then the trees must grow at least two years, and should grow five
years, before the leaves are used. This, of itself, was enough to deter
but a very few from silk culture. But they made it appear, also, that
very expensive appliances for a cocoonery were necessary, and only the
most costly breeds of worms should be used, entailing greater expense
and difficulty. The books were, and for that matter are, filled with dry
scientific details of the internal construction of the worm and of its
habits--details which only confused the learner and which, though giving
an author material from which to deduce rules of instruction, should
have been omitted from the book and their place supplied with the rules
deduced. In short, it seemed to be the prime object to make sericulture
as hard and forbidding as possible, and to deter the people from it
rather than to induce them to engage in the work. For this very reason
there has been considerable popular indifference to it, and from the
agricultural press it has not received that attention which so promising
an industry deserves. I would not be so unjust as to leave the reader to
infer that all authors on sericulture have been thus guilty. There have
been some very few who from the very start have presented it in as easy
and practicable a light as was consistent with successful work. Nor
would I be ready to assert that those who have said it could not be made
financially profitable without mulberry groves, fancy priced worms, and
expensive appliances, have done so from base motives. Yet it would
appear as if not a few could be justly indicted of this; for they have
mulberry sprouts, fancy priced worms, and costly appliances to sell. And
perhaps it occurred to them that if they deterred the people generally
from taking hold of it, they would have less opposition and competition.

But be this as it may, the fact is that it is not necessary to have
mulberry groves, costly appliances, or even fancy priced worms (though
good worms only should be reared), in order to profitably engage in
sericulture. I know of no business presenting so promising an opening
that requires less capital. And I say this, having no axe to grind in
any way, simply for the sake of those girls and women who might make
money by it, and who would do so if they only knew the facts. I have no
book, no sprouts, no worms, nothing whatever, to sell.

I have said that the leaves of the mulberry are not essential to silk
gro