156.

THE BEE,

OR

LITERARY WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER,

FOR

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20. 1793.

ON THE PRACTICABILITY OF REARING THE SILK WORM

I

IN SCOTLAND.

BY ARCTICUS.

With a figure of the Tartarian mulberry.

MR EDITOR,

For the Bee.

must own I had my doubts, on reading your paper in the Bee, relative to rearing the silk worm in Scotland, if such a project was practicable; but on paying some attention to the subject, I begin to be of your opinion, for the following reasons.

In the province of Pekin in China, where silk is spun in great quantities, the winters are much more severe than you ever experience in Scotland, according to the observations of our Rufsian students, placed there to learn the language, who find Reaumeur's thermometer, from 10 to 15, and even 20 deVOL. Xviii.

L

grees below the freezing point, during that season; whereas the extraordinary cold observed at Glasgow by Dr Irvin and Mr Wilson, in January 1780, and which made so much noise as a phenomenon occuring probably only once in an age, was only about 18 degrees of Reaumeur, which is, as I suppose, two thirds more than the mean of your ordinary winter cold.

The white mulberry tree, which is the most favoured and natural food of the silk worm, is likewise a native of the same province and climate.

I think also that the three following facts militate in favour of the new Caledonian manuíactory, which you so strongly recommend; and that a sort of presumptive evidence may be drawn from them, that the climate will not prove too severe for the apparently delicate insect.

The first is, that the eggs of the silk worm are not hurt by even a severe frost.

Now as we know that the great architect of the universe, has done nothing in vain, (a truth that natural history points out more and more every day, however unfashionable such an argument may be,) we have reason to believe, that he intended this useful insect for a great range of climate, like many other links of the vast chain of animated beings, wherever it would be of use to his admirable system.

2.

The white mulberry tree, its favourite and natural food, is as little hurt by a severe frost, as the eggs of the insect; for it stands even the winters of Sweden,

3. I have in my pofsefsion, a web made in my own garden in the imperial cadet corps of St Petersburg, (near a yard long, and half as broad,) by another species of phalana, who not only spin as fine silk as the phalena bombyx, the true silk worm, but weave it into a web in large societies, a circumstance which has procured the insect the name of the phalena sociella, or colonella; nay, it is only this superfluous trouble taken by the too industrious worm, which prevents its production being as serviceable as that of the other.

From the above three facts, I say a sort of presumptive evidence arises in favour of the succefs of your new manufactory.

I think likewise that some light may be thrown on the subject, by examining the nature of the food of the silk worm.

The proper food of this insect, is certainly the mulberry tree, or rather its leaves, although it will live, I will not say how long, on lettuce, cichory, dandelion, the leaves of the elm and fig tree; and lastly on nettles, which have so strong a botanic affinity with

The mulberry tree.

Linnæus enumerates seven varieties of it, viz. the white, red, black, Tartarian, Indian, paperifera, and tinctoria; five of these the silk worm is known to feed on, although its taste for the last two is doubtful; and in my opinion the four first and most favoured of these trees, may be naturalized in Scotland with much safety; for the white and red are known to stand climates much more severe than

Nov: 20: that of Scotland; and all four harder winters than any you feel at home; so that in the great range allowed to the growth of its food, we have another presumptive proof that the silk worm was intended to inhabit high, as well as low latitudes.

But to examine the four different species of mulberry a little more particulary.

The first on the list is the white, which, as it has been said already to stand the climate of Sweden, there can be no doubt of its standing the much milder climate of Scotland.

The 2d, or the red, a native of America, grows spontaneously about Quebec. There is little doubt of its finding the climate of Scotland more than ge

nial.

The 3d, or black, you may certainly likewise count your own, as it delights in bleak situations, exposed to wind on the sea fhore; a taste which certainly Scotland can as ampy indulge it in, as

most countries.

And as to the 4th, or Tartarian mulberry, which you so much desire to pofsefs, and which I expect soon to be able to furnish you with, through my friend Pallas, again on his travels in Rufsia, there is as little doubt of its thriving in Scotland; as it is a hardy tree, which stands likewise severer winters than any it will meet with in Caledonia. Now let me tell you Sir, there are few silk rearing countries, which can boast or four species of the mulberry tree; so that if you can introduce all that I have endeavoured to fhew practicable, you will pofsefs more than most others.

The Persians at Ghilan, for example, where so much silk is spun, can only offer two species to their worms, the white and red, whilst at Zazczyn, the silk rearing province of Rufsia, one species only, the Tartarian, is to be found.

As to the superior qualities of the different species, probably there is very little to be pointed out amongst the four just mentioned, with regard to nourishment, except what may be drawn from the following fact; that if the first three are laid down together, the silk worm will first eat the white, then the red, and next the black, in the order of the tenderness of the leaves.

The Tartarian seems to hold as high a place in its esteem, as either the red or black; but all must yield to the white, which seems to be its natural food.

Now, Mr Editor, if an advice could be given with propriety, by a man in my latitude, on such a subject, I should think that in your rather uncertain climate, two precautions will be necefsary; the first to hatch the eggs in the Persian manner, by carrying them near the warmest part of the human body, wrapped up in a cotton rag; which will insure their hatching in fourteen days at farthest, with much more certainty than from the action of your capricious sun, and exactly at the time when their destined food is ready. To be sure this practice. may occasion some dispute amongst the Edinburgh physiologists; but I suppose they will generally agree, that it is the heart in Scotland, and the bead