The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-09-02 00:00:00

SILKWORMS.

The Times has nubile:hod the tollewlnz interesting letter
on the subject of silk-worms, and their culture in Eng-
land :

Sir,—l am delighted to read in The Times of the 19th
Inst. a letter from Mrs. Neile, who has clone so much
for mulberry silk culture in Australia, advocating the
cultivation in England of "grain," or the production
of eggs of the best races of mulberry silkworms for sale
in Southern Europe. As I believe the main features
of the CiVie are 'unknown in England, and as the intro-
duction of a new industry, ,so easy and simple to carry
out, yet so lucrative in its results will be hailed as a
boon by all friends of the British farmer (who now finds
himself unable to compete with the world in the growth
of cereals. and liable to sudden and heavy losses from
disease, &c., if he ventures on breeding or rearing
stock), I crave the indulgfnce of a few lines to explain
the position in which this country stands with regard
to sericiculture, and to indicate what may reasonably
be expected to be effected if the matter is gone into
with prudence and perseverance.

When I found out some ten years ago that about
£1,000,000 of our money was annually sent from
Europe to Japan by those interested in sericiculture to
purchase fresh healthy "grain," their own stock having
been either worked out or enfeebled by disease, it
occurred to me that some of this money might be
diverted to this country to enrich our own people. I
found that several ecientific Frenchmen of eminence—
notably M. Guirin-Menneville, Government Inspector
in France—had been very favourably disposed towards
"silk," or rather "grain," culture in England. I
found that on the borders of Hampshire and Surrey
Captain Mason had for years grown the white mul-
berry tree, and produced silk which had been exhibited
with first-class honours.

My first trials at Colchester, being dependent on
bought or borrowed mulberry leaves (an uncertain
supply), were not very enccessful. Having now got a
good supply of white mulberry leaves in thriving con-
dition (about two acres are planted out), my experi-
ments during the last two years have been very success-
ful. I have had shoots on the's, trees which in one
year grew sft. to 61 c. long. I have educated and fed
the worms, derived from one of the best sources in
Europe, in a room, almost without disease, and almost
without fire in June, July, and August, and
have produced both years a small lot of fine
"grain," the parent cocoons of which have
been pronounced excellent by good judges, Moreover
the introduction of Dr. Carrot's stoves, which produce
a high temperature in the silkworm room without
giving off any deleterious gases, give us this great ad-
vantage—that they hasten most rapidly the education
of the worms, reducing the period of the caterpillar
stage from six to three weeks; they render the culti-
vation of the worm independent of any weather; no
carbonic oxide or other noxious gas is given off to
Injure their health. In the words of the inventor,
"Healthy silkworms can by means of these stoves be
educated in any country where the mulberry tree
grows, independently of the weather.' Therefore,
the education of mulberry alkworms in England
ought to be an assured fact.
Now as to the commercial results: Japan, as a grain-
producing country, is now worked out. All her best
grain has been exporter" to Europe, and last season the
purchases of grain did not amount to onenlghth of
former sales. The South of Europe can take from us
100,000 oz. of egga, if we can only produce them, at a
price of from 15a. to 21s. per oz. of 30 grammes, and
will be very glad to get eggs, if only healthy from us.
If properly manazed, one ounce of eggs will produce in
grain 100 as,, or £1 will produce £lOO, leaving a large
margin for profit arbor all expenses have been paid.
The education may be effected by women and
children, if only the leaves are collected by a man.
The Southern, Midland, and Eastern districts, are
admirably adapted to the growth of the white mulberry
I•
am
am very glad, therefore, to see that others besides
myself are interested in the important question, and I
trust that the subject, once fairly ventilated, will not
be allowed to rest till practical results have been
obtained. •

I shall be happy to thow my coooons to any one
interested in this question.—l remain Sir, yours faith.
- - fully, ALIXANDHR WALLACH, M.D.
- - - -

Tr-iitity-houss, Colchester, Aug. 24..

The Times, under the heading "Sericulture in Australia,"
has also published the following :
Sir,—Before giving any details of the movement
that has lately started in Australia for the introduction
of a new industry, sericulture, I wish to call attention
to the efforts that have been made, by Mr. C. Brady
In Sydney, Mr. S. Davenport fu Adelaide, Mr. Coote
in Queensland, and Mr. Bailee in Western Australia,
to acclimatize various races of silkworms. Mr. Brady
.was particularly fortunate, and the Western Australia
cocoons were considered quite equal to the Victorian.
After various trials on the Murray, and armed with
letters to her Majesty's Consuls, kindly granted to me
by Lord Canterbury, the Governor, I left Melbourne'
in December, 1871, to search Europe for a race ofl
healthy silkworms and arrived at Malta in February,
1872. The following months were passed in exploring
Sicily, Northern and Southern Italy, the Plains of
Lombardy, and the far-famed Novi districts; but no-
where in Italy could grain (eggs) so sound and
healthy be found as to warrant exportation to the
new and promising mulberry fields of Australia.
Leaving Italy I proceeded to traverse the silk districts
of France from Nice to Lyons, including the cele-
brated Cevennes; everywhere I obtained similar
information, and found a similar state of things. On
receiving some fine cocoons from Spain my attention
was attracted to that country; but I found that the
races were in no healthier state than those of Faly
and France. The same information came to me from
the Levant. Disease had spread over all the famous
countries of the Mediterranean.

I returned to Milan, and after 15 months' incessant
trouble and travel, I was about to give up a search
which had proved equally lab)rious and vain, But
from small accidents -great results have often been
achieved. While changing my notes at a banker's in
Milan I noticed a small pill-box on the table, and en-
quiring as to its contents, I was informed by its owner
that in it lay some of the only healthy European grains
to ba had, and brought from the estable3hment of M.
Roland, in Switzerland. Again my drooping hopes
revived, and I at once started for Switzerland. Fol-
lowing in the footsteps of Dr. Chavinnes, M. Roland
had for many years made experiments in the education
of silkworms on the open-air system, and there
at the foot of the Jura in 1872 I obtained a supply of
healthy and fine grain, such as I had long-deaired to
. possess. I conveyed this precious treasure to Australia in
, the following November, aided in my endeavours by
the Peninsular and Oriental Company, who supplied
me with the ice requisite for the production of an arti-
ficial winter in tropical waters so as to reverse the
seasons when in the Southern 'Hemisphere. Though
the Australian summer was far advanced when I
arrived, the grain was hatched out most successfully,
and in March following I was enabled to despatch a
sample of cocoons to the Vienna Exhibition. The
cocoons were awarded a diploma of honour, being too
late for a medal. Thus was the Brienza race of silk-
worms established in Victoria, and a small supply of
grain is now sent out every year from Switzerland.
A word concerning the mulberry tree which is as
necessary for the silk all for the worm itself. The soil
of Australia is pre-eminently suited for the growth
and abundant foliage of this tree, and the climate
I from its dryness leaves nothing to be desired. The
long summer lasting from October to May assures an
abundant supply ot leaves for successive harvests,
while both trees and worms are comparatively free
from the unseasonable spring frosts of Europe. On a
calculation of the plantations which are known to me
I believe the number of young trees now growing in
Australia to be about 1,000,000. The tree was first
• Imported to Australia from this country by the early
settlers, later importations were made from the Cape,
France, and Italy, and by the kindness of Messrs. Bright,
Brothers I was enabled to obtain from Shanghai 1,000
plants of the celebrated Thou (Tn) variety, so named
from the Chinese god Tn, and in November, 1872, the
well-known Mr. 'tendon Brown, of Venice, sent me
120 of the White Veronese mulberry trees. Strange
to say, in 1772—just 100 years before—the Inquisition
of Venice issued an edict forbidding under severe
penalties the exportation to the British Colonies of
anything connected with sericiculture. It now remeins
to speak of those who are to do the work of educetion.
The providing of work suitable to women is and will
be as necessary in the Antipodes as it is at home, and
I must state that next to the profitable establishment
of silk culture in Australia, the employment of poor
gentlewomen was my chief aim at home and in the
colonies. Two reasons suffice; women are suited for
tile work, and the work is admirably suited for women,
On these considerations, and with a view to enlisting
as many as possible in my enterprise, I, in conjunction
with eight other Mier, organised the Viderian Seri-
cultural Company (Limited). To this company the
Government of Victoria gave 1,000 acres of land, part
of which has been planted with the hest varieties of
mulberries and on which a large silk house and suitable
buildings have been erected. lam receiving the warm
stippart of many ladies of influence who have taken
shares.
The quality cif our silk has obtainectthe highest
testimonials from Continental experts, and this week I
have received a letter from an eminent French firm
urging that steps should be taken for the immediate
exportation of cocoons, and saying that they could now
offer 24f. to 251. per kilo. for properly desiccated
cocoons, or 100 f. to 1001. per kilo. for reeled silk of
such a quality as the sample sent from ray farm on the
Murray. Of course the price depends on the market,
but the spring sales are expected to be equally advan-
tageons. As the superiority of cur raw material
becomes generally known, and its const-quent corn-
mercial success becomes established, I feel sure that we
shall receive more and more abundantly the support
which I now solicit. I feel truly gratified for the warm
interest already taken in the matter by English ladies,
and I can assure the shareholders present and prospec-
tive, that although much assistance must necessarily
be rendered by men, there is no danger of the shares
being sent up or down the markets by syndicates of
the Stock Exchange.
-

After so long a fetter I can on refer to the little
depot in Charlee-htreet, Grosvenor•square, where the
rebut, silk yarns are being worked up into useful
articles, and to exprfsas the gratitude we owe Mr.
trocklehuret,, 3.1.1}. for Macclesfield, for his kind con.
-sideration rtplvleg to our rcany tronblesome queries,
and for his valuable advice and assistance in enabling
us to bring ovr experiments to a successful issue. I
ah,o wish to thank those who have kindly contributed
mulbeary leaves for the magnificent black worms now
being educ:_ted, and to say that wo shall require them
Londi,i, until the leaves turn yellow, in order to
rear all we en.

I hope that our many kind correspondents will ex-
cuse us if we are unable to reply to all their communi-
cations. Lady Dorothy has removed her silk-
worms to the country, where the supply of food will
suffice, and she will not require any more.
Both cocoons and silk are still on view at Messrs,
Lewis and Allenby's and Mesirs. Marshall and Snel-
grove's.
From the cocoons now spinning I consider that silk-
worms of this valuable black race can be reared pro-
fitably next year in England for grain.
Deeply grateful f r your. .kind interest in a lady's
rems4,,799rs figol.l7li