Assistance of the Government

The Government has made various efforts of late to promote the development of native industries. For instance, advances have been made by the State to private manufacturers with the view of re-establishing the local silk trade. Silkworms were kept formerly in almost every peasant’s house. A few years ago, however, there was a sort of epidemic amidst the grubs; the stock perished, the peasants were unable to procure fresh supplies, and the trade died away. Owing to the assistance of the Government, who advanced money for the purchase of eggs, the house-to-house culture of silkworms has largely revived, and last year some £80,000 worth of silk skeins were exported from Bulgaria.

French manufacturers

In the same way, great exertions are now being made to restore the cultivation of the vine, which was almost killed for a time by the ravages of the phyllo era. The native wine, which is largely drunk here, is a coarse, wholesome drink, a good deal resembling the inferior brands of Burgundy, and might, I believe, be largely used by French manufacturers at Cette and elsewhere, in the same way as they employ Spanish and Italian wines, to make up the inadequacy of the French vineyards to supply the total amount of Clarets and Burgundies required for foreign exportation.

The State, however, has no large funds at its disposal for the promotion of industrial enterprise; and, even if it had the requisite funds, the subventioing of private undertakings on any important scale would not be in accordance with the frugal and almost parsimonious policy of the Sobranje. The obvious remedy for this state of things would be the development of local industries by the aid of foreign capital. But there are certain difficulties in the way, though rather on the part of the people than of the Government.