Japan.—The silk of Japan is produced almost entirely by cultivated worms fed on mulberry leaves, several speciee of mulberry being grown for the purpose; but a certain and increasing quantity is afforded by yama-mai worms feeding wild on oak-trees, a hardier and more prolific race. Silk-growing is pretty universal in Japan, and has been greatly stimulated of late years, but there is room for much improvement in the reeling and other operations. Microscopic selection and machine-reeling are gaining ground. Our imports of Japanese raw silk fell from 448,541 lb. in 1877, to 240,326 in 1880 ; and of knubs, husks, and waste, rose from 470 cwt. in 1877, to 2577 in 1880. The approximate London market value of Japanese raw silk is 14-19s. a lb. for ordinary, and 16-21s. for fme to superior.
Turkey.—In Asiatic Turkey mulberry-trees grow almost everywhere, but are rnainly utilized for silk and cocoons in the dist:riot of Broussa, the neighbourhood of Diarbekir, N. Syria, and the Lebanon. A species of wild silk called gez and jel, grows extensively in Kurdistan, between Zacho and Rowandooz, but although much prized and worked by the Kurdish women, it has not yet found its way into Western commerce. The export of the raw material and of cocoons from Broussa averages in value about 350,000/. a year. The cultivation round Diarbekir is less developed, but there also the soil and climate are excellently adapted to its pursuit on a large scale. In Syria, it rivals tobacco as a local staPle ; and iu the lower and middle ranges of the Lebanon, employs a large number of hands. In all these centres of silk culture, the best filament is produced from Japanese eggs, but fraudulent substitutions for these have greatly damaged the quality of Turkish silk, and correspondingly affected the industry both at Broussa and in Syria. The silkworm disease has been very bad for the last three years, and has caused the production of high-quality silk to fall off very much, the silk produced from the seed brought from Japan and other counties being far inferior to the produce of native silkworms. These latter are described as yielding cocoons quite white in colour, and more than double the size of the yellow COCOODS made by the Japanese worms. An opinion is prevalent that the disease will pass away in time, when it will be possible to return to the production of silk from native worms only. The exports in 1879
from Musyna were 15 tons cocoons, value 1650/., to Turkish ports, and 1 ton, 120/., to England ; from Alexandretta, 10 tons cocoons, 6000/., to France, 1 ton, 600/9 to Austria, 2 tons, 1200/., to Turkish ports ; from Dedeagatch, 800 bales cocoons, 20,000/., and MO bales silk waste, 800/. ; from Trebizonde (Persian produce), 429 bales (of cwt.) of silk, 42,900/., to Turkish ports, 55 bales (of 1/ cwt.) of waste silk, 825/., to Turkish ports, and 41 bales, 645/., to France. Our imports from Turkey in Asia of raw silk fell from 5610 lb. in 1877, to 0 in 1879, and recovered to 520 lb. in 1880 ; of waste, knubs, and husks, 153 cwt. in 1876, 58 in 1877, 2027 iu 1878, 688 in 1879, and 69 in 1880. The approximate London market value of Broussa, silk is 24-29s. a lb.
Our imports of raw silk from Turkey in Europe were 4210 lb. in 1877, 784 in 1878, and 5821 in 1880 ; of waste, knubs, and husks, 362 cwt. iu 1877, 94 in 1878, and 356 in 1880. Thessaly, in 1880, exported 20,000/. worth of silk and cocoons.
India.—Perhaps no country in the world is so rich in indigenous silk-producing insects as India. This is sufficiently indicated by the following list, arranged by F. Moore, curator of the India Museum :— 1. a. mori, the common silkworm, domesticated iu China, Japan, Bokhara, Afghanistan, Cashmere, Persia, S. Russia, Turkoy, Egypt, Algeria, Italy, France, and Spain, producing but one crap annually, spinning the largest coc,00n and the best eilk, of a golden-yellow or white colour. B. textor, the boro poolloo of Bengal, domesticated in S. Clana and Bengal ; annual only ; a whito (sometimes yellow) cocoon, of a different texture and more flossy than B. moil% B. sinensis, the sina, cheena, or small Chinese monthly worn) of Bengal, partially domesticated in Bengal, where It was introduced from China ; several broods in the year, cocoon, white and yellow. B. croesi, the nistry or madrassee of Bengal, introduced from China; domesticated in Bengal ; 7-8 brooch) of golden-yellow C0000/113 in the year, of larger size than B. sinensis. B. fortunatus, the dasee of Bengal ; several broods annually ; the smallest cocoon, of a golden-yellow colour. B. arracanensis, the Burmese silkworm, domesticated in Arraean, said to have been introduced from China, through Burma ; several broods annually ; cocoons larger than the Bengal monthly species.