No. 85.] 497 



made in America of the leaves of the mulberry ; even in this village 

 unbleached paper has been made for the special purpose of millers de- 

 positing their eggs upon — a dark material agreeable to their natural 

 habits. On this paper a letter was written to a correspondent, who, 

 under date of Sept. 5th, writes — " that the mulberry paper excites 

 great attention, and is liked very much for steel pens." A quantity 

 of Canton foliage is now being cured for bleaching, to make writing 

 paper as soon as the mills can take it. The Canton retains its verdure 

 in great perfection, later than any other variety. Col. Green, of this 

 place, presented me specimens of late feeding upon the Canton and 

 multicaulis, separate from each other ; the worms fed upon the Can- 

 ton were evidently larger — spun two days earlier — and the cocoons 

 are sound and larger than those fed on the multicaulis ; the worms 

 were of the same hatching, and fed with equal attention. It has been 

 satisfactorily ascertained in this town, by competent skillful operators, 

 that the pongee silk — so called — of foreign make, is a vegetable pro- 

 duction — perhaps mulberry — and never operated upon by the silk- 

 worm. 



There can be no reasonable doubt about the ultimate success of silk 

 culture in some future years ; but to accelerate such a desirable event, 

 which may constitute an important American staple of revenue, which 

 shall not only enrich the government, but reward the labor of pre- 

 sent enterprise, a bounty seems necessary to stimulate and encour- 

 age the agricultural population to commence operations in a new and 

 untried crop. We import annually some twenty millions worth of 

 raw and manufactured silks, the product of foreign enterprise and in- 

 dustry, to promote which we voluntarily become the consumers, in- 

 stead of being the producers. Let the laboring class be encouraged 

 by a reasonable bounty, until the silk culture shall be extended over 

 the whole length and breadth of the land, and every dollar expended 

 in bounty will be returned to the treasury one hundred fold. 



Michael Klyne, Reamstown^ Lancaster co.^ Penn.^ has been four 

 years engaged ; has three and a half acres employed ; 20,000 trees ; 

 $250 capital ; raised 608 pounds of cocoons prior to 1844, and 358 

 pounds in 1844; cost this year $15, value $120. Enclosed I send 

 one skein of sewing silk made on a machine of my own construction. 

 One hand can make six hundred such skeins in a day, from the hanks 

 as they come from the reel. I consider the question of silk growing 

 settled. The soil and climate being congenial, with good eggs, the 

 silk grower has nothing to fear, but every thing to encourage him to 

 hope for a better return than can be realised from any other agricul- 

 tural pursuit. 



James Walker, Frysburgh Island^ Me., expresses much confidence 

 in the business ; has cultivated the mulberry tree for ten years, but 

 has fed only a few ; has made 1,200 skeins of sewings, twisted on the 

 common woolen wheel. We cannot feed as long here as in warmer 

 States. We begin about the middle of June and feed until in about 

 September. Thinks the silk culture can be made as profitable here 

 as any agricultural pursuit. 



Harvey Loomis, Otiscoj Onondaga co.jJV. Y. — I have been en- 



fSenate, No. 85.] Gg 



