SILKWORM REARING. Lecture by Mr Federli at Cambridge.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1827, 22 March 1884, Page 2

SILKWORM REARING. Lecture by Mr Federli at Cambridge.

On Wednesday oven ing last Mr 0. B. Fedeih, who is at present employed by the New Zetland (Tuvorunient to bring befoio the settles of the colony the gieat i.nporpoitaiice of the abo\e mdustiy, delneie.l an addies -i in the Public Hall, Cambndge, to a number of the leading settleus and agncuituiksts in the distiict. Mr Fedeili, when on a visit to Auckland, met with Mr J. C. Fnth, who, on becoming impressed with the importance of the subject to the agucultuial community of Waikato, induced Mr Fedeili to accompany him to M itamata, and also arranged with him to deliver an addiess on the leaiing of the billcwonn at Cambiidge. Owing to the extreme shortness of the notice, and the fact of its not being advertised, the attendance at the hall on Wednesday evening was not ao large a-, might have bden expected ; the audience was, however, a very ropreseuta tive one. The chair was occupied by Major Wilson. The proceedings assumed the shape of a discourse or conversation moie than a laoture. Mr Federli oonimenced his ren>arks by impressing upon the nonds of his heaivis the growing importance of the silkworm, and the profitableness and com paiative simplicity of Hericulture. He adveited to the .suitableness of the climate and soil of New Zealand for the growth of the lnulbany— the principal item of the 111du^tiy. He h'ld no doubt whate\er that the undertaking would be attended with \ ast .success, under the favourable ciicumstanccs which this colon y affoided. Like eseiy other uudei taking, benculture required to bo btaited on a pioper basis ; it could not be successfully undei taken by individual enterpii.se, but, in order to achie\e .success co-operation and combined effoit weie indispensable. After becoming acquainted with all the particulars of .seiiculture, should the farmeisof Waikato resolvo upon taking it into hand, as the bent, he might say the only course upon which to commence opeiations he would suggeit the .starting of a company for the purple. Comparatively little capital would be requned, the shaieb could be well distubuted, and the iisk, compaied with the ceitainty of success, would be nothing. A suitable site for a nmsery or model farm could easily be piocuied in Waikato, and as the mulbeny plants could be obtained in France at the small rate of between 2os and 30s a thousand, the nece— sary stock, say about 100,000 plants, could be exported. The mulberry plant grew either from the slip or root, and one great feiture which it possessed was that it was altogether free from blight and easily nourished. As the mulberry only afforded occupation for a few weeks in the year it was necessary that the industry should be supplemented by other minor industries) of a like character which could be worked m conjunction, and with equal profit and advantage. For this purpobe ho would suggest the cultivation of the olive, and the prepaiation of the oil, the establishing of a vinery, the growth of oranges, lemons, &c, and the preparation of dried fruits. Thebe were all very profitable industries, requiring little capital, and little labour and there was always a ready market for the pioduce. To start this nursery farm and carry it on successfully they would require to import, say, four families of skilled labourers from the South of Europe, each family could undertake a distinct branch and thus keep themselves occupied throughout the year. Again all desirous of becoming acquainted with the cultivation of the mulberry could receive the necessary knowledge at the model farm, and could also receive their supply of young tree 3 from the same source. Any farmer undert iking sericulture could carry it on during the spare hours of the day and without hindrance to his ordinary occupation on the farm. The company would buy their produce in the shape of eggs, and with their dwn, hatched on the farm, export than to the European markets. The value of egga exported to England from China and Japan annually was im nense, but the supply from those places had -tallen off considerably of late years, and, now was the time for New Zealand to step in and supply ths deficiency. Some said that such an undertaking in a young colony like New Zeal i.nd was , altogether too/pre« mature. Some people have an aversion to' innovations of any form, but genjieihen t» \vh,o.(n ha had spoken, or t^e w«ttor( apd^.

who replied to him in that strain, he had succeeded in convincing that sericulture in Now Zealand was not premature — that, in fact, it was a very capital thing indeed. Again, some urged that labour was altogether too dear in New Zealand to permit of industries of this kind, but it was only those who were altogether ignorant of the undertaking who made such a set off, as, with tho exception of the employment of the families abovo referred to, hardly any other labour was nece*>saiy, as it was not proposed to go bsyond hatching and exporting tho eggi and raw silk, leaving the labour to be done elsewhere. A number of questions concerning the tearing of the silkworm were asked by some gentlemen present, but these matters are fully dealt with in Mr Federli'a pamphlet on silkworm rearing, which has been re-published in these column*. i Some gentlemen at the close of the discourse signified their willingness to take shares in a company of the kind suggested. We have, therefore, little doubt that before long some steps will be taken in the matter. A hearty vote of thanks was acsflßded Mr ' Federli for his address ; also to' J t^e\jhali^r man for piesidiug. :i 7 •