November 24,1881.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 471 
of commercial importance, I should say; nor do appearances in¬ 
dicate that any of the recent candidates for the patronage of the 
rearers of silkworms will obtain the position so long occupied by 
the Mulberry species, though some persons are strong in their 
assertions that Bombyx Mori is getting “ worn out.” 
Caterpillars, as may be here observed, are not the only sources 
of silk. Long ago an ingenious person conceived the idea of 
getting some good out of an insect commonly disliked, by collect¬ 
ing the webs, or rather the egg-cocoons, we believe, of various 
spiders. Some of these were, with difficulty, made into a coarse 
fabric, but the supply was insufficient for practical purposes. 
At a recent meeting of entomologists held in the Westminster 
Aquarium several cocoons of a new kind was exhibited, presumed 
to be the work of a Bombyx, and received from Queensland. The 
cocoon resembled that of the silkworm, Attacus Cynthia, only 
rather larger ; on examination it was discovered to be the nest of 
a colony of young spiders. On the exterior this cocoon was tough 
and papery, within there was a mass of loose silk, amongst which 
the eggs of the spider had been deposited. 
Again, seeing that in the case of B. Mori the connection is 
manifest between the leaf upon which the caterpillar prefers to 
feed, so silky in its texture, and the substance produced by the 
insect, some folks once imagined they might get silk direct from 
the Mulberry leaves, but the experiment did not answer. The 
stalks were chiefly used in the attempt, which dates back to the 
seventeenth century, at an early date in which Olivier de Serres 
also suggested that the liber of the Mulberry would afford a 
valuable fibre, which by plans he particularised could be made 
into cloth equal to that yielded by hemp or flax. Nothing much 
was done for many years in this direction ; the project was revived 
some thirty years since by two Frenchmen, with no results of any 
importance, however. 
Fig. 77.—Bombyx Mori. 
To this same Olivier de Serres belongs the repute of having 
powerfully stimulated the culture of silk during the reign of 
Henry IY., who was anxious to stop the transmission of money 
from France for the purchase of raw silk. He was also famous 
for a book of his, the “ Theatre de l’Agriculture,” the perusal of 
which led this monarch to say that Serres was his master in agri¬ 
cultural knowledge. Having published full instructions concern¬ 
ing the culture of the Mulberry and the rearing of silkworms, he 
had the pleasure to witness the effects, in the planting of many 
tbousands of these trees, while eggs of the silkworm were dis¬ 
tributed throughout France, with a view to ascertain what districts 
were best suited to its habits. For some time the production of 
silk and its manufacture went on favourably, but a severe check 
was given by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, W’hich drove 
the Protestants of the C^vennes and other places into foreign 
lands. Many silk-weavers came to Britain, and our silk trade 
grew rapidly, being perhaps at its best under the early Georges. 
In 1719 Mr. Lambe constructed an elaborate silk-spinning 
machine, which required a building nearly a quarter of a mile 
long. He obtained £14,000 from Parliament in reward. As 
lately as 1821 silk to the value of eight millions was worked 
up in this island, but from a variety of causes our silk factories 
have declined, and France yet remains the principal European 
country where silkworms are reared and silk goods produced. 
The title of the “Father of Modern Silk Culture” has been 
applied by Figuicr and other authors to the Abbe Boissier de 
Sauvages. He was himself an experienced feeder of silkworms, 
and had investigated the history of this insect, so far as it was 
then known, though hardly, we think, deserving of this pre¬ 
eminence for his works on the subject. Count Dandolo, a man 
of Venice, did his part, rivalling or surpassing the Abb6, by 
w r hat he published upon the art of silk culture about the begin¬ 
ning of this century. Amongst the matters he specially insisted 
upon was the avoidance of overcrowding the w’orms, the necessity 
of fresh air, a careful regulation of the temperature, and regularity 
in the supply of food. Several Frenchmen have distinguished 
themselves in the present day by their diligent endeavours to 
encourage silk culture; and though it is difficult to mention 
modern names without appearing to make an invidious selection, 
we may single out MM. Beauvais, Kobinet, and Guerin-Melville. 
The last-named gentleman devoted a life to the economy of silk¬ 
worms of various kinds, and he was the first to rear French 
specimens of Attacus Cynthia. Dr. Wallace has published some 
interesting reports of his experiments with that species, also with 
B. Pernyi and Yama-Mai ; and Mr. Wailly of Clapham has reared 
successfully a number of silk-yielding species, some previously 
unknown in Britain.—J. B. S. C. 
RESPONSIBILITY OF GARDENERS. 
At the time I wrote the article referred to by “Another 
Many-handed Gardener,” I had been visiting some very 
large and famous gardens, where I found the plants in pots very 
much below par. Some of them were large enough and bad 
enough. At the same time, or rather shortly before, i had visited 
some smaller gardens, and was charmed with the beauty and 
health of the plants in pots. I tried to account for it, and al¬ 
though I have “ riled ” some of the “ many hands,” for which I 
am sorry, 1 still think I am right both in the facts and the ex¬ 
planation. “Another Many-handed ” knows much more 
about Eskbank than I do, for I never heard of the show men¬ 
tioned. I was thinking of Edinburgh, and some even “ owre the 
Border.” As to mentioning reasons why some at least of the 
large places in Edinburgh and Glasgow carry off the prizes, I 
should be obliged to say what had better not be said—facts that 
would be at once recognised, and statements which would raise 
much ill feeling ; and as I do not intend doing this, “Another 
Many-handed ” must excuse me following in the lines laid 
down, although I may safely say a large purse has had best skill 
before now. I may say, however, that when “ Another Many¬ 
handed ” has to employ such logic as this—Here A B (a many¬ 
handed), has beat C D (a single-handed), with plants so large 
that C IPs house could not accommodate them, for they, like most 
bouses about small places, were not meant for elephantine pro¬ 
ductions ; therefore, 0 D is not such a good gardener as A B—he 
must be greatly confused, and this is just the logic which refers 
us to the prize list at large flower shows.— Single-handed. 
NOTES on APPLES at GIRTFORD in 1880 and 1881. 
Apples have been but a small and inferior crop at Girtford 
during the past season, the fruit also being generally small. The 
blossom was largely injured by the May frosts, but I consider a 
good deal of the defective crop arose from the floral organs being 
only imperfectly developed during the untoward season of 1880, 
the wood not being thoroughly ripened. From similar causes I 
had only a partial crop in 1880. The soil in which my Apples 
are grown is light, hot, and sandy. The summer temperature 
averages high, but the springs are cold and unsuitable to the 
setting of fruit. Perhaps, therefore, the following notes as coming 
from an unfavourable Apple district may be of some value, as I 
am convinced that only the hardiest varieties will do at Girtford. 
The best early Apples were Mr. Gladstone, Early Julian, and 
Quarrenden. The two former bore 'freely in 1880 and 1881. 
Mr. Gladstone is a very handsome and useful early sort, a finer 
edition of Early Margaret, and appears also more fertile than 
Margaret, as the latter did not fruit last year. Quarrenden was 
also fertile this season, but not so much so in 1880. Lord Suffield 
also bore fairly this year, but not last. Golden Noble, a first-rate 
autumn cooking Apple, known chiefly in the midland counties as 
Orange Pippin, appears more entitled to the name than the true 
variety, as having more resemblance to the Orange, had a good i 
crop both years. Cellini has been fertile and good both seasons. 
Early Strawberry bore this year, and is a good and pretty Apple. 
Keswick Codlin did not fruit either season. Cox’s Orange Pippin 
has a few r fruits each j'ear. Sleeping Beauty bore w T ell in 1880, but 
no fruit this season. Schoolmaster, the new and handsome Apple 
of which I have but one small fruiting bush, bore well both 
seasons, and promises well to become one of our standard fruits. 
Stamford Pippin, my first pomological production, has been very 
fruitful both on the Paradise stock and as a standard each season. 
The good qualities and rich vinous flavour of this Apple are hardly 
yet sufficiently known. It has, however, one defect, as it will not 
bear frost, and must be gathered before the early frosts appear. 
Peasgood’s Nonsuch and Lord Burghley, two of my proteges, have 
both fruited on young trees this season. Sturmer Pippin, slightly 
fertile in 1880, has borne a good crop this year. Franklin’s 
Golden Pippin, a fine dessert fruit, bore well this year, but not in 
1880. Cockle Pippin had a heavy crop last year, but none this. 
Court Pendu Plat cropped heavily both seasons. The old and 
Winter Hawthorndens have each had a full crop this season, but 
scarcely any in 1880. Noi manton Wonder, a few small fruit only 
each year. Norfolk Beefin bore fairly in both seasons, and this 
