MULBERRY TREES AND SILK WORMS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 1008, 6 December 1881, Page 4

MULBERRY TREES AND SILK WORMS.

The following contains a good and useful lesson which the youngsters of Poveriy Bay would do well to learn. We clip it from the AC Z Herald-.— *' A good deal of interest is being taken in the cultivation of the mulberry tree for the rearing of silkworms by the youth of Auckland and suburbs." Yesterday Master Richard James and his brothers showed us their collection of silkworms, over 1000 in number. They are children of Mr John James, of akefield-street, and have no trees growing in their own grounds. The leaves required are purchased from other boys at the rate of Id for 18 leaves. There is thus a monetary trade already In existence respecting the worms, which should keep many a lad in abundant pocket money, which he could provide himself by growing the mulberry tree. We learn from Master James that the eggs of the worms are also an article of trade, being readily purchased by boys for those who have none. By a little encouragement we see no reason why ■a good deal of raw silk should not be produced here at once. W hat is required is that the Government or some of our merchants should become the purchasers of the desicated cocoons at a fair price, and who more likely to start such an industry than the resident French and Indian Consuls ? If the silk industry were so largely developed in the United States of America as it is in Italy and France, we have no hesitation in saying that Mr Griffin would long ere now have managed to make such arrangements with silk manufacturers in his own country as would have set all the boys and girls in active and profitable employment. Why do not the official representatives of the two great silk-rearing and manufacturing countries in Europe •do something to develop a trade the future importance of which it is impossible to conceive ? A thousand well fed silkworms would give about •31bs of dried cocoons, worth about 6s per pound. Were such a price readily ■obtainable here, we have no hesitation in saying that in the course of a few years the prospect of gaining from 15s and upwards for the produce of a thousand or so of silkworms would make many young hands busy that are mow idle.