MEMORANDUM OF ACTION TAKEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH
G.—No. 14.
8
acres of land as voted by the House of Representatives last Session, making in all 2,060 mulberry trees now planted. The trees planted last season have been carefully tended and have made good progress. It will require another year before any leaves can be taken from those first planted, unless the ensuing summer is more favourable than the past one. I have been keeping account of the cost of planting one acre with mulberry trees ; and unless the trees can be purchased at a lower rate than has been charged this season, £50 is not more than will cover the expenses. I received applications for more than I have planted, but had none to sell. There are now planted, with this present season, about 1,500 trees in excess of mine, owned by some nine or ten persons. The great drawback is the want of trees. Our gardeners will grow as many as possible, but they have no stock to start from. The healthfulness of the silkworms and the superior quality of the cocoons of last season have induced many persons to give sericulture a trial that looked on in doubt hitherto. I have, Ac, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. T. C. Batchelor.
No. 12. Mr. Greenfield to the Hon. W. Gisborne. Sir, — Superintendent's Office, Nelson, 18th July, 1871. I have the honor to report for your information, that I have, at the request of Mr. Batchelor, again visited his mulberry plantations at Wakapuaka, and I find that since my last report he has planted about three acres, with about 1,200 mulberry trees. They are planted on the side of a low range of hills, in very fair soil; the ground has not been dug all over, but small round places have been dug, about 2 feet across, and the trees planted therein. The trees are small, and have been cut back to about 1 foot from the surface. Those planted last year do not appear to have done well; this is probably owing to transplanting, and perhaps in some degree to the sourness of the ground —these trees have also been cut back like the others. I have, Ac, Alfred Greenfield, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Provincial Secretary.
No. 13. Mr. Batchelor to the Hon. W. Gisborne. Sir— Nelson, 12th July, 1871. I beg to inform you that in January last I received eight cards of silkworm eggs from you of considerable value owing to the difficulty of foreigners being able to procure good eggs from Japan. You likewise request me to use my best endeavours to reproduce in cocoons and eggs for distribution throughout the Colony, and for comparison. Having completed my season's work some days, and a good supply of leaves, with great pleasure I set to work to carry out your views. For more than four weeks I tried to rear some, but with no success. There was not the least difficulty in hatching the worms, but the question was how to keep them alive. In from three to four days they shrivelled up and died. Thinking that they required a different kind of mulberry, I tried a few with several kinds of mulberry leaves, but with no better results. I carefully examined some of the worms under a powerful glass, and found that they had not strength to bite the leaf, and only subsisted for a short time by the sap from the cut edge of the leaves, which did not form sufficient nourishment, and caused them to perish. I attribute the failure so far to the lateness of the season, coupled with an extreme dryness of the weather that prevailed at this time. For as soon as a change took place in the weather, those that were freshed hatched were much stronger and thrived. It now being the end of February, it was hopeless to expect food sufficient to raise a large quantity. I took small portions of the cards (the remainder I had kept under 50° Fahr.), and succeeded in raising some of the green and some of the white, also some eggs, enough to start with next season. I have examined the cards that I have put by, and they have every appearance of being in good condition, and will turn to a good account this next season. In the letter accompanying the eggs, Dr. Hector lays much stress on the value to be derived from transmitting eggs to Europe. A short time since I received a letter and circulars from a Silk Broker in England stating that eggs of first-class quality from Australia realized twenty-five shillings per ounce last year. New Zealand is every bit as well situated to raise eggs in time to suit the mulberry as Australia for the European market. To persons carrying on sericulture it is of the utmost importance to have a market for the sale of eggs. For one pound of cocoons, worth say five shillings, will produce more than one ounce of eggs, worth say twenty shillings. Further, it is extremely doubtful if silk of a first class can be raised before the mulberry trees are at least five years old. In reading Captain Baldwin's valuable report, it is by him considered doubtful as to the Moras alba growing from cuttings. I tried a number last year, and they grew freely. I have, Ac, The Hon. W. Gisborne, Colonial Secretary. T. C. Batchelor.
No. 14. Mr. Batchelor to the Hon. W. Gisborne. Sir,— Nelson, 14th July, 1871. In your last despatch you requested me to render to the Government, for the benefit of the Colony, any information and particulars respecting my proceedings in sericulture that may be of value or interest. As such I beg to submit the following:—