New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-28


and braudyi
NEW WORCESTERSHIRE OLIVE.
With the opening of the Pacific Railroad q new era
opens in California. Her first industries were very
crude. Mining began by hand, with pick shovel
and rocker That has developed INTO the quarIylng
and rednctlon of quartz with nice, intricate ma
ohinery Next 10 agriculture, mining still continues
the leading interest; but other industries, which
yield snrer if not larger returns, gain steadily upon
IT. Fruit-rasing develops into wine-maklng'
Woodworking has brought manufactures: already
Ibere are eight OF ten wooden factories the coast
and the largest employs $50 men (Chinesel Stock
ranches are turned into grain-Gelds. Wheat must
ALWAYS be leading stagle but finer branches OF
agriculture new in America, are growing up, andsome
promise to have an future. One Is the pro-
dpction of the olive, which thrves throughout the
State particularly in the south Many olives are eaten
"A fruit and olive oil is leading article of commerce.
With ome nations II is substitute for butter; and
much is consumed In the arts, In medicine, and Tor
machinery. Tropical peoples, believe yet use IL
for amounting and hold it as precious as wlne-Wlne
that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make
his face to shine" Our national consumption Is rela
lively small impOrtatons reach about one
fifth of the value of our imported wines. The olive
tree is of slow growth and does not bear until 1T Is
fen wears old but its productyeness is very great
There il n saving in Ii that if q father plants an
olive on the birth of his the sons future is pro-
yided for The tree outlyes many generations OF
men There are some in Europe which still bear
fruit though reputed to be over 1000 years Old and
Others vet standing at the foot of the Mount of Olives
which are believed to have overhung the Garden OF
Gethsemane in the Night of Agony.
THE TEA PLANT.
Tea culture excites more attention this year than
ever before. Thus far 1t is experimental; but san
euine California looks upon it with the eye of faith
The chief persons engaging in it are the Japanese.
large tract of land has just been bought for one
colony of 80 families who will devote themselves ex-
clusiyely to tea and silk.
AN HOUR AMONG THE sILK-WORMs.
Silk culture or rather the production of eggs, is
further advanced. A few evenings ago rode out to
see a specimen of it, My companion was James
MClatchy, one of tAe propretors of The Sacramento
Bee. Who knows but he may yet see his journal re-
named The Sacramento SRkOoyH and printed upon
paper made of mulberry leaves, or better still, of
silk, after the ancient Chinese methOdi He came to
California in 40 His vessel was wrecked on the
lower coast and he walked 400 miles, bare footed
I'D to San Jose. He began journalism a carrier on
The San Francisco Transcript, which was edited by
Fitch now an owner Of The Bulletin, and McEwer,
who afterward abandoned the sanctum for the sane
tuary and who now disturbs us with the query, . Is
Professionalism failureP In journalism he was not
one of those uncomfortable men who, as Hans Chris
tian Andersen says ask questions and never dream.
Three miles from Sacramento we reached the resi-
dence of Capt. w. NJ Haynie-a low dark frame
house. hidden in lHxurant foliage which is fragrant
with June roses and oleander blossoms Hitherto
silk-wOrm eggs have come from the East. Italy
alone is said TO buy SS00O000 worth annually from
Japan. Last year California began to export eggs
to Italy and France they were sold at 81 per ounce
for the sake OF inJToducing them into foreign mar
kets; but so people going into the business
that before the season they commanded $40
ut hce Its claimed that the eggs of California are
Nhe healthiest and best in the world, and that no
other climate is favorable to their production ex-
oept that of some the interior districts of India,
where the worms hatch and make silk without mans
supervision.
Haynes young mulberry trees cover lS acres
Every Winter he crops the stems until they are only
three four feet high that the spreading branches
may DO reached in the feeding season without a
ladder. The leaves are ready for the worms by the
middle Of April and continue good until late in
November Capital in California has demanded such
quick and laSge returns and the memory of the dis
astTOus nOruS mRltioaaHS fever which swept the
Union thirty years ago has been so fresh that few
have undertaken silk culture until within tho last
two years. Now, Haynie estimates that hundred
farmers in the State engaged in It, and four mil.
lions of mulberry trees growing. An acre Of trees
he thinks with three careful men to attend to them
and to the worms should produce 500 dozen Of eggs
in season. Cinnamon require instruction, as those
who come here chiefly of the lowest classes from
the coast, many of whom have spent their lives in
boats. and know little of the skilled industries of
their own country. The japanese immigrants few,
thus far have been familiar with silk culture at
home.
Haynie's cOcoOnery, a wooden building 10 feet BY
so is full of frames supporting broad shelves which
are only few inches apart and are completely COW
cred with silk-wOrms various stages. There are
100000; in August it is expected that the build
ing will contain 100000 They have become so far
Amerioanized that they live upon newspapers-which
oversPread all the shelves. A uniform temperature
of about 800 proves best for them. Some varieties
breed three times year. some twice, and some only
once and Haynis in his experimenting, has produced
several hybrid varieties which make beautiful |
cocOons.
According to the authorities it takes nearly 100000
newly Matched worms to weigh pound avordupOis |
Those here only one two days old are brown, and
about one-twontieth Of an inch long For them, the
tenderest leaves cut up to present many edges
as possible and they do not eat tho stems OF Gbsrs
The largest wOrms-thirty days old and nearly white
are more than three inches long. They deVour fiber
and all with rapacity On shelf completely covered
with them Hayne laid large bunch of fresh leaves.
In minute they were swarmng over the leaves and
in five minutes they had consumed everything except
the tough main stems. Under the microscope they
look like antediluvan reptiles, with formidable
horns and frightful claws The workmen handle
them freely and lay them upon the open palm to ex-
hibit them They will not leave the shelves unless
they grow hungry and all, young and old, are fed
about eight times in twenty-fOur hours
At the venerable age of one month they are ma
ture Then after q day OF two of voluntary fasting