WHITE-FR CITED MULBERllY-TUKE. 451 



event however proved him to be wrong; and showed that difficuhies did exist 

 of an insurmountable description; for, although it was confidently predicted that 

 in the ensuing year, a considerable quantity of raw silk would be produced, the 

 expectation was disappointed, and the company soon sunk into oblivion. In 

 1825. a company was established in England, under the name of "The IJritish, 

 Irish, and Colonial Silk Company," with a large capital, and under the direction 

 of the celebrated Count Dandolo, whose treatise on tlie management of tlie sdk- 

 worm, &c., is considered the best work extant on the subject, in Italy. This 

 company formed extensive plantations in England and Ireland, particularly near 

 Slough, and in the vicinity of Cork; and Mr. Joim Heathcoat, of Tiverton, De- 

 vonshire, one of the most influential members, invented a method of reeling, which 

 was attended with the most complete success. The com|)any also formed plan- 

 tations in the county of Devon ; but, after numerous trials, it was found that the 

 climate of the Hritish Isles was too humid for the production of good silk; and 

 the company was finally broken up, and its plantations destroyed, in 182'J.* 



The first introduction of the silk cultnre into the British North American colo- 

 nies was made by James I., who, on several occasions, urged tlie Virginian Com- 

 pany to promote the cultivation of mulberry-trees, and the breeding of silkworms. 

 in 1622, he addressed a letter to them expressly on this subject, conveying to 

 them strict injunctions that they should use every exertion for this purpose, and 

 should stimulate the colonists to apply themselves diligently and promptly to the 

 breeding of silkworms, and the establishment of silk works. The company, thus 

 incited, showed much zeal in their endeavours to accomplish the king's wishes 

 They lost no time in transmitting his majesty's letter to the governor and council 

 of Virginia, together with particular instructions how the colonists might best 

 apply their labours in the production of silk. For the furtherance of this object, 

 their instructions were accompanied by several copies of Bonoeil's " Treatise on 

 the Art of Making Silk," &c., and a quantity of mulberry-trees and silkworms' 

 eggs, which had been sent from England to that colony. Mr. Honoeil, who was 

 a member of tlie Virginian Company, engaged warmly in the undertaking: and 

 was so fully convinced of its practicability, as to assert that, with an adequate 

 number of hands, such a quantity of silk might be produced in Virginia, as in a 

 very short time, would sufficiently supply all Christendom. The misfortunes 

 soon after this time experienced by the colony of Virginia, and which involved 

 the dissolution of the company, materially checked the execution of this project. 

 A considerable number of mulberry-trees were planted, and flourished ; but little 

 silk was produced. In the year 1654, the rearing of silkworms again became a 

 subject of interest in Virginia. This revival was principally owing to the exer- 

 tions of Mr. Edward Diggs, who confidently asserted that he had conquered all 

 the main difficulties attending the experiment. He endeavoured to persuade the 

 Virginians that, in a short time, a great quantity of silk might very profitably be 

 obtained. About this period, it was also enacted by the British government that 

 every planter in Virginia, who should not have raised at least ten mulberry-trees 

 for every hundred acres of land in his possession, should be fined ten pounds of 

 tobacco. Five thousand pounds of tobacco were promised to any one who should 

 produce one thousand pounds of wound silk in one year. In lt")t)l. Mr. \\ alker, 

 a member of the legislature, stated that he had seventy thousand nudberry-trees 

 on his estate. In 1666, all statutory provisions were repealed, because, it is said, 

 the business was in so thriving a condition as no longer to require protection. 

 This branch of industry, however, was soon after sulfered to decline: and it does 

 not appear that the production was ever carried to any great extent in that col- 

 ony. The decline was probably owing to new immigrants, who brought with 



* See Loudon's Arboretum Britanniciim, iii., pp. 1350 et seq. 



