'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎166v] (337/610)

* Sec pages 266-7 on effect of exchange.
under favourable conditions would be sufficient to produce
75,000 lbs. of silk, and it was hoped that the frost during this
exceptionally severe winter would have killed the germs of the
diseases.
The result would have been known by July 1920, but was
presumably a failure owing to the Bolshevik inroad.
In Mazandaran silk production had for long been on a much
smaller scale than in Gllan. In 1909 it was resuscitated by
Messrs. Tumaniantz, followed by Messrs. Stevens, a long estab
lished British firm in Persia, trading principally in Tabriz,
who two years later started a silk business in Barfarush. These
firms imported seeds and distributed them free to the producers
who in return paid J of the crop as the price of the seed.
The production of silk was limited by the small area of
existing mulberry plantations, while fresh plantations take
three years to grow. The total weight of cocoons produced in
Mazandaran annually during these years 1911-1914 did not
exceed 150,000 lbs.
The Mazandaranis were less experienced than the Gilakis
in rearing the silkworms and the percentage of cocoons from the
seeds was little more than half the ordinary percentage in
Gilan.
It was found that men were careless in sorting the cocoons
and the “ mullahs ” raised considerable opposition to the employ
ment of female labour.
The trouble proved disproportionate to the profit and in
1914 Messrs. Stevens sold their Barfarush business.
In 1919-20 no eggs were imported and as in Gilan the indus
try has ceased. «
So long as the political conditions of these provinces remain
uncertain and seeds cannot be imported via the Caucasus,
there is no prospect of a revival of the silk industry.
Owing, however, to the present slump in rice and cotton
landlords and peasants have no incentive to cut down any more
mulberry plantations to make room for other crops, so that
should stable conditions be restored the prospect would immedi
ately improve.
Pre-war prices of silk in Europe would presumably fail to
make its production remunerative to the Gilaki, as in addition
to receiving fewer x krans for his cocoons he would be able to