The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-08-26 00:00:00

SILKWORMS.

The Times publishes the following letter :
Sir,—A supply of mulberry eves or t e next six or
eight weeks is earnestly esired for an important
experiment which is now eng tried—vir. the rearing
of silkworms in England or the production of grain
(eggs), not silk. Some very fine cocoons are now
being exhibited at Messrs. Lewis and Allenby's and
at Messrs. Marshall and Snelgrove's, wh h have been
educated on Lord Lytton's white mulberries at
Knebworth, and on black mulberries grown near-Lon-
don. Both are equally good, and prove that the produc-
tion of sound grain, so rare in all the ol silk-growing
countries of the world, may afford both occupation
and remuneration to intelligent women, and become a
real boon to ladies of small means, o whom such
light work is admirably adapted. The silkworms
being reared returned again from Australia perfectly
healthy. The race is black and m 0313 valuable, as it is
all but extinct in Europe through disease. Specimens can
be seen at the Australian Silkgrowers' 1)ep0t,.7, Charles.
street, Grosvenor-square, London, where the manager
will gladly show them and explain everything con-
nected with this most interesting industry, which is
likely to open such a vast field for tie employment of
women of the colonies.
Farmers should never sow their own seed grain,
neither should silk-growers grow their grain. In
Europe both soil and trees seem worn out by over-
production, resulting in the continued failures of so
many years. The worms now reared in five different
places are magnificent, and in considerable numbers;
they are likely to still further prove the success of this
experiment if those having trees would kindly forward
leaves to Lady D. Nevilie, 45, Charles.street, Berkeley-
square; the manager of the depot, 7, Charles-street,
Grosvenor-square, Or myself.
The leaves can be sent by post, packed in a cabbage-
leaf and paper. The season is so far advanced, there-
fore taking the leaves would neither injure fruit nor
trees, and such timely assistance would enable the
exptirlment to be made on such a large scale as to place
beyond a doubt the success of the production of grain
in England. The deep interest I take in this cause for
the employment of women I hope will induce you to
insert this appeal for me.—l beg to remain, Sir, yours
faithfully, F. T. NEILL
25, York-place, Portmannsquare.
=----

ROUMANIAN WOOD INDUSTRY.
The following details on this subject are from the Rou-
manian Economist
The industries carried on in the forests of Roumania
are turnery, the manufacture of staves, cooperage, the
sawing of wood, and basket-making. Turnery is one
of the most important industries of Roumania, on ac-
count of the almost universal employment of wooden
vessels among the rural population. In the towns
vessels of various materials are made us 3 of; but in the
country wood replaces almost entirely metals, earthen-
ware, and glass, in furniture, in dishes, and in domestic
utensils; excepting articles of rude pottery, all house-
hold furniture, water vessels, tubs' pails, boxes, pitch-
forks, shovels, spindles, weaving looms, plates, cans,
spoons, basins, &c., all are of wood in the house
of the Roumanian peasant, Th, re are bands of
wandering gipsies or Tziganes (Zingari) who are more
especially engaged in this industry. They locate them-
selves in Eummer in the woods, where they find the
necessary materials, and work away there till winter.
The woods most frequently employed in this industry
are the poplar, the willow, the beech, the alder,
the oak, and the fir. From the forests also come
articles of wheel work and rude carpentry, which the
peasants carry about and sell wholesale in the towns and
markets of the plain. There are i. Roumania' at the
foot of the mountains, about 600 saw-mills, which em-
ploy about 1,000 workmen. The saw-mills of which
the moving power is the water of torrents andrivers, are
for the most part of primitive construction. They
cut up eepecially planks of pine, to the number of
about 40 per day each mill. The pines, rolled to the foot
of the mountains in their bark, are floated to the
saw mills- there they are piled up and sent through
the mill just as they are wanted. The abundance and
good quality of the timber of the oak cause the menu-
acture of staves to be one of the most important. The
staves are used in the country for the manufacture of
casks, which are sometimes as much as 200 and 300
vedr inn capacity (the vedre is equal to about 30 pints),
as also for barrels and buckets of small dimensions.
They usually bind these vessels with hoops of elm,
oak, willow, and even hazel. The casks are made
principally in the region of vineyards, at the foot of
the Cirpathian Mountains. The export of staves is
less considerable than it would be if the roads were
better in these districts. Were this the case the com-
merce in woods would assume very large dimensions
in Roumania. Basket-making is carved on in the
woods which clothe the hills and cliffs. For this manu-
facture the young shoots of willow are used. Or na-
m ental basket work has not yet been introduced into
the country. These immense forests of beech and oak
produce large quantities of mast and acorns, which
are used to feed pigs that consume them on the spot.
The fruit of the alder is used for tanning, as also the
bark of the young beech trees, and especially of the
black oak. The myrtle-leaved sumach is also used
in tanning. The reed and the bulrush are used for the
manufacture of mats, an extensive industry in Rou-
mania, principally in the ei3triet of Prahova, The
reed is also employed in roofing, for fences, and for
the manufacture of fishing tackle. The climate of
Roumania, very warm during summer and cold during
winter, renders the timber of excellent quality. It is
hard and endures for a long time, and if in the forests
it is not always found to be in good condition the fault
lies in the want of regular culture. As to the dimen-
sions of trees, it is sufficient to state that oaks, pines,
and other trees are found, the trunks of which have a
diameter of Bft. and a height of from 65ft. to 801 t.