INSTRVCTIons for the increasing of Mulberie Trees, and the breeding of Silke-wormes, for the making of Silke in this Kingdome.
Whereunto is annexed his Maiesties Letters to the Lords Liefetenants of the seuerall Shieres of England, tending to that purpose.
LONDON Printed by E.A. for Eleazar Edgar, and are to be solde at his Shop in Paules-Church-yard, at the Signe of the Winde-mill. 1609
To the READER.
AS one desirous of nothing more then the publike good, I here most willingly impart vnto thee (Gentle Reader) that which by my own experience I finde in regard of the benefit it affoords, worthy thy paines and obseruatiō. It hath pleased his Maiestie out of his deepe discerning iudgemēt, to giue my purpose a special approbatiō & withal to expresse a willingnesse in himselfe to further so good a businesse as by his gratious Letters hereunto annexed moste manifestly appeares. Accept therefore of these my briefe directions, & approoue of them as they prooue: I could haue extended them to a farther length; but Oratorie needs not where the thing it selfe perswades: Yet some peraduenture that haue laboured in the like before, will take occasion to countenance themselues & make my breuitie an argument of vnsufficiency, although I hope they will consider that a Kings Picture may bee as perfect in a penny as in the largest coine.
And whatsoeuer hath beene by them published, interpreting other mens workes, according to the practise thereof in Forraigne parts, where the same as yet is generally better vnderstood, I doubt not but future tryall will verifie this my booke to be euerie way heere more correspondent to the creature whereof it treates: and for such I commend it to each vnpartiall vnderstanding.
IT is a principall part of that Christian care which appertaineth to soueraigntie, to endeauour by all meanes possible, aswell to beget as to increase among their people the knowledge and practise of all Artes and Trades, whereby they may be both wained from idlenesse & the enormities therof, which are infinite, and exercised in such industries and labours, as are accompained with euident hopes, not onely of preseruing people from the shame and greefe of penuire, but also of raysing and increasing them in wealth and aboundance, The scope which euerie freeborne spirit aymeth at, not in regard of himselfe onely and the ease which a plentiful estate bringeth to euerie one in his particuler, but also in regard of the honor of their natiue country, whose [Page]commendations is no waie more set foorth then in the peoples actiuenes and industrie. The consideration whereof hauing of late occupied our minde, who alwaies esteeme our peoples good our necessarie contemplations, we haue cōceiued as well by the discourse of our owne reason, as by information, gathered from others, that the making of silke might as well be effected heere as it is in the kingdome of France, where the same hath of late yeares beene put in practise: For neither is the clymate of this Ile so far distinct or different in condition from that countrie, especially frō the hither parts therof, but that it is to be hoped that those things which by industry prosper there, may by like industrie vsed heere haue like successe: and many priuate persons who for their pleasure haue bred of those wormes, haue found no experience to the contrarie, but that they may be nourished and maintained heere if prouision were made for planting of Mulberie trees, whose leaues are the food of the Wormes. And therefore wee haue thought good hereby to let you vnderstand, that although in suffering this inuention to take place, we doe shew our selues somewhat an aduersary to our profit, which in the matter of our Customes for silk brought from beyond the Seas, will receiue some deminution: Neuerthelesse, when there is question of so great and publique vtilitie to come to our kingdome [Page]and subiects in generall, and whereby (besides multitudes of people of both sexes and all ages) such as in regard of impotencie are vnfitte for other labour, may bee set on worke, comforted and releeued; We are content that our priuate benefit shall giue way to the publique, and therefore beeing perswaded that no well affected Subiect will refuse to put his helping hand to such a work as can haue no other priuate end in vs, but the desire of the wel-fare of our people, we haue thought good in this forme onely to require you (as a person of greatest authoritie within that Countie) and from whome the generalitie may receiue notice of our pleasure (with more conueniencie them otherwise) to take occasion either at the quarter Sessions, or at some other publique place of meeting, to perswade and require such as are of abilitie (without discending to trouble the poore, for whome we seeke to prouide) to buye and distribute in that Countie, the number of ten thousand Mulberie plants, which shal be deliuered vnto them at our Cittie of &c, at the rate of three farthinges the Plant; or at sixe shillings the hundred, containing fiue-score plants. And because the buying of the said Plants at this rate, may at first seeme chargeable to our said subjects, (whome we would bee loath to burthen) wee haue taken order, that in March or Aprill next, there shall be deliuered at [Page]the saide place a good quantitie of Mulberie-seedes, there to be sold to such as will buy them, By meanes whereof the said plants will bee deliuered at a smaller rate them they can be afforded being caried from hence: hauing resolued also in the meane time that there shall bee published in print a plaine Instruction and direction, both for the encreasing of the saide Mulberie-trees, the breeding of the Silke-worms, & all other thinges needefull to be vnderstood, for the perfecting of a work euery way so cōmendable & profitable as wel to the planter as to those that shal vse the trade; Hauing now made knowne vnto you the motiues as they stād, with the publik good, wherin euerie man is interessed, because wee knowe how much the example of our owne Deputie-Lieuetenants and Iustices, wil further this cause, if you and other your neighbours wil be content to take some good quātities hereof, to distribute vpon your owne landes: wee are content to acknowledge thus much more in this direction of ours, that all thinges of this nature tending to plantations, increase of Science, and works of industrie, are thinges so naturally pleasing to our owne disposition, as wee shall take it for an argument of extraordinarie affection towards our person, besides, the iudgement we shall make of the good dispositions in all those that shall expresse in any kinde their ready mindes, to further [Page]the same, And shal esteeme that in furthering the same, they seeke to further our honour and contentment, who hauing seene in few yeares space past, that our Brother the French King hath since his comming to that Crowne, both begun and brought to perfection the making of Silkes in his countrie, whereby he hath wonne to himself honour, and to his subiects a meruailous increase of wealth, would account it no little happines to vs, if the same worke which wee begun among our people with no lesse zeale to their good (then any Prince can haue to the good of theirs) might in our time produce the fruits which there it hath done; wherof we nothing doubt if ours will be found as tractable and apt to further their owne good, now the way is shewed them by vs their Soueraigne, As these of France haue bene to conforme themselues to the directions of their King.
Giuen vnder our Signet at our Pallace of Westminster, the Sixteenth of Nouember, in the sixt yeare of England, France and Ireland, and of Scotland the two & fortieth.
INSTRƲCTIONS For the increase and planting of Mulberie Trees.
VVhat ground is fit for the Mulberie seedes, how the same is to be ordered, & in what sort the seedes are to be sowed therein.
THE ground which ought to be appointed for this purpose, besides the naturall goodnesse of it, must be reasonably well dunged, and withall so scituated, as that the heate of the sunne may cherish it, and the nipping blastes of either the North winde or the East, may not annoy it: the choice thereof thus made, that the seeds may the better prosper, & come vp after they bee sowne, you shal dig it two foote deepe, breaking the clods as small as may be, and afterward you shall deuide the same into seuerall Beds of not aboue fiue foote in breadth, so that you shal not neede to indanger the plants by treading vpon them, when either you water or weede them.
The Mulberie seedes you shall lay in water for the space of xxii houres, and after that you shall drye them againe halfe drie, or somewhat more, that when you sowe them they may not cleaue together: Thus done, you must cast them vppon the fore saide beds, not altogether so thicke as you vse to doe other [Page]garden Seedes, and then couer them with some fine earth (past thorough a Siue) about halfe an inch thicke: In drye weather you shall water them euerie two daies at the farthest, as likewise the Plants that shall come of them; and keepe them as cleane from weedes as possibly you can.
The time in which you ought to sowe them for your best aduantage, is either in March, Aprill, or May, when frostes are either altogether past, or at the least not so sharpe, or of so long continuance, as to indanger their vpspring.
There is yet another way to sowe them, and that is as followeth: you shall (being directed by a straite line) make certaine furrowes in the beds aboue mencioned of some foure fingers deepe, and about a foot in distance the one from the other: After this, you shall open the earth with your hands, on either side of the aforesaid Furrowes, some two fingers from the bottome, and where you haue so opened it, shall you sowe your seedes; and then couer them halfe a finger thicke with the earth which before you opened.
VVhen the Plants that are sprung vp of the seeds, are to bee remooued, and how they are to be planted the first time.
IN the monethes of September, October, Nouember, December, March or Aprill, the next yeare after the seedes are sowne, you may remooue their plants, (or in the month of Ianuarie, if it bee not in frostie weather) and set them in the like beds as before, and about one foote the one from the other, but first you must cut off their rootes about 8. inches in length, and their tops about halfe a foote aboue their roots, more or lesse, according to the strength of the saide plants, for the weaker they be the lesse tops you shal leaue them. In this sort you may suffer them to remaine (weeding and watering them as neede shall require) till they bee growne sixe foote in length aboue their roots, whereunto when once they haue attained, you may cut their tops, and suffer them to spread, alwaies hauing a care to take away the many branches or succours, that may any way hinder their growth, vntil they be come to their full length of sixe foot, as a foresaid.
VVhen, and how the Plants are to be remooued the second time, and in what manner they are to bee planted where they shall remaine.
IN the Monethes aforesaid, (according as your plants are waxen strong,) you may remoue them either into the hedges of your fields, or into any other groūds. If in hedges, you must set them sixeteene foote the one from the other, if in other grounde, intending to make a wood of them eighteene foote at the least. But a month before you doe remooue them, you must make the holes (wherein you purpose to set thē) about foure foot in breadth, and so deep as that their rootes may bee well couered, and some halfe a foote of loose earth left vnder them, hauing alwaies a speciall care so to place them, that they may receiue the benefit of the Sunne, and not to be shadowed or ouer-spred by any neighbouring trees.
VVhen, and how the egges of the Silke-wormes are to be hatched, and how to order the Wormes that shall come of them.
WHen the leaues of Mulberie trees begin a little to bud foorth, take the Egges of your Silke-wormes, and lay them in a peece of Say, or such like stuffe, and in the day time carie them in some warme place about you, in a little safe Boxe, but in the night either lay them in your bed or betweene two warme pillowes, vntill such time as the wormes begin to come foorth: then take a peece of paper of the widenes of the said boxe, & hauing cut it full of small hoales, lay in within the same vppon the Egges, and vppon that againe some fewe Mulberie leaues, to which the Wormes as they are hatched, will continually come. These leaues with the wormes vpon them, you must still remooue into other boxes, laying fresh leaues aswel on those that are remooued as on the paper where the Egges are; and this is the course which must be duely kept and obserued, vntill such times as all the wormes be come foorth of their shels, still keeping their boxes warme: as aforesaide, but no longer about you, but vntill the wormes begin to come forthout of which boxes you may safely take them, when once they haue past their second sicknesse, and feede them vpon shelues of two foote in bredth, and eighteene inches one aboue the other, as in this figure following is expressed.
The said shelues are not to be place in any ground-roome, nor yet next vnto the Tyles, but in some middle roome of your house which openeth vpon the North & south, that you may the more conueniently giue them either heate or ayre, according as the time & seasō shal require. Besides, you must not make them close vnto the Walles but so as you may passe about them, the better to looke vnto the Wormes, & keepe them from Rats & Mice, which otherwise might deuoure them. You must obserue the times of their comming foorth, and keepe euerie one or two daies hatching by themselues, that you may the better vnderstand their seuerall sicknesses or sleepings, which are foure in the time of their feeding. The first commonly some twelue daies after they are hatched, and from that time at the end of euerie eight daies, according to the weather and their good or ill vsage: during which time of euery sicknesse, which lasteth two or three daies, you must feede them but verie little, as onely to releeue such of them, as shall haue past their sicknesse before the rest, and those that shall not fall into their sicknesse so soone.
The whole time that the wormes doe feede, is about nine weekes, whereof vntill they come vnto their first sickenes, giue them young Mulberie leaues twice euerie day, but few at a time; from thence vntil their second sicknesse, twice euerye day in greater quantity; and so from their second to their third sicknesse, increasing the quantity of the leaues, according as you perceiue the wormes to grow in strength, and cleare of sicknesse: from the third vntill their fourth sicknesse; you may giue them leaues thrice euery day [Page]and the fourth being past, you may let them haue so many as they will eate, alwaies hauing a care that you giue them none, but such as are drie, and well ayred vpon a Table or cloath, before they be laid vpon them, and withal gathered so neere as may be, at such times as either the sunne or winde hath cleared them of the deaw that falleth vpon them.
For the feeding of Wormes you neede obserue no other order then this, lay the Mulberie leaues vppon them, and euerie two or three daies remooue them, and make cleane their boxes, or shelues, vnlesse in times of their sicknesse, for then they are not to bee touched: the leaues which you take from them when you giue thē fresh to feed vpon, you must lay in some conuenient place, and vpon them a few new leaues, to which the wormes that lay hidden in the old, wil come, & then you may passe them with the said newe leaues to the rest of the wormes: And now least anye thing should bee omitted, which serues to perfect the discouery of so excellent a benefit, I will aduise you to bee very diligent in keeping cleane their Boxes, or Shelues, as being a speciall meanes whereby to preserue them; wherfore when you intend to doe it; you shall remooue them together with the vppermoste leaues wheron they lye, vnto other boxes or shelues, for with your hāds you may not touch them, till they haue throughly vnder-gone their third sicknesse, and then may you passe them gently with cleane handes, without doing them any harme: prouided that the partie that commeth neare them smel not of garlick, onyons or the like. The first fiue weekes of their age you must be very carefull to keepe them warme, and [Page]in time of raine or could weather, to set in the roome where they remaine, a pan with coales burning in it, now and then some Iuniper, Beniamin, and such like, that yeeldeth sweete smels. But afterwards, vnlesse in time of extraordinary cold, giue them ayre, and take heede of keeping them to hot, being alwaies mindefull to store the roome with hearbes and flowers which are delightfull and pleasing to the smell. As the wormes increase in bignesse, you shal disperse them abroad vpon more boardes, or shelues, and not suffer them to lie too thicke rogether, & if you finde any of them broken, or of a yellowe glistering collour inclining to sicknesse, cast them away least they infect the rest, and sort such as are not sicke, the greatest and strongest by themselues, for so the lesser will prosper the better.
When, and how to make fit roomes for the Wormes to worke their bottomes of silke in, and in what sorte the said bottomes are to be vsed.
AS soon as by the cleare amber coloured bodies of your wormes, you shall perceiue them ready to giue their silk, you must (with heath made verie cleane, or with the branches of Rosemarie, the stalkes of Lauender, or such like) make Arches betweene the fore-said shelues, according as this figure following doth direct you.
Vpon the branches and sprigs wherof, the wormes will fasten themselues, & make their bottoms, which in foureteene daies after the worme beginneth to worke them, you may take away; and those which you are minded to vse for the best silke, you must either presently winde or kil the wormes which are within them, by laying the saide bottoms two or three daies in the Sunne, or in some Ouen after the bread baked therein is taken out, and the fiercenesse of the heat is alaide. The other bottoms which you intend to keep for seede, you must lay in some conuenient warme place, vntill the Wormes come forth, which is commonly some sixeteene or twenty daies from the beginning of their worke: and as they doe come foorth you must put them together vpon some peece of old Say, Grogeran, the backside of old Veluet, or the like, made fast against some Wall or hanginges in your house, according as this figure following ouer the leafe, doth prescribe.
There they will ingender, and the Male hauing spent himselfe, falleth downe, and in short time after dieth, as also doth the Female, when shee hath laide her Egges, Which Egges, when you perceiue them vpon the Sey or Grogrean, &c. to be of a grayish colour, you may take them off gentlye with a knife, and hauing put them in a peece of Sey or such like, keepe them in a couered box amōgst your wollen cloathes, or the like, till the yeare following: But not in anye moist room, for it is hurtfull for them, neither where there is too much heate; least the wormes should bee hatched before you can haue any foode for them.
The making of a Wheele, as likewise the way to winde the saide Silke from the bottomes, can hardly be set downe so plainely, as to be rightly vnderstood: Wherefore when time shall serue, there shall be sent into euerie Countie of this kingdom, a Wheele ready made, and a man that shall instruct all such as are desirous to learne the vse thereof: Till when, I will commend these breefe instructions to bee carefullye considered of all such as are willing either to benefit themselues or their country, that being skilful in the Contemplation, they may the readier, and with lesse error apply themselues to Action, which painefull industrie, with Gods assistance, will quickly perfect.