Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 001.djvu/97

 The seed at first coming out is very white, but within a day it becoms greenish, then red, at last by little and little gray, which colour it retains alwaies, the most coloured of an obscure gray, being the best; those grains, which never quit their whiteness, having no fecundity in them.

Each female emits ordinarily some 300. grains, more or less, some of them not being able to render them all, and dying with them in their belly. One ounce of seed will require an hundred pair of Cases, of as many Males as Females.

Care must be taken, that no Rats, Mice, Ants, or other Vermin, nor any Hens, or Birds, come neer the Seed, they being very greedy to eat them.

This is the substance of what is contained in this French Author, published at Paris on purpose to promote the Making of Silk there, as well as it is practised already in other parts of that Kingdom: which is represented here, to the end, that from this occasion the design, which the English Nation once did entertain of the increasing of Mulberry-trees, and the Breeding of Silk-worms, for the making of Silk within themselves, may be renewed, and that encouragement, given by King James of Glorious memory for that purpose (witness that Letter which he directed to the Lords Lieutenants of the several shires of England) and seconded by this Most Excellent Majesty, that now is, be made use of, for the honour of England and Virginia, and the increase of wealth to the people thereof: especially since there is cause of hope, that a double Silk-harvest may be made in one Summer in Virginia, without hindring in the least the Tobacco-Trade of that Countrey.

Whereas the Royal Society, in prosecuting the Improvements of Natural knowledge, have it in design, to collect Histories of Nature and Arts, and for that purpose have already, according to the several Inclinations and Studies of their Members, divided themselves into divers Committees, to execute the said design: Those Gentlemen, which do constitute the Committee for considering of Agriculture, and the History and Improvement thereof, have begun their work with drawing up certain Rh