Wosib, Ku, May 24 blem which hi well other parts of the country is the Secline in' rural conditions. The serious fall in the price of agricul gral products has" greatly elimin shed the income of the farmers They hi living, and in some eases t been able to get onl have sunk further into debt, Sericulture provides another chief source of their income, "But with the fall-the zenith of its prosperity, ere were about fifty silk features wusih with an annual production more than $5,000,000 worth raw silk. But on account of the world wide financial difficulty and the competition from' Japan, the rice of Chinese raw sill: has fallen'
great deal, and the silk' filatures riflered great lenses. Out df forty. seven silk filatures in Wasih only remained open last year, The he price of raw silk brought with it the fall in the price of fresh oceans. This further decreased the come of the peasants and has resulted further deterioration of the rural districts, Though the interest of the far-price of fresh cocoons, yet they Took upon it On the average rears three sheets more than 300,000 sheets of cocoon seeds were sold, One of the encouraging signs this year. has been that there seems to be wider market for Chine: raw silk Several "silk filatures that" were closed last year have reopened. The thunder storms last "week had a Little citect on the development. of the silk worms, most of them are now in the final stage of making cocoons. 'The "total production of cocoons in Wusih this year will not bye so much as in. preceding years. This can be seen from the fact that there is very little demand for mulberry leaves on the market." They avo sold only' at 80 conte apical. The cocoon merchants will meet. May 26 to discuss the date of opening' cocoon hongs and the price of fresh cocoons, which many' prediet will be ut $20" to $40 a' picul.
May 27, VICAR APOSTOLIC OF, Appointment of Rev. George de Jonghe d'Ardoye sions Society, has been appointed Vicar Apostolic of Yunnanfu, according to a despatch received in Peking Bishop de Jonghe was for seventeen years engaged in mi Szechuen. or the. past "five years, The has been secretary' of the Synodal Commission Peking: and during this time, throughout China tholic educational institutions.
Chevalier of the Belgian' Crown an Offices French the Academy.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.