The production. of silk in the Philippine Islands for export is wkely to be revived in the near future, after being abandoned for about 70 years, in the opinion of. Dr. Charles S. Banks, former entomologist in the Bureau of Science in Manila, who has just returned from Nueva Apolonia, trovinee, of Oriental Negroes, where he has supervised the planting of a large tract in mulberry trees and where he says a superior grade of silk is being produced on small scale.
"At Nueva Apolonia conditions are in every way suited to the industry," said Mr. Banks. "The climate is cool because of the altitude, 1,500 feet above sea level. and the silk worms produce eight generations a year. They are free from all diseases and grow to an unusual size, "The chief handicap under which the silk industry has laboured in the past in the <Philippines, has been the lack of initiative in the planting of mulberry trees in suffeient quantity to enable the raising of silk worms in commercial quantities. At Nueva Apolonia we have some 40 acres of taulberry trees and are producing silk that is superior to the grades that have for many' years been imported from China and sold at high prices. We are doing this with improvised' implements and the assistance of inexpert helpers, _and yet under these conditions have just brought to conclusion a crop of 150,000 silk worms that were fed on mulberry leaves that grew to luxuriant size and; succulency, Mechanical reeling will be installed at the plantation and thousands of mulberry trees are to be planted every month."
Nearly 150 years ago silk worm culture' was taken up in_ the Philippines and the silk industry grew to considerable proportions until about 70 years ago when it was virtually abandoned because of a lack of labourers, according to some authorities. Other authorities assert that the industry was broken down by revoluntionists who destroyed the mulberry trees and burned the Luildings of the silk farmers.
Manuel. Artigas, chief, of the Philippine division of the Philippine Library, in the "Bibliographi~- ai Notes on Philippine Agriculture," says:
"Knowing the commercial value of silk, Governor Pasco, soon after' his arrival in the Islands in, 1781, instructed Father Galsiano. an Augustinian priest. to purchase mulberry: trees which were growing profusely on the San Jose College grounds. They gave silk superior in quality to the European variety.
"Silk worm culture was taken
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