The Silk Industry.

Manawatu Herald, 2 December 1897, Page 3

The Silk Industry.

From a paper published by Mary Gaunt we obtain the following particulars as to silk worm culture. The rearing of silk worms is pointed out to be a cottage industry, and is receiving encouragement from the Victorian government;. Growers in France obtained in 1896 in the department of Ardeche an average of £11 43 per family, and in Ande it rose to £17 3s per family. The average crop in Italy was £11. The total crop for 1896 was valued at £8,780,000, produced from 840,000 ounces of eggs, valued at nine shillings per ounce. That is to say, £878,000 increased by six or seven weeks' work to £6,780,000. The food of the worm, the white mulberry tree, must be planted in advance, and must be three or four years old before any crop worth mentioning can be gathered. The proper variety is known as the rosafolia or rose leaved mulberry. The Viotorian government give a certain quantity of cuttings away and sell others at the rate of £2 a 1000. The trees are planted 12 feet apart, equal to 800 to the acre, and every winter they need pruning to grow in a way that the leaves may be easily picked off. When the trees are three years old they may be expected to yield from 61b to 81b of leaves per tree, or from l,Boolbs to 2,40001bs of leaves per acre, and then the time has come when the work may be begun. In another year, when the trees are full grown they will yield from 70001bs to 8000 ba of leaves per acre and will support from four to five ounces of silkworm eggs. Another absolute necessary before •ilk -worm rearing can be begun is a house to rear them in. Almost any outhouse will do if it is wall ventilated and free from damp. Want of ventilation and dampness are equally fatal to the worm. In China and Japan, where whole villages give themselves up to the rearing of silk worms, they build them of bamboo or reeds, and here, possible, bark might answer very well. In the house must be placed a small stove to raise the temperature, as during the brief life of the worm it should never fall below 66deg., and frequently it ought to rise as high as 77deg. The spaces required for one ounce of eggs or " seed," as it is called, is 10ft. x 12ft. x 10ft. For two ounces a space of 10ft. x 24ft, x 10ft. is required, and bo on, adding another 12ft. for each ounce of " seed." The house must be fitted with hardwood frames to hold the silkworm trays. These trays are made of light wood, any length that suits the shape of the house; 4^ft., 9ft., or 18& ft. are usual, while the breadth is nearly always the same, something between 24in. and 27in., so that eaoh tray may be easily reached aorosa. The bottom is made of wire netting or of ordinary brown wrapping paper perforated, to allow of plenty of ventilation, and for one ounce of " seed " about 24 of the smallest size trays will be needed. The trays are placed upon a frame one on top of another right up to the ceiling if so desired, with a space between each tray of 14io. Another necessary before starting will be a good supply of perforated paper, which can easily be made with an ordinary leather punch. The size of the perforations vary with the size of the worm, and are usually one-sixteenth of an inch, one-quarter of an inch, and fiveeights of an inch in diameter, while the size of the paper is 24in. by 16in. All thest things will require

a little care to make, and will cost a little money to provide, but, with the exception of the paper, they will last for many seasons, and the one expense will cover it all. (To be continued.)