MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 829, 13 July 1853, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Silkworms. — The breeding of silkworms is becoming an important branch of industry, in Germany ; and is so in the northern as well »s in she southern parts, though the general impression is that silkworms cannot thrive in a northern temperature. The first attempts to establish this branch of industry in the nocth were made by French Protestant lefugee&in the district of Wurtzburg in 1594 and they were encouraged by the Prussian sovereigns. In the middle of the 17th century the ramparts of Petz and the environs of Frankfort on the Oder were planted with mulberry trees, and in tfie following century Frederic the Great caused plantations to be made at Cospnik, Potsdam, and in the immediate vicinity of Berlin. Since 1821 the production of silk has become considerable, not only in Prussia, but in the other states of the Zollvereio ; the annual production is at present several thousand pounds. In quality it is remarkably white, and finer than that of the southern countries; and Berlin manufacturers say that if enough of it could be obtained, they would not apply to the producers of Lombardy. From Berlin and Potsdam the cultivation of mulberry trees gradually extended to* Silesia and Hanover. It is schoolmasters who chiefly occupy themselves with it — one of their body having in the 18th century commenced it as a means of adding to his income ; and some of- these persons now gain from 20 to 80 thalers (75f. to 300f.) annually. Several of the German Governments encourage the productions of silk by granting premiums, and causing societies of patronage to be formed. A short time ago, the Minister of Commerce recommended that the sides of all the railway should be planted with mulberry trees. The King of Wurtemberg has caused the French translation of the Chinese treatise on the breeding of silkworms to be translated into German, and to be extensively circulated at Dresden. M. D. Carlowitz, one of the Ministers, has pnblished a work on the subject ; and at Munich the Queen, the Royal Princesses, and the principal ladies of the Aristocracy patronise societies for encouraging it. In the Grand Duchy of Baden, the roads and sides of the railways have been jilantpd with mulberry trees, and in the village St. Ilgen, near Heidelberg, the breeding of worms has be«n carried on during the last twelve years, on an expensive scale, Austria, on its [•art, is sparing no pains to increase its production which already amounts to about £100,0000 francs annually — one half coming from Lombardy alone. On the military frontier of Turkey, a garden of mulberry trees has been established in every village, and the military colonists are encouraged to extend the cultivation. At Prague the fosses of the fortifications have been planted with mulberry trees and orders have been given that such fcreei shall also be planted by the side of all the railways in the monarchy. — Galignani.

French Steamers to the United States. — " Tbe company formed to carry the French mails from Cherbourg to the United States expects an annual suUidy from the State of no less than £40 sterling per horse-power on its whole squadron of vessels, au«i £48 per horse-power on the line between France and the | West Indies and Mexico. It is clear that France having no colonies on the North American continent, and only two insignificant islands in the Carribean sea, is not impelled to this measure by any colonial demand. Indeed, if these conditions are accepted by the Government, they will amount to a charge of upwards of £600,000 a year on the Treasury of the Empire. The company, already well known to all travellers as that of the * Messageries Nauonalet,' has found, like other coach proprietors, that the days when immense aums - were to be realized by the slow progress of its massive yellow-bellied vehicles over the French territory, are drawing to a close; and, with something of the lofty ambition of thete Imperial times, it is disposed to turn over a portion of its cupital to Transatlantic conveyance. According to one account, no less than thirty-three first-class steamers are to be constructed under the management of this body. That is probably an exaggeration ; but, from the course the Government has pursued in this affair, we have no doubt that a sufficient number of vessels will be built to fulfil their object. Strong efforts have been made by all the principal ports of France to obtain the privilege of becoming the station of these squadrons. Marseilles, Bordeaux, Nantes, and Havre, have all put forward their claimsf The decision of tbe Government has been in favour of Cherbourg ; and that fact is quite sufficient to give us a correct insight into the ulte»ior cousequences of this scheme.

11 Cherbourg is « port totally without trade, unconnected as yet with Paris by railroad, (though the line has recently been granted and is now in progress,) and several hundred miles from those parts of France whose natural or industrial productions are exported to the United States. For commercial purposes, Havre is, from its proximity to Paris and to some of the manufacturing districts, the obvious American station of France ; and we have no doubt that French merchants will still find it easier to ship goods 'or to embark even from Southampton than from Cherbourg. But Cherbourg is a great military and naval port. Incalculable sums have been expended to render it almost impregnable, an<l to give the French a first-class harbour and arsenal in the Channel. The gradual formation of a squadron of large steamers •tt Cherbourg in time of peace, would enable the French Government to accumulate ample means of transport on that point, without obtruding their naval preparations on the notice of their neighbours; and such vessels would of- course be made available on the shortest notice, especially as the purpose for which they might be required would be not so much those of actual naval warfare as the transport of tropps." — Spectator. A correspondent of Sounders' Dublin NewsLetter says — "In your .Saturday's publication you gave an extract from the North British Daily Mail, stating that on the 12th ultimo, a person named John M'lnnes died at Stroutulls, near Oban, aged one hundred and five, and that he was, probably, the oldesr inhabitant in her Majesty's dominions. There is at present living In the county Wicklove, about eleven miles front Dublin, a respectable farmer, who, if he lives till next April, will be one hundred and nine years old. He is still able to walk about his fields «nd enjoy the mountain air. It is strange to think that in his tenth year he might have spoken with a person one hundred years o'd who had seen Cromwell, and been thirty-sir years old at the battle of the Boyne. He has lived during the reigns of five English Sovereigns, and was thirty-eight years of age at the time of the Irish Volunteers, and seventy-one at the battle of Waterloo." A middle-aged single man was dangerously ill near St. Omer. He threatened to disinherit any .nephew or niece that persisted in attending on him ; all but one left him — of course they could not disobey the injunctions of a dying man ; but Josephine would not desert the perverse sufferer — he might disinherit her if he liked. He died; and it was then discovered that he had considered Josephine as the only relative who had proved disinterested, and he left her all his property — valued at 80,000 francs.