SERICICULTURE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 586, 24 February 1882, Page 2

SERICICULTURE.

( Continued.)

The males are the smallest, the females the largest, often twice as large and heavy as the males. When the young insects first appear from the egg 3 they should be put on to the very youngest leaves just burst out. The first day they live on the minuto hairs of these leaves, and after they have thus gained strength oat the leaf itself. Now, as naturally the insect, if on a tree, would get fresh leaves with full moisture, so, to keep them in a fit state for food, the leaves must be kept from drying up. This is best effected by placing them between two plates or in a. flower-pot saucer, and covering with glass quite close down. Perhaps in a moister climate this might not answer, but here it

is absolutely necessary. Many young broods are lost and won't eat (or rather can't) because the leaves dry up whilst they are on them. Even if l«ft to get only limp and ilaccid they do not suit the young insects. In the books and published papers it is recommended to chop up the leaves for young insects ; but that depends on the climate, Nothing suits them better than the very youngest leaves, rough, and covered with hairs, of a bright green color (not brown, and as it were frosttouched) given to them every two hours and in such moderate quantity that the leaves get rapidly covered with the young fry, and as rapidly devoured. Attention to this and keeping them covered down (with a piece of loose glass, which from irregularities of edges of saucer or plate allow sufficient ventilation) ensures a successful result. I have on a hot dry day put them into sedlitz powder boxes, and buried the box under a heap of fresh leaves, so as to retain the natural moisture of the leaf, with very satisfactory results. The insect having fed a few days as shown in the list of ages, ceases to eat, attaches its legs to small objects, purges itself of all food, and moults its skin, casting off not only its outer skin and nap of the head, but the internal lining skins out of the breathing-holes. From these facts it can be imagined the great constitutional change that takes place, and how injurious great changes oi temperature or mechanical disturbance must be to them ; consequently it is necessary to keep the temperature equable, and to leave them quite untouched at each of these moults. Many people think they are dirty at.d go to clean them, pulling them off: the leaves, and disturbing them ; in fact destroying their attachments to leaves, &c, and so preventing them slipping easily out of their skin when the proper time comes. Instead of leaving the skin flat and attached to a leaf, twig, or other thing under such disturbances, it pushes it down towards the tail in a ring, forming a ligature that is not soon got rid of, tightens as it dries, and compressing the body just below the abdominal legs, causes obstruction, and the insect dies miserably from want of free passage. The wild type of the silkworm is not now known any more than those of our domestic animals, but is supposed to be the B. Cynthia and B. Mylitta of China, the former ef whicb is the same as the Arrindi silkworm of India. This matters little to us, as there are many species feeding on the oak, willow, ailanthus, castor-oil, and even our gum trees in different parts of the world, all producing silk of greater or less value, but none equal to that produced liy the domesticated mulberry insect. The varieties of these are, however, rather numerous. They may be conveniently divided into two great classes, called voltines—uni-voltines, hatching and producing once a year ; multi voltines, several times, viz., some twice a year, called bivoltines, others at three months, two months, and one month. The uni-voltines appear to be the strongest, and although they produce fertile hybrids with inultivoltines, in a few generations the stronger blood predominates, and they all become r.ri-voltines. Captain Thomas Hutton, in his report to the Agricultural Society of India, has proved such to be the case, and I can quite bear him out by my observations hero. Now, as ir is a natural law that hybirds can only be produced between species which, to be fertile, must be so close!}' allied that they are only verities in size, color, or habits, as in our domestic cattle, dogs, cats, bite's, and many highly cultivated plants, especially cerea/s, all of which interbreed, and producing fertile crosses, and not sterile mules, like the horse and the ass—taking that law as my guide, and the result of the experiments that have been carried out for years by sericuiturists, I h&ve come to the conclusion that the varieties of the Bombyeidiß Mori are capable of interbreeding with advantage or disadvantage, according to locality and climate. There is a very large sort of insect met with in Spain, and described and depicted by Daudolo. Its cocoon islarge, fawn-colored, and as hard as a walnut nearly. It is a uni-voltine, and crosses with the beautiful pure white uni-voltine, of fticily, which produces a cocoon nearly as large, but of snowy whiteness, as I observed many years ago in that country. They both spin a very fine silk, with a blunt or round ei-ded cocoon with a slight waist—fiddle— shaped, as I call it. Now, in France there is a very brilliant orange-yellow silk, with a pointed cccoon, a good deal of floss, and rather a coarse loose fibre. There is also a nearly white (creamy white) and a sulphur yellow variety of same shape, with silk more or less of same character ; these are all uni-voltiues, and will cross and mingle with each other any way, but once crossed the larger varieties gradually gain the ascendancy, and the stock returns more and more to the largest and strongest. I am convinced that by careful selection and judicious crossing, taking care, when an undue predominance is observed to creep in, to counteract it, that great improvements may be made in the breeds, ■md that various sorts adapted for particular seasons and times of the year, as well as localities can be produced, health kept up, and a tine constitution established. I am particular on this point, and gentlemen who have dealings with cattle and horses know how essential is care in crossing and breeding. Having described the general habits of the insect, [ will touch on their food. The only proper food is the mulberry leaf of one oi other variety. In this Colony we have—lst. The common wild Cape of Good Hope mulberry, that will strike or grow anywhere ; it has a white and black berry, but mostly white. Plants male and female, 2nd. The common black mulberry, producing the edible fruit, with a large fleshy leaf, rough and rather acrid. 3rd. The Morus of which there are several sub-varities —The A. Kaempferi, B. Tartarica, C. Hispanica, D. Citrona, all having male and female trees. 4th. The M. Japonica; sth. The M. Multicaulis, or Phillipinis. There are also in private gardens the sub-varieties of the M. alba, the Moretto, and the Koseleaved spoken of and recommended by Mr Brady, of Curl Curl, Manly, New South Wales. I cannot speak of the two lastnamed, as I am unacquainted with them. The M. Alba, No. 3, and its sub- varieties are in our very beautiful Botanic Garden ; they are good feeding varieties. The Kaempferi is about the best, as it bears a tender leaf full of nourishment. Next conies the Tartar!ea ; then the Hispanica, which is the largest and finest leaf, but from the leaf being rather harsh is only adapted for feeding the first month after bursting into leaf. They are all broadleaved, serrated, and with a bright gloss on one surface. The Multicaulis is a

valuable tree. It hardly goes out of leaf the whole year, and its young tender leaves, although thin, are invaluable for the young broods. When the leaf gets large it is of little value, as it is very harsh and wanting in the succulence necessary to keep up the supply of moisture necessary in this climate. The most valuable tree I know of is that in the garden marked M. Japonica. It is a small tree, bears a long black fruit, lightcolored at first, and has a very succulent, soft, fleshy, tender leaf, that comes out very early, first after Multicaulis, and is eagerly devoured by the silkworm of any variety. It is a female tree, and is surrounded by the males of the M. alba described, and I am in great hopes tha some seeds saved this year will, under Dr Schomburgk's management, produce a very valuable class of hbrid plants that will have the good qualities of their originals combined. This M. Japonica is easily propagated from cuttings and layers, and I should suppose by grafting and budding. It is not my province here to enter into tha subject of the cultivation ot the tree, as that is in abler hands ; neither have I had any expsrience in the matter beyond trying to strike a few cuttings ; but I will just observe that a variety that will suit one climate and variety of insect will not perhaps suit another, and that it will be wise to propagate as many varieties as possible, and ascertain by experience which suit best, and where. I find the common Cape No. 1 strikes very easily, and will make good stocks for grafting. The trees are best cultivated as small trees, or dwarf pollards; and I see by report made by Mr Adams, Secretary of British Legation at Japan to the British Government, and just received in the Journal of the Agricultural Society of New South Wales, that the dwarf pollard is the plan adopted in Japan, and found preferable on account of the constant succession of young leaves. In any case trees should be 1 kept low and small for convenience of 1 picking or cutting.

(To be continued.)