do with its condition.—T. LAXTON, Bedford. 
SILKWORMS AND SILKWORM-REARING.—1. 
In the oldest book now extant—or rather, one should say, in the 
collection of the oldest books, since it embraces the writings of 
many authors, that is in the Old Testament—we perceive that 
sik is mentioned more than once. But it may be open to debate 
whether the Hebrew word is rightly translated, and I incline to 
the view that a fine linen material is probably meant, and that 
the Jews did not get a knowledge of silk until near to the begin¬ 
ning of the Christian era. The New Testament names it but 
once, and there, doubtless, sericon does stand for some silken 
fabric ; taking its name, as is supposed, from an old word signify¬ 
ing “ to shine,” and applied, Parkburst thinks, to a people in 
China or India, the first weavers of silk, because of the splendour 
or opulence of their land. Might it not rather be from the lustrous 
appearance of the article in question ? Yet it is uncertain, and 
we also do not know, and never shall know, who was the person 
to whom the sight of the silkworm’s cocoon proved suggestive, 
leading him or her to wind and utilise the threads. We say 
“him or her,” because, with all respect for a great living poet, 
we cannot accept an assertion he seems to make, that women 
rarely discover or invent. Indeed, it so happens here that the 
Chinese have a tale which ascribes the origin of silken fabrics to 
the Empress Si-ling-chi. This is but a myth, yet, all things con¬ 
sidered, it is quite likely the desire for a new article of dress may 
have led some oriental dame to try experiments with the silk¬ 
worm’s thread. And several circumstances point to China as the 
region where the most important of all the caterpillars yielding 
silk, Bombyx Mori, was first reared for profit ; though silk has 
long been produced in India from the “Tussar ” species. 
Chinese records of undeniable antiquity contain details of 
regulations respecting silk culture, which show the existence of 
an early trade in this article. The Mulberry trees were pro¬ 
tected by special laws, and their planting was encouraged, and 
those who reared silkworms were not allowed to send the in¬ 
sect out of China in any of its stages, or to furnish information 
concerning the production of silk. It would probably be by way 
of Persia that silk reached Asia Minor from China chiefly ; some 
of the coarser sort manufactured in India seems also to have 
reached those cities where the people, many centuries ag^, became 
famous for their rich carpets, in which gold and silken threads 
were mingled with other materials. The price of silk was enor¬ 
mous, for when the first samples came into Greece they were 
worth more than their weight in gold. It was only known there 
from the reign of Alexander the Great, who may have obtained 
it direct from India. And it is worthy of remark that another 
great military hero, Julius Caesar, is stated to have brought silk to 
Italy, where, under the luxurious years of the Roman Empire, 
silken robes became in general demand. 
Still, for centuries after the Christian era, no silkworms came 
into Europe, so jealously did the Chinese guard them ; and the 
story has been frequently repeated that two missionary monks 
who had been in China to make inquiries, having reported to the 
Emperor Justinian, succeeded on a second visit in obtaining eggs, 
which they concealed within hollow walking-sticks. These were 
brought, so it is said, to Constantinople about A.D. 550, and 
colonies ot the insects were soon established in several parts of 
Turkey and Greece. The species was undeniably our Bombyx 
Mori : and from the extensive planting of trees in a district of 
South Greece to supply leaves for their food, this is thought to 
have been named the “Morea,” from Morus, the Mulberry. For 
six centuries more silkworm culture did not extend itself from 
Greece to other European countries. 
At last, however, a war broke up the monopoly thus held by 
Greece ; and after Roger, Kmg of Sicily, had overrun that country, 
he removed to Italy many of the persons who had been employed 
in rearing silkworms and in weaving silk. These he lodged in 
houses near his palace at Palermo during 1168, so that he might 
watch their proceedings. Slowly from this beginning the art of 
silkworm-rearing became known in other parts of Italy, until 
silk manufactures assumed great importance in the towns of 
Florence and Venice. Some time in the fourteenth century French¬ 
men returning to their native land from a sojourn in Italy made 
their countrymen acquainted with the silkworm and its favourite 
tree. "Without Mulberries it was not possible to breed silkworms, 
and several attempts to encourage the planting of these were 
considerably checked by the unsettled state of the nation. The 
Lyons manufacturers during a long period employed silk which 
they obtained from Italy, but the home-rearing of silkworms 
made a great advance under Henry IV. 
Leaving the Continent for the present, we notice the fact that 
in the days of the Tudors silken articles were rare in England, 
as appears from Queen Elizabeth having received with much 
pleasure the offering of a pair of silk stockings. Towards the close 
of her long reign she had no doubt secured a variety of articles 
of silk, which would be found, could we get a sight of it, upon 
the long list of nearly four thousand dresses and other garments 
that were contained in her Wardrobes at her decease. Her suc¬ 
cessor, James I., took a special interest in the culture of silk, as 
is proved by an experiment he entered upon with the idea of 
developing a new English industry. Having studied the history 
of the silkworm, he thought the insect might be profitably reared 
in England. St. James’s Palace had become the occasional resi¬ 
dence of our kings, and at a short distance from it to the west 
James chose a piece of land of about five acres, and bad it planted 
with Mulberries. This was in 1609, the ground being that which 
subsequently became the site of Buckingham House. Whether it 
was by accident or intention I cannot say, but the position was 
rather a suitable one, sheltered from the winds, and in a part of 
Pimlico that is milder than some of the London suburbs. James 
expended the sum of £935 (to be exact) upon the planting of 
this Mulberry ground, this by no means representing his whole 
outlay upon the business, for he obtained many thousands of slips 
from the Continent. Some of these be distributed in various 
districts. It was at this time, no doubt, that one William Shakes- 
pere planted his Mulberry tree at Stratford-on-Avon, which was 
to attain to great celebrity. 
It has been suggested that the English spring and summer were 
more equable in temperature 250 years ago or so than they have 
been observed to be since the changes of weather have been 
exactly recorded. If this was the case, silkworm-rearing in the 
open air, or with slight protection, might have had a better chance 
then ; yet it appears King James’s scheme was a failure. Silk¬ 
worms were, however, fed in the Mulberry Garden during his reign 
and a part of the next, for there is an old deed by which Charles I. 
assigned to Lord Aston’s keeping this garden, its buildings, trees, 
and silkworms, for a. term. Afterwards the Mulberry Garden 
was converted into a pleasure resort for the fashionables. “A 
silly place, hut with a pretty wilderness,” Pepys remarks. 
Another experiment in silk-culture was tried about a century 
later. The spot chosen for this was Chelsea Park, at that time 
called Wharton Park, and originally a sandy tract of land near 
Brompton Heath, over which deer wandered when Chelsea was 
only a little village. A patent was granted to the Raw Silk 
Company in 1721, and a great portion of the park set with 
Mulberries. Silkworms were reared there. Some articles were 
also manufactured, for Thoresby mentions in his Diary that he bad 
seen one of these designed for a present to the Princess of Wales. 
For a while this was one of the sights of London, and many 
foreigners came to see Chelsea silkworms and their silk, but a 
few years brought the enterprise to a finish through want of 
sufficient capital to persevere, so Faulkner states.—J. R. S. C. 
ON THE ADVANTAGES OF VISITING GARDENS. 
We are from time to time, through the writings of those who 
have visited various large gardens, able to form an idea of the 
manner in which plants are grown in different establishments, 
and to many gardeners this is the only means whereby they 
are able to learn what is passing in the large gardens in the 
country. 
If employers could only be brought to see the immense ad¬ 
vantages to be derived from the adoption of the practice of 
sending their gardeners to visit notable places we should not 
hear of so many failures, and a better feeling would be created 
between master and man. Take, for instance, a gardener living 
some hundreds of miles from London. What advantages he derives 
from an occasional visit there ! The various parks, gardens, and 
nurseries are full of interest and instruction. He meets noted 
growers, who are always willing to give him the benefit of their 
experience. He sees many plants he has only heard of before, 
different styles of bedding, and hints on the treatment most 
suitable. He will probably see some fruit or vegetable brought 
to a higher state of excellence than his own : he soon learns where 
his treatment is wrong, and on his return home with his note 
