Sericulture Industry in India!
Although sericulture was under practice in ancient India, its scientific study was first of all made in India at Pusa in 1905—06 by Mr. Lefroy.
A large Silk House made up of straw was constructed, and rearing of Eri and Mulberry silkworms was started there.
Till 1918 the Silk House remained at Pusa under supervision of various scientists like M.N. De, C.M. Hutchinson etc.; and after that it was transferred to Bhagalpur. One Mr. Ghosh was very much interested in art of sericulture.
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He visited Japan and some silk producing countries of Europe just to have first hand information about the industry there. After his return from abroad, he utilised some of the new techniques which gave excellent results and were instrumental in flourishing sericulture industry in India.
Silk industry is a very profitable business but at the same time it is quite troublesome as it consists of various aspects of different nature. One of such an aspect, perhaps the most important one, is sericulture which consists of rearing of larvae. The rearing of larvae needs a healthy and an abundant growth of food-plants. The formation of cocoon follows the reeling of threads which is the raw material for the silk industry.
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Thus, sericulture has three different aspects, one is of animal origin i.e., rearing of larvae (Entomological section); second is of plant origin i.e., cultivation of food plants (Botanical section), and the third one is the technical side i.e., reeling of thread from cocoon (Technical section).