Mr. Fortune says that in the vicinity of Nan tsin, the centre of the great silk country of China, it is on the banks of canals, banks of rice-fields, small lakes, and ponds, where the mulberry is generally cultivated. The trees are planted in rows, from five to six feet apart, and are allowed to grow from six to ten feet high only, for the convenience of gathering the leaves. In training them they are kept open in the centre. Leaves are not taken at all from plants in their young state, as this would be injurious to their future productiveness. In other instances a few leaves only are taken from the bushes, while the remainder are allowed to remain upon the shoots until the summer growth is completed. In the latter ease the leaves are invariably left at the ends of the shoots. When the bushes have attained their full size, the young shoots with the leaves are clipped close off by the stumps, and shoots and leaves carried home together to the farm-yard, to be plucked and prepared for the worms. In the ease of young trees, the leaves are generally gathered in by the hand, while the shoots are left to grow on until the autumn. At this period all the plantations are gone over carefully, the older bushes are pruned close in to the stumps, while the shoots of the younger ones are only shortened back a little, or allowed to attain to the desired height. The ground is then manured and well dug over. It remains in this state until the following spring, unless a winter crop of some kind of vegetable is taken off it. This is frequently the case. Even in the spring and summer months it is not unusual to see crops of beans, cabbages, etc., growing under the mulberrf trees.
The best raw silk, called taysaam, comes from the province of Hu-kwang ; the tsailee also comes from that province and Che-kiang ; both kinds an called Nankin raw silk.
In China, the worms fed on the mulberry tree are called T'ien-lai-ts'an, heaven-sent silk-worms The best silk of China is obtained from cocoon of worms fed on the Tsin-tso-tsze.
The raw silk of Sheng-king in Manchuria is fron the Bombyx Pernyi and B. fantoni worms, fec on the leaves of Querens liongolica, Q. robur, Q dentata, Q. castanemfolia.
In Chin-kiang are worms which feed on tin Quercus serrata and Q. Sinensis.
Bombyx cynthia feeds on the Ailanthus glandu losa.
Dr. Williamson (Journeys through North China states that in Shan-tung there is a wild silk fron a worm fed on the black pepper tree.
In Chefoo are worms fed on the Xanthoxyloi alantum, called by the natives Hua-tsiao, pepper: flower, which may be that noticed by Dr. 1Villiam son.
In Hankow, worms are fed on the leaves of thi mulberry trees, the ailanthus, and the oak.
In Fu-chu, a worm that feeds on the campho tree, falls from the tree and is gathered. The: are broken in two, dipped in vinegar, and havl their intestines drawn out, dried in the air, am used for fishing-lines.
Saturnia atlas, the giant atlas moth, has wing measuring 7 or 8 inches across. This species, am also S. cecropia and S. luna, have their wing produced into a tail. The cocoons of S. cylithi: aud S. mylitta are used in India for the productiot of silk. Latreille states that these are the wilc species of silk-worm of China.
China Husbandry and Silk Manufacture form tin subjects of one of sixteen discourses to the Chities1 people. It is there observed that from ancien times the Son of Heaven himself directed tin plough ; the empress planted the mulberry tree Thus have these exalted personages set an examph to all under heaven, with a view to leading tht millions of their subjects to attend to their essen tial interests.' In the imperial Illustrations o,
Husbandry and Weaving, there are numerom woodcuts, accompanied by letterpress explanatory of the different processes of farming and the sill manufacture. The former head is confined to tin production of rice, the staple article of food, and proceeds from the first ploughing of the land tc the packing of the grain ; the latter details all thc operations connected with planting the mulberry and gathering the leaves, up to the final weaving of the silk. From notices of silk-worms in Chinesc works collected and published by M. Julien, by orders of the French Government, it appears that credible accounts of the culture of the tree aud numufacture of silk are found as far back as B.C. 780 ; and in referring its invention to the empress Siling or Yuenfi, wife of the emperor Hwang, to B.C. 2602, the Chinese have shown their belief of its still higher antiquity.
Notwithstanding the apparent simplicity of the looms of the Chinese weavers, they will imitate exactly the newest and most elegant patterns from England or France. The Chinese particularly excel in the production of damasks and flowered satins. Their silk crape has never yet been perfectly imitated; and they make a species of washing silk, called Canton pongee, which becomes more soft as it is longer used.
Silk organzine is formed of two, three, or more singles (i.e. reeled threads after being twisted), according to tho substances required, twisted to gether in a contrary direction to that of which it is composed are twisted.' Organzino is also called thrown silk ; it is used in weaving piece goods.
A great part of the silks and crapes used in Hoo-chow-ftt aro manufactured in the adjoining towns of Soo-chow and 1(ang-chow. Flowered crape, however, a very beautiful production, is made in lfoo-chow. The process of manufacture is thus described by the Rev. Mr. Edkins in the North China Herald : Two men were engaged at a loom in a cottage on the side of a stream. One sat at the end of the loom moving five pedals, and directing the shuttle and all that needed to be done with the threads that lay horizontal on the frame. The other was perched overhead to super intend the pattern. This lie did by means of vertical threads tied up in bundles, a. large number of which, distributed transversely through the threads of the horizontal frame beneath him, were at ilia disposal. These he raised according to the requirement of the pattern, and thus caused that elevation in the threads on the frame below that constituted the flowered part of the piece.' In Japan, according to a report by Mr. Adams, Secretary of Legation, the silk districts are con fined to the principal island, and may be divided into three groups,—the northern designated under the general name of Oshiu ; the south-western, including those of Ethizen, Sodai, 3fashita, etc. ; and the central, which produces the Mayebashi, Shinshin, and other varieties of hank silks, as well as the silks of the Koshiu and Hachoji.' The northern isles are somewhat too cold, and the southern too hot, to be a favourable field for the enterprise. The inulberry trees are planted along the borcleis of the fields, sometimes in rows, at intervals, across them, so as not to interfere with the cultivation of other plants ; but at Uyeda. in Shinshiu, in groves. The most common kinds of the mulberry trees are the Yotsume, the Ned zumigaishi, the Oha, and Kilmha, all of them known in Europe. They are well manured.