TARANAKI GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.

71

and otherwise not in the same manner as if such vessel were arriving from a Port not in the Australian Colonies.

2. No vessel which is bound by the foregoing regulations, or by the Quarantine Regulations already in force, to hoist the Health Officer’s flag, is to bring up in the usual anchorage, even in the event of there being delay in communicating with her, from any cause whatsoever; and every vessel so bound is to hoist the Health Officer’s flag as aforesaid, which may enter any New Zealand Port by night, shall be brought up clear of the shipping, and the Master of such vessel shall hoist a bright light at the mast, in addition to the usual anchor light, as if such vessel were actually in quarantine, until she has been communicated with as provided by the Quarantine Regulations; and the Master shall be in all cases responsible for any breach of these regulations by or on board such vessel, whether done or caused by his directions or neglect or not.

3. Until such vessel has been communicated with by the Health Officer, or other officer acting for him, the Master shall not allow any person to go on board; but in the event of any person going on board, the Master shall keep him or her on board until the Health Officer has boarded the vessel clear.

4. No Master or Surgeon of any vessel shall on any pretext give false or evasive answers to any questions put to him relative to the health of the ship by the Health Officer, or by the Harbour Master, Pilot, or other officer of the Port whom shall first communicate with such vessel; nor shall any Master or Surgeon fill up the report prescribed by the Quarantine Regulations already in force untruly or incorrectly, or in such a manner as to be calculated to lead the Health Officer, or other officer of the Port acting as Health Officer, to under-estimate the seriousness of any sickness which may be, or may have been, on board such vessel.

Forsyth Govett,
Clerk of the Executive Council.

Note.—Any person offending against any of the above Regulations is subject, by “The Marine Act, 1867,” to a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Wellington 18th September, 1869.

The following letter, with enclosure, from Mr. T. C. Batcherlor, of Nelson, on the subject of the Culture of Silkworms, is published for general information:

Nelson, 27th August, 1869.

Sir,—In consequence of the steps taken by the Silk Society of Great Britain for the encouragement of Sericulture in the Colonies, I have been requested to forward the enclosed circular of my proceedings in Sericulture for general information; and should you consider the culture of Silk of any worth to New Zealand, I should feel most happy to render any information in my power as to silkworms and mulberry trees, the more especially as per next mail I shall be in direct communication with the above Society.

I remain, &c.,
T. C. Batchelor.

The Hon. W. Fox.

CULTURE OF SILK.

Wakapuaka, 17th March, 1869.

Sir,—I will thank you to bring under the notice of the Acclimatization Society the following particulars concerning my attempt at cultivating the silkworm in this Province, which I have reasons for believing possess some interest. Of my previous labor little need be said, beyond that for three seasons my cocoons have all been obtained from worms fed upon the broad-leaved Tuscan mulberry.

I commenced hatching the worms last season on the 1st of November, and the greater portion were in cocoon by the end of January, which was from ten to fifteen days over the proper time. The number of worms hatched was above 3,000, and the time occupied in feeding and attendance on them I estimate at two hours daily. Were a person during the season to devote his whole time to sericulture, after a little experience and with proper appliances the number of worms he could attend to would be almost incredible. Through ignorance of the quantity of food the worms would consume I did not attempt a succession of hatchings, but I found my trees would have fed a second lot; and with a greater number of trees, four if not five hatchings of worms might be fed in a season. In Persia, it is not uncommon to raise eight or even ten lots of worms in a season; in Italy and the South of France, the number is five or six; and in St. Petersburgh, short as the summer is, four hatchings of worms have been obtained. As the mulberry flourishes remarkably well here, I see no reason why sericulture should not be quite as successful in Nelson as in France or Italy; and, as the worms are fed indoors, artificial heat could be supplied if necessary. In several of the States of America sericulture is becoming a common industry, one person alone having last year produced 750 lbs. of silk.

I remain, &c.,
T. C. Batchelor.