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NEW INDUSTRIES.
(Communicated).
So much has been lately said and written
about the actual and future products of
this colony that we feel it incumbent upon
us to once more refer to the subject, especially
as we are now more in a position
to give what we consider really useful and
reliable information on in cul-
ture and sericulture and we trust the
colonists and the Government will for
once give the matter serious attention
and exert their energies in striving to encourage
the culture of any industry, and
not waste valuable time in useless arguments
against any feasible measure
brought before their notice.
There is a class of men whose knowledge
of the resources of this colony is so
limited, that corn growing, hay and sheep
farming, is about its extent, and these
pursuits they condemn by saying they do
not pay, consequently they have got into
the one groove and rail at the colony, the
Government, everything and everybody ;
it never enters their heads that it is possible
there is another field open to them
and that new industries may become
more profitable than the old-in fact
make a colony rich and prosperous.
Coffee growing, sericulture, vine cultivation,
we, are at times mooted, and the
objections urged by the colonists are
simply that the one costs too much, the
second is all nonsense, and the third will
not pay - that the returns are not
quick enough that they would have to
wait four or five years while the plants
and trees are growing. These arguments
are very short sighted and those who believe
them must be very apathetic; to
believe that any colony can be made a
flourishing country without expending
time, capital, and labor, is simply absurd.
With regard to the growth of the
coffee plant, we are glad to hear that experiments
are now being tried, and that
to the present time the results of those experiments
have proved most satisfactory.
We are informed that the expense of cultivating
this branch of industry is very
small in proportion to the large returns
and this will no doubt shortly be
proved.
The two industries, however, which we
wish to draw particular attention to, are
vine culture and sericulture more especially
at this time, as there is now a
gentleman residing among us whose advent
we lately noticed. We are given to
understand that he has had long practical
experience in the cultivation of the vine
and the nurture of the silkworm in Italy.
impressed with the suitableness of the
soil and climate of this colony, he is, we
believe, prepared, on certain conditions
to remain here and give his earnest
attention to the introduction of
sericulture and the growth of the vine on
a large scale. These conditions are really
very moderate, being, firstly, assistance in
getting Italian laborers from England
he defraying the expenses of their passages
from Italy to England ; secondly, the
grant of a small block of land for planting
vines and the mulberry and lastly that a
bonus should be offered to the first person
who produces in this colony and exports
from it a certain weight of silk in a given
number of years-say five or six. This
latter condition would act as an encouragement
to those who would first under-
take the introduction of sericulture and
would create competition.
With regard to the cultivation of the
vine, we are given to understand that a
great deal can be done both to improve
the assortment of vines, by importing
from the other colonies cuttings of peculiar
kinds which we have not in this co-
lony and by proper attention to the wine
when in the cellar-the latter operation,
though simple to those who understand
it from practical experience as with
everything else is very difficult to an
amateur or theoretical person, who invariably
carries trines to excess, and little
needs the most important operations
this is the secret of so very much of the
wine made here turning sour. If this colony
is to become a great wine growing
country and there is no earthly reason
why it should not-all these blunders
must be prevented and the vignerons
must be brought to believe that a good
cellar and fermenting room is as indispensable
as trenching and planting.
Sericulture is an industry which probably
only a few in this colony know anything
about, we therefore think it necessary
to give an insight into its profitable
working.
In the first place, those who have been
accustomed to keep silkworms entertain
the idea that breeding them on a large
scale would be very expensive as well as
troublesome-in fact that such a pursuit
would " not pay." We will endeavor, to
prove that those who entertain such an
idea are wrong, by giving the following
particulars obtained from a reliable source
-A laborer with a family of six children,
the eldest we will suppose to be about
sixteen, having selected a patch of ground
of say one acre for his homestead-by
planting one half his land with mulberry
trees twelve feet from each other, he
would grow sufficient food to support
worms, the cocoons of which would be
worth between of and at the time
of rearing would last from thirty-five to
forty days, the family would not require
assistance excepting during the last week
when the worms require more attention.
The profit to capitalists engaging in the
enterprise is estimated by our informant
at £100 per acre," supposing the worms ?
free from disease.
We have no hesitation in saving silk
culture is, according to this showing a
profitable branch of industry, and we
trust inducements will be held out to the
gentleman who is now among us, who we
believe thoroughly understands the minutiae
of sericulture and wine producing, to
remain with, us, and we trust that, his
efforts may end in this colony becoming
a great wine and silk producing country.
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