The Polynesian., 1841-10-30

food already, than he requires for his preseD,
operations. This is owing to the peculiar
richness of the soil, which produces !,
the greatest luxuriance and rapidity. in.
deed, without Witnessing for oneself. ,ho
rapid development of vegetation here
would almost stagger belief BY repeated
measurements it has been found that III.
mulberry shoots grow upwards of an inch De,
day, and thousands at the rate of four fee,
month. The first in row and which was
by no means the largest, had the curositv
to have Cut down and weighed This was
three months lacking a day, after previo,,
cutting. Its height then exceeded twelve
feet, its leaves weighed eight pounds and
three quarters, and the new wood eleven and
three quarters. This tree was but a com.
mon specimen, and many might have been
selected of superior height and weight
They are planted very close in rows, so as
to form thick set hedges about six feet apart,
Simply plucking the leaves was found to in. /
jurc the trees, and the plan was adopted Of
cutting them down to the ground by rows
and carrying the branches into the cocoonel
ry, where they could be stripped by whip
ping them through the hand; a process
which saves much labor and affects the tree1
favorably. In two to three months the old
roots throw out shoots of sufficient height ID
undergo the same operation. 1t has been
found best in order to preserve the leaves
green and tender to cut down the trees once
in three to four months. Ifthey are allowed
to remain longer, their growth is checked
and the leaves become hard and dry, and
less suitable for the worm. This rapid
growth may be thought to exhaust the soil
No doubt it will eventually, although as
yet no signs of diminishing productivenes
have occurred, though some trees have been
cut down for the fifth time. These are now I
in as flourishing state as any of the Others
Besides the cocooneries afford supplies Of
manure from their litter, of which great
quantity is collected menthly. The adjacent
swamps also will furnish vast supplies ofthe
necessary article, when it is required, and
even should these fail so little land is need
ed for the raising of the mulberry, the prO7
prletor would have but to turn up fresh sOd]
with the hoe, for no plough is required, and
plant new slips, which in nine months time
would afford the requisite supply, while thd
exhausted land could remain idle and be re-
covering from its depletion. Other trees and
vegetables grow with like rapidity here. Or
ango trees are weighed down to the ground
by the abundance of their fruit, and the COt1
lee shrub has commenced bearing the SECOND
year. The climate is damp, and much rain
falls during the year. This it was thought
would prove detrimental to the worms but
one crop has been fed through particularly
wet month, and has done as well as any 0
the others The leaves are plucked the day |
before they are required and deposited IN
drying house. BY the succeeding morning
they are fit to feed with.
The variety of worm raised is the cross
breed between the American variety, and
the small Chinese white and yellow. They
form fine firm cocoon, which averages be-
tween five and six thousand to the pound
reeled silk A singular fact connected Wit