Essentials of Sericulture

Preface

In the past, mulberry was not planted here. Yet the local customs remain diligent and frugal; therefore, teaching the people the art of cultivation should be entirely successful. However, I consider that while the common people can easily enjoy the rewards of a finished task, it is difficult to involve them in the planning of a new beginning.

Since silkworm rearing is not a long-standing habit in this region, the many complexities—the labor of preparing the facilities, the readiness of tools and equipment, the methods for sunning and feeding, the timing of the silkworms' "sleep" and "waking" cycles Silkworms go through four or five molting stages, known as "sleeps," where they stop eating before shedding their skin., the critical balance of warmth and coolness, and the careful selection of leaves and the dividing of the silkworms into baskets—all require specific knowledge. Furthermore, the processing of cocoons, the reeling of silk, and the collection of moths to preserve the seeds In sericulture, "seeds" refers to the eggs for the next season's crop. are all tasks that, without established rules to follow, would be difficult for every household to fully understand.

I heard that the Gao family of Wuxing Wuxing, in modern-day Zhejiang province, has been a famous center of high-quality silk production for centuries. had written a manual on silkworms. I managed to purchase a single handwritten manuscript of this work. Regarding the methods of preparing the soil, planting mulberry trees, raising the worms, and processing the silk, it encompasses every detail from beginning to end, organized into clear and meticulous sections.

It is a pity, however, that the manuscript has not been widely circulated and contains many "pigs and fishes" errors original: "hai shi duo e" (亥豕多訛); a traditional Chinese idiom referring to clerical errors caused by characters that look similar, specifically the characters for "pig" (shi) and the cyclical sign "hai.". Therefore, I have edited and corrected the text and sent it to the woodblock carvers original: "ji jue" (剞劂); refers to the professional carving of printing blocks, signifying the work is being officially published. for printing. I have titled the book Essentials of Sericulture. It is my hope to share and teach this with my people, so that even those who have never studied these skills before may use this book as a guide and encouragement...