SILK CULTURE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1593, 26 January 1884, Page 4

SILK CULTURE.

(Lyttelton Times.)

< Sir,—lt will, perhaps be remembered by those ofyo'nr readers Who take an active interest in sericiculture, that three years ago, when I first introduced to their notice tho subject of silkworm* 'rearing, I ventured to; make a prediction. The disease which was at that, time the bane of the industry in Euiope, I foresaw, and said so, would probably make its appearance in China and Japan-countries: which, until then, had enjoyed complete immunity from it. Like causes produce like effects. In Europe the demand for Bilk has vastly increased in modem days, To meet that demand sericiculturists continued constantly to breed more worms, and in doing so bred diseaso. A dotnand for healthy "grain" was at once created, and China and Japan were called upon to supply it. Chinese and Japanese, in setting up an extended system of worm-rearing, met with the samo misfortune that had beset Western breeders, and from the samo cause hinted above, viz., over-produc-tion. Thus far, my prediction has been verified. Tho followiug extract from the weekly Alia California, puts tho sase so concisely, that nothing could be better than to quote it

"The Chinese silk trade,—With all the progress of the silk industry in Europe and the United States, China still continues to be the great silk country. Not in the manufacture of •silk, howover, for in that respect she is even now excelled by France; whose silk manufactures'amount to 85,000,000d01s a year, but in tho production and export of raw silk. Although China's silk manufactures are estimated at Go,ooo,ooodols to 65,000,000d01s a year, not much over that product is exported, owing to the' great consumption of silk goods among her own pcuplc, or at least the wealthy classes. But the exports of raw silk amount to an immenso sum, and anything which should tend to destroy the silk trade of China would ho disastrous to the Empire. Yet that is just what is threatened at,the present timo, unless the Empire journals published at Shanghai are most unscrupulous falsifiers and sensationalists. They report that the silkworm disease, which a few years ago prevailed in France, and for a time threatened to annihilate tho silk trade of that country, now exists in China, and is making rapid progress. This disease is called " pebrine," and is described as being to the silkworm about what consumption is to the human body. A description of it says: "The complaint is contagious as well as it is hereditary; the caterpillar suffering from the disease has the power of spinning a cocoon, the butterfly that comes out of that cocoon has the power of propagating the species by laying an enormous quantity of eggs, but the produce of those eggs will be wsakly creatures. And at the time when the caterpillar is mounting into the fourth stage to make its cocoon it will most probably sicken and die, and produce neither silk nor butterfly to continue the species." Among the evidenoes of the ravages of this disease in China is mentioned the rapid decrease in the export of silk during the last few years. In 1880 tho export was 84,000 bales, in 1881 it had fallen to 54,000 balos, in 1882 to 52,000 bales, and it is predicted that in 1883 it will not amount to more than 30,000, The latter figuro may be given out to affect the market, but they have the countenance of the most respectable newspapers in China, It is said that the Chinese, with their usual secretive instinct, have concealed tho facts; but quite as likely they do not understand the causes of tho failure of tho silk crop. If it is true that pehrino has afflicted the silkworms of China, the Government of that country has something better to do than going to war with France about the suzerainty of Tonquin. It should secure the aid of European sericulturists and devote all its energies to the salvation of its most important industry, which is now threatened with destruction,"

And now tomc3 my chief point, The only remedy discoverable for the disease in Europe was tho importation of healthy eggs or "grain" from the East, France and Italy are now gradually recovering from tho visitation, and China and Japan, suffering as they are, will have to submit to tho same prescription. They cannot import from Europe-tho Europeans are not in a position to send them " grain," America has but lately taken up the industry, and the United States people need all the " grain" they can realise for themselves, Where is it, then, to come from? Naturally from New Zealand, where we have it in the nt- | most perfection. An intelligent Chinese merchant, who has inspected the silk cocoons and worms now on view at the Industrial Exhibition, could hardly believe his eyes. He almost refused to be persuaded that the creatures were identical with those bred in his own country. For, as he said, such desperate sudden changes of temperature as those to which we have been subjected within the last few days would have been fatal to millions of worms at Canton, and yet mine were m perfect health, He at once saw the advantages of New Zealand as afield for operations, such as -employ thousands of his countrymen, and entail on them untold labor in the preservation of their worms, labor which, from the favorable climate, they would entirely avoid here. He said he should at | once write to Canton on tho subject, import eggs, and make enquiries for a suitable place to plant mulberry trees. In a sub-leader this morning yon most judiciously point out the need of advertising this country, To mostforeigners New Zealand is still a land of fable, The little they know about it they know wrongly. Mr Jugster's experience and my own on this point are exactly similar. In the minds of ho3ts of people in Southern* Europe cannibals and missionaries are the only inhabitants of the wilderness named New Zealand, Did they but know what I know of this Colony, and how many congenial pursuits and industries, such as silk culture, the growing of vines, olives, lemons, dio,, they could follow here just as easily as at Homo, they would swarm here instead of everywhere but bore, What

little ft foreigner oan do ? h&Y O d^Q, We, under tlxo. auspioles of tho Govornment, for {lie last three years. The advertisement of tlie country locally has not been wanting. Anyone : of. common sense who takes up the question can Bee what an unrivalled opening there is for the silkworm industry in this country. But the spreading of that advertisement which has been shown to our Colonists now lies with themselves. Wkt in ' required is cooperation. If, as ia so often asserted, but which, to my mind, is beyond belief, Britons will never take upsericiculture because it ia not pursued in their native land, let a model Government farm be established in a suitable locality devoted to sub-tropical industries, or still better, an Association or a Company be started to take the matter in hand, It may easily- be shown ,to anyono open to reasonable conviction that it can he made to pay, and that point onco established, I for one. shall have no fear for the future of silk culture and kindred pursuits in a country so magnificently suited for carrying them on.— I am, <fcc., G. B. FEDERLI. Jan. 18. . '

Lovely Cuim.—'There mo lovely climes and plooes iri which tho evening zephyrs are loaded with malaria, and the poison of fever Mid epidemics, To dwell there in health is impoißible, without a snpply of Hop. Bitters at hand. These Bitters impart an equalising strength to tho system, and prevent tho accumulation o( deadly spores and contagion, fie sure and goo, .