Native Trouble.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4436, 24 March 1883, Page 1 (Supplement)

Native Trouble.

Auckland, March 22. Wetere, the Mokau chief, who escorted Hursthouse, arrived at Alexandra last night. He reports that under the pretence of going on to Mokau be escaped from the party who stopped them. H« says most of the party were stripped of their clothes in defending Hursthouse and. Newsham, whom .they had suri rounded. His men, seeing the determination of the attacking party, broke off their stirrup leathers and irons to defend themselves and the Europeans. Seeing the danger of bloodshed Wetere called upon them to desist, when all left for the settlement eaoh prisoner being guarded. At present the five men are in different houses. Wetere has interviewed Wahanui since at Kopua ; the latter is indignant at the affair, and has sent out messengers in all directions in the locality to assemble to-morrow to release them, or accompany them, through Bryee having put responsibility on him. At least 200 will start from Copua for Te Hir* with this object. (PROM OUR OWN COBBIBPOUDBNT.) Wahanui, with 150 men, has marched against the natives who obstructed the surveyors. Mr Wilkinson left Alexandra at seven o'clock this morning. Wahanui's men will be at Te Kuiti at 4 this afternoon.

The total revenue collected in the colony for the last month amounted to £128,938 6s sd, and the beer duty for the Name amounted to £5279 6s 9d. For January, 1883, they were:—-Cußtoma, £123,050 8s; beer duty, £6227 9s 8d; and /or February, 1882, the totals were :— Customs, £126,012 9s Id; beer duty, £51110i6d.

Silkworm Rearingattfce Thames. | - Wi mentioned a few days ago that we ' had received from Mr G. B. Federli, of the Public Works Department, Christchurch, a pamphlet on Silkworm Bearing, published by authority of the New Zealand Government. The Thames. Sericul tural Association have also from, the same source received a parcel of these pamphlets, which they intend; to distribute _ amongst thejr shareholders. It will be remembered that some years ago. much valuable information respecting sericulture was published in the columns of this journal, chiefly supplied by Mr Thomas Spencer and Mr Albert' J. Allotn. the' present Chairman and hon. secretary of the Association. In noticing Mr Federli's interesting and useful little brochure we shall,'therefore, merely draw attention to, such.parts of it .as seem .to afford fresh information to those of oar, readers who .have , already, some, knowledge ; of, the subject. . First, as. regard a,' the . mulberry,;treejitself,. which is a variety of the white mulberry (morua alba): It would,, seem that the timber of this tree has a commercial value, particularly for coopering purposes. It is stated that at the International Exhibition recently held in Christchurcb a small keg was shown that had been made, from a tree grown in Akaroa. The writer suggests that in making plantations this. tree Bhould not be neglected,- as the grower, independently of the value of the leaves for the purpose of sericulture, would be well repaid for his trouble by the saleable value of the timber. Besides this the tree is of a graceful and ornamental character. It is also important to note that the white mulberry may be grafted oh the stock of the black variety with a good result. Mr Federli gives some valuable hints about planting and pruning the trees. The intervening spaces may be used for , growing either cereal ;or root crops, and the working of the ground which such crops necessitate will prove of great value to the trees. In - France , and Italy wheat may thus be seen growing close up to the stems of the mulberry trees. Almost any soil will suit them, but exception is made to very wet or swampy ground. This fact as well as the advantage to be obtained by cropping a mulberry tree plantation we commend to the attention of the Association in respept of their plantation at Parawai. The stripping of the leaves" muat be done carefully so as to avoid injury to the bark. Ample directions are given upon this point, and as to the treatment of the leaves, when , gathered. Secondly, as to the cost of preparing an acre of ground for mulberry trees, and the probable returns. The first cost of planting, &c, is estimated at £20 per acre. The tree will produce the first year after transplanting (that is to say when they are about five years old) say about 51bs of leaves per tree. At 600 trees per acre this will amount to 80001 bs, which can be sold to silkworm rearers at 15s per lOOlbs, or £22 10s per acre. But.if silkworm rearing be combined with mulberry tree growing, the 3000lbs of leaves will feed enough worms to produce 1601bs of cocoons, which, at the value of 8s per lb, comes to £64. Including the cost of grain, say 2ozs at 16s per ounce, with wages and other expenses, amounting in all to £15 2s, the profit from one acre is thus shown to be £48 18s. Deducting the first cost of planting, £20, there is a net profit per acre of £28 18s. Full details of these calculations are given bj Mr Federli,> This profit, he says, will increase annually. In the case of dwarf trees, the crop is greater every year until the trees are 10 years old, when it will reach 301ba each - per annum. High stemmed trees will continue to increase their yield of leaves up to lOOlbs per tree. It may, however, be remarked that a careful system of cultivating and cropping the ground, whilst it would promote a more vigorous growth of the trees, would tend to increase the profits. This point does not appear to have been mentioned by Mr Federli in his calculations. As regards the grain, i.e., the eggs of the silkworm {bombya mo?'j)—the hatching of the worms—their manipulation during the various stages of growth —the management of the cocoons— method of destruction of the chrysalis to prevent it changing to the moth stage, which would, of course, injure the - silk— and the management of the moths for the production of a. fresh supply of grain— very full information and directions are given, to which our limited space will not at present permit further reference. The cocoons when dried for market may at once be disposed of, or the producer may reel off his own silk. . In either case the chrysalis must be destroyed. Provision must, however, be made for a supply of breeding slock, for which purpose the largest, most regular, and hardest cocoons, are selected. From these the moths will emerge about three weeks after the worms have completed their cocoons. It is stated that If lbs of cocoons will produce enough moths to yield lOOlbs cocoons the following season. As a commercial matter it does not appear customary for a producer to reel off his own silk. The silk winding is a special industry in Europe, China, and Japan, just as the miller's trade is separate from that of the wheat grower, but for those who are inclined to proceed further and produce the commodity termed, in the language of commerce, "raw silk," Mr Federli has 'given full direction's, which everyone may understand, including a well-executed engraving ; upon a large scale, showing the elevation and section of a model "reeling machine." As a frontispiece to the pamphlet we have also an excellent drawing showing the metaphoses of the silk moth in its various stages, viz., the egg, larva, cocoon, chrysalis, and moth. Oh the whole, we congratulate Mr Federli and the Government on - the production. of this very useful publication, and we trust that it may prove of great assistance to our local Association in its efforts to promote Sen* culture at the Thames.