The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-02-09
/, ,oot. by Frank G. Carpenter.)
y 's CuEKIANG. China.

aa . 80 Consul General Goodnow in his
W. y, through country which is one
= w. - Of mulberry trees. There arc
~ these trees on every side of
s.nr, write and by getting off on the
"a climbing to the top Of one OF the
sr,eb arch the canal at every few
% =, see trees by the millions, ex-
and on until they cut the hori-
ny Stsr border the waterways and arc
,..tsp here and there by cluInps of
,,.ss or the taller shade trees of
t.,m village and the pitlike fields
IA for raising rice.
EmrF SILK PROVINCE OF ASIA.
u i. PRODUCED in almost every part Of
/. mi Chekiang produces more and
IN than any other. 1t raises vast
..,., Of coeoons every year for export
r'..r, Germany and Japan, and bales
mi 20 from here to our factories in
n,;t,d States. There are thousands of
lo,ses in which silk Keeling is done,
"a, silk failures with the finest of
-, machinery put up by the French,
,l,b and other foreigners, as well as by
Th;uese to turn the cocoons into
j The Chinese use more silk them
= than any other people and their
rlr;onaires are numbered by scores.
AMONG THE MULBERRY TREES.
.,,s YOU could be with me in this ride
IN the mulberry orchards. Our null
! nee grows about as big as an elm,
4 MS not out OF place among the trees
u 4, forest. The mulberry trees here are
n Most of them are trimmed down to
feet theksprouts being cut off year
y wear. The orchards look more like
4 ,l,is than forests, and the trees are sell
Il larger than a 3-year-old peach tree.
n, arc as knotty and gnarly as an olive
4, and as ragged as ounce bush. They
4 planted in rows only a few feet apart
4 % carefully cultivated that not weed
H. be seen anywhere. Here and there
eden stuff is raised between the trees,
4 hcthing grows close to the trunks, and
|kcntinual fertilizing and hoeing goes on
a year round. All kinds OF manure are
NJ but the chief fertilizer comes from
u canals which are fed by the Yangtse
tr The Ysngtse Kiang is, as full Of
hnthe Nile. Il brings down vast guam
Of rich mud every year and drops
IA into the canals. The Chinese dredge
Il gu. and spread il over the ground.
BIZ scoop il up in nets or in canvas bags
ID heavy iron rings about them. They
Et great tongs made of bamboo poles
u 'pscnlike baskets on the ends, look
i for all the world like giant sugar tongs.
" which they pinch up a quart of mud
tine. Later on they throw II on the
|nh and spread It around the trees, Gov
(nshs whole surface Of the ground. The
fnss save every bit Of fertilizing ma
IA, even to their hair cuttings and finger
D paringa I see the children every
frt going ESout and picking up filthy
tH Of ali hnds to add to the manure
bps
HOW THE COUNTRY LOOKS.
\ frequently get out and walk through
orchards, There are no roads any
HHse You could not possibly ride over
!, country IN cart, for many of the
u, arc pits made at different levels so
Y hsy may be flooded from time to
Y q the crops demand. There are only
'p'ths between the fields, and these
80 about, going this way and that with
regard to distance. The only highways
NE canals, which are filled with trait
syn as the country roads of our rich
,nlns districts are filled with wagons.
how THE TREES ARE GROWN.
through an interpreter I have learned
' auioerry trees are grown. The seeds
y" planted in nurseries and when the
'0ua nave reached several feet in height
=, uansplanted FIVE or six feet apart
''suisr rows. This is done in Decem-
ni'er this the trees are carefully
y Ut They nre pruned year after
!, snd never allowed to grow more than
!. y. IN height. The cutting does not
~ nem' A sound mulberry tree will
'0' nifty years, and when fully ma
y vii annually yield as much as 100
~. - OF leaves. In some parts of Che
= 'os seeds of the wild mulberry are
y ma the young sprouts grated from
, .siuva'ed mulberry. This is thought
Y, produce better leaves.
~ uees have to be carefully watched
!, insects There are silk tree borers
!. nNe our peach tree borers. worms
y can enter the bark and must be dug
suu there are insects which eat the
aging ~ ''i'e %
BEARING THE SILK WORM.
S Ss'e been interested in learning how
su,nese rear silk worms. They have
~ ,ne business TO science, and il is
w. Important that the empress starts
IN, year. Indeed, the first silk worms
! I, u. were reared by an empress. This
r we OF Hwang-ti, who liked 1000
in SUI =, WHO Is known as the goddess
me present empress sacrifices to
a !. april In the palace grounds.
, 'ae best time for Matching silk
., .aa II is at this time that the moths
ns1 ''eu laying. The Chinese can tell
, -. moths from the female ones while
~ ~ sun In the cocoons. They know
a, 70 handle them so they will lay
/, pOpe' time. In some places the
VA. s lald on clean paper, and in others
1. e men or grass cloth.
/, Ia NON will lay as many as 500 eggs.
!, ~ takes her seventy-four hours,
., sa'ea she lives FIVE or six days with
b,,. s and then dies. Il Is important
/, soOa eggs, and the stronger CO.
=. CHOSEN for the purpose. The
| al, I washed and then sprinkled
/. - They are next covered with
1 a. burnt mulberry leaves, and so
trn DAYS after xyb;eh 3t,,,. .da,