the newly born silkworm only eats mulberry leaves. a silk farmer must have a ready supply of mulberry leaves and fruits close at hand, even one missed feeding can kill the sericulture. there are times of the year when the mulberry leaves are not around. continued food shortages can decrease the quality of silk any survivors make. if there are shortages anyway, lettuce makes a decent emergency dish, as long as it is well-washed (pesticides kill) and dried thoroughly.