Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1880-07-24
SILK CULTURE IN LOUISIANA.
BAYOU SARA, July S, 1880.

lure may become first class addition &c
the cultivation of cotton and sus ar cane
Southern progressive planters are desir
cus Of learning something about this
important and very interesting matter
Knowing, through the kindness Of DR.
F. NJ. Mumford, Of Bayou Sara, one oil
our distinguished leaders in the enter
prise, how interested you are in the pro.
gress and prosperity of our country, l
send you few pages relative to silk cul.
tnre and industry.
These teachings are not my own, int
extracts from old Chinese and Japnnes.
hooks, translated from the original into
French, by the learned Prof. Hedde, OF
by missionaries, and given in extenso by
lie Mo"ite"r des soies de Lyon, in series Of
very interesting articles.
With the hope yonr readers will be
glad to read these extracts, and a few in.
structions Of myself. 1 remain sir, yonr
very devoted servant. L. S. CHozlER.
The variety Of mulberry tree most cul-
tivated in Japan as silkworm food, is the
same in,roduced in the United States un-
der the name of Japanese mulberry tree.
It's original name is the maroubakowa,
which means round mulberry tree, so
called because it's leaves are of an almost
round shape; it's fruit is large but savor-
less; il takes consecntively three shades,
white, violet and black, which latter an.
nonnces the complete maturity. In q
rich soil, if we'll GUILTY. ated, the tree is
adorned with q splendid foliage, it's
leaves being then large, fine, even, of a
lnstrous dark green, shining like mirror
and slightly heart shaped, almost round.
But if not we'll cultivated it's leaves are
small, slop-d. thick and rough, turning
very near like the wild specimens Of the
morus albu that the Japanese call the
yama kOwa. In such conditions the
fruit becomes small, pass by the green,
red and black shades consecutively, and
keeps in full maturity sweet sourish
flavor like the ripe wild, or like the half
ripe cultivated fruit.
1.-The leaves of the we'll cared for null
berry tree are the best; so in the market,
their quality is valued after their size.
This valuable tree is propagated by lay
ers, or by cuttings, or by gra fling or bud
ding upon seedlings grown with the seed
Df the hest LEES Of same kind, winch may
produce the best and stoutest mulberry
known.
The Japanese plant their mulberry
'r+-~ many why's. Very often round a
PARALLEL rows, at a distance of about four |
eet from each other, the trunk growing |
,nly two to three feet above tho ground;
,ut when they devote q whole field to
hat culture. they set about 800 trees per
lcre and tho trunks are trimed six feet |
high. In some localities they plant Yet
thicker and thicker, as far as the need of
/ possible circulation for the picking of
he leaves allow them to 20 in that direc.
ion.
''These fields are cultivated three to
our tunes y year; while the trees are
'onng and small, when they are we'll
.r wn, the Japanese cover the soil with
ed in winter time, and cultivate them
My once in the spring. When the feed
ng time comes all the twigs of the trees
re cut near the head IF tho trunk, save
wo, to which a few buds are left; and
hese twigs arc carried to the house,
heir leaves there are picked off aud
l,read upon the worms on the shelves
very day, every meal, SO that when the
ilk crop is ready the worms gone, bur-
ed in their rich grave, the trees are all
trimmed.
"The Japanese breeders estimate that
fl Id of one hect are, abont q acres, of
o'erably good land may contain 1000
trees, which will give the first
ear after planting. or say the second
ear, AGO pounds of leaves for the spring
in all II total of 5000 pounds
leaves, Which, if of good quality, can
reduce 500 pounds tf cocoons, in spring
ocoo! Or ANNALS, OF in summer cocoons
l. bivOltine.
II must explain here that an annual
COCOON or an annual breed represent the
reen, yellow Or white breeds Matching
Mt Only once year, or giving only one
rop every year, and Matching out in the
prng as soon as the leaves of the null
cry tree have eight or ten days growth.
he bivoltine, so-called from the Latin or
Italian words bis, (twlce), ard Gotta,
fold, are the breeds of any color, hatch
~ twice u year, the trivoltine, Matching
hrce times, etc.
"The product increases from year to
ear. Five years from planting tits
anne field will average Id, 400 pounds of
nrjntr t.Aefl enOuc n IN f,.al saynu c,rt.,,s |
+ seven OF. of eggs, of tho annual breeds,
ay 2SU,OO0 tirst-rate silkworms, which
all make 700 pounds OF fresh annual CO.
ouns; and plenty of summer leaves to
aed B or of hiXnltina cnms or Z cartn1,s