COMMERCIAL GROWTH OF SILK.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 906, 4 January 1868, Page 3

COMMERCIAL GROWTH OF SILK.

K^oificuLAJt Has been sent to Superintendents ,of Provinces, by the Colonial Secretary, covering the subjoined letter : — Brisbane, Queensland, and : Glebe, Sydney, Nov. 30, 1867. To the Honorable the Colonial Secretary .-'" of New Zealand. Sir, — Y"ou may be aware that, engaged in an enterprise having for its object the commercial growth of silk in Australia, we,, after several years of study, labour, and expense, have been so fortunate as to succeed in introducing the valuable variety known as the " ailant" . silkworm, and that this important source of wealth is now thoroughly naturalised in this climate. We have made to the Governments of this colony and of Queensland differing proposals to furnish them with living stock, on certain conditions, for gratuitous distribution in all parts, and particularly in places beyond or out of reach of our personal direct action, and the Government of New South Wales has promised, to carry out our suggestion, to set forth by its own authority such elementary information as may be sufficient to afford opportunity to persons in remote localities to acquire a certain knowledge of the nature, habits, mode of production, value, &c, of the animal in question, which thrives out-of-doors, and without any protection or expensive provision for its management, and is therefore singularly well adapted to become an important staple in colonies circumstanced as these are. — . We have reflected that the introduction of this peculiar silkworm has for several years been ineffectually attempted by public bodies as well as by private individuals, and that, from the nature of the case, it may be long before others attain equal success with ourselves, and regarding it both as a duty and a privilege to do, as far as • lay with us, what may avail in a considerable degree to advance the prosperity of our fellow-colonists, we beg you to be good enough to present our dutiful respects to the Governor of New Zealand, and to say that it. will afford us much pleasure to place at command of his Excellency, and also of the Superintendents of the several Provinces under his Government, any quantity of the live stock of the ailant silkworm that may be requisite for gratuitous distribution, so as to render it generally accessible, and a source of income to all persons who may have discernment enough to make adequate provision for the sustenance of the animal in quantity to be of more than mere nominal value. SbxMd his Excellency be advised to accept our gift, we must beg permission to offer one stipulation : we would ask that the. stock shall not be given to any person for purposes of amusement, and only to such as may satisfy the Government tliat they have already made preparation, and 'specify what food they have got in- possession for the support of the silkworms insufficient numbers to realise a substantial result in a mercantile sense. We have no knowledge of the nature of the New Zealand land laws, nor if any encouragement is held out to pastoral tenants, or freeholders to attempt any new industry ; but we may say that we do know of our own knowledge that the climate of New Zealand, by reason of its greater moisture, is more favourable than even that of New South Wales, excellent as this is for the propagation of the ailant silkworm, and that it would have fewer natural enemies to contend against. We have only further to add that, should you desire any information or assistance, we shall be very happy to place any resources we may possess freely at your disposal. — We have, &c, (Signed) Asselin and Beady.