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| | History of Sericulture, Cultural Entomology Digest 1 |
 | | In 877 A.D., the rebel chief Biachu captured Canfu, the center of foreign silk trade, put to death all its inhabitants, destroyed all of the mulberry trees and silkworms of the region, and levied heavy and cruel taxes on all foreign trade. |
 | | This interest in silk culture soon led to what was known as the "Mormus multicaulis craze." Anticipating a most profitable investment, if not speedy riches, thousands of individuals purchased mulberry plants of the M. multicaulis species and planted large areas of valuable land. |
 | | The silk is a continuous-filament fiber consisting of fibroin protein secreted from two salivary glands in the head of each larvae, and a gum called sericin, which cements the two filaments together. |
| www.insects.org /ced1/seric.html (1324 words) |
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