The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-03-23
For the Central Presbyterian.
Silk Culture.
CARRoLLToN, KY, March 10, 81.

OAhhoILION, NY, Marcn III, OIL.
MeSSrs. Editors,-In your Agricultural
Department of the Central for March the
Ind, you have an interesting article on
Silk Culture in the United States 1t is
presumed any information concerning it
from one who has been some years in the
midst of the silk growing region of
China, may be of interest. Without go
ing into the question of the variety of
mulberry trees used by the Chinese,
which IS known to your botanists and
agriculturists, [ would speak of their
culture Of the tree A great deal of at
tention is given to the mulberry orchard,
more in fact than most fruit growers in
the United States give to their fruit
orchards. In the winter holes are
opened several feet from the body of the
tree and liquid fertilisers poured in at three
or Jour places so as to reach the roots, the
ground not freezing very hard nor very
constantly. In the spring the ground is
thoroughly worked and kept so or put
In some crop as peas, tobacco, cotton or
other growth. 1t is kept clear of weeds
through the season. The trees are from
8 to l6 feet apart. Dredgings from the
canals are thrown over the orchards in
the spring, adding from l to IL inches
OF rich soil, which dries off in the hot
sun. The groves are either on the
ridges which surround the rice fields, or
lotus ponds, or wheat fields, (also low
and irrigated, or are laid off in beds with
drain every rod or two. When the
young leaves are desired for the first
feeding of the worms they are gathered,
but often the limbs are cut and then
stripped, when the leaf is we'll grown
and needed for the growing worm. They
usually graft their trees with the split
graft; simply saving off the limbs, split
ting 1T, and inserting one or two gratis
near the bark of the stock. Around the
stub they bind withe of wheat straw
I'LL IN with mud to cover the sawed stock,
and keep it moist around the graft.
1t is Inexpensive and gives better
growth, and when the tree is becom-
ing old gives fresh wood They have
nurseries and sell the young trees, gro vn
from the slip, when I to years old. I
have seen shoot 16 feet long-one years
growth. The tree is very subject to the
borer, and they do not usually attain any
great age or size, and it pays to reset
with young trees after ten or fifteen
years.
The farmer finds an insect mot BEING
an entomologist I do not know its name3
that deposits its egg on the bark of the
tree during the latter part of the sum
mer, which matches and forms a worm
that nearly destroys the leaf of the tree.
and spins itself in cocoon of wild silk
to be transformed like the silk worm into
moth or fly. This wild silk is bright
yellow color, and is in the market, but
its author is regarded as an enemy of the
farmer, who goes through his orchard
with an iron scraper, and scrapes off the
shell which is attached to the limbs and
body of the tree, and which contains the
eggs. In the fall the farmer prunes his
trees to within two or three leaves of the be-
glnningof the years growth. The leaves
are stored for sheep fodder during the
winter, while in some sections the bark
is used to make the superior paper OF
China and Japan, noted for its strength
lenclosed please find Japanese sample. )
The wood of the pruning is then used for
fuel, though it would be of little account
in our we'll supplied country B. H.