290 " [Senate 



there are some favorable returns this year, where feeding has been 

 delayed, in consequence of untimely frost, which destroyed the early 

 foliage. This injury, however, might have been obviated by using 

 dry foliage, saved the preceding year, and answers all the purposes of 

 green feed — being pulverised, moistened, and sprinkled with a little 

 rice or wheat flour. This has been verified by actual experiment the 

 past season, to test the fact. 



In this climate, we cannot reasonably expect a succession of good 

 crops from successive layings and hatchings of the same year — yet, 

 with proper management, the same lot of eggs may be hatched at 

 different times. This, however, is no proof that one early good crop 

 is not the best policy, and the most valuable. 



The occurrence of cold or damp weather may be obviated by arti- 

 ficial heat. 



Such improvements have been made in the construction of cocoone- 

 ries — in the mode and method of feeding — that the business is very 

 much simplified and systematized ; not so much, however, but that 

 farther improvements may be found advisable, before we shall arrive 

 at the ne plus ultra. 



Our soil and climate are peculiarly adapted to the production of 

 silk of a superior quality, which sells at $5 .00 per lb., while the fo- 

 reign article may be had at |4.00, or $4.50. 



By the use of such mulberries and such worms as are now approved 

 of, aided by American skill, i7igenuity and perseveraiice, with, such en- 

 couragement as government might afford, in the shape of bounty, we 

 might fearlessly and successfully compete with any silk growing coun- 

 try in the culture of silk, the cheap labor and cheap living of other 

 nations to the contrary notwitstanding. This sentiment has been ad- 

 vocated by one of our most eminent statesmen. 



The pea-nut variety of worms are estimated to have less flossy less 

 gum, greater length and lustre of fibre, and yield the most silk. 



Our worms being properly attended, wuU make cocoons of such 

 a quality, that only 2,400 to 3,000 are required to produce a pound 

 of silk. Of foreign cocoons, more are required — and of the Chinese 

 variety, probably from 10,000 to 12,000 are required, being not one- 

 fourth so large as the American, as testified by Rev. Wm. Richards^ 

 of the Sandwich Islands ; and Mr. Titcomb, a silk grower in one of 

 the Islands, having crossed the American with the Chinese, found the 

 cocoons so small, that from 5,000 to 6,000 cocoons were required for 

 a pound of silk, while half that number of the American would pro- 

 duce the same results. 



That we may become a silk producing country, is the opinion of 

 many gentlemen of high consideration. This opinion is substantiated 

 by a gentleman presiding at the head of one of our oldest and most 

 eminent literary instutions, who wrote me, under date of June, 1844, 

 as follows : 



" If the earnest waking up to a scientific and practical considera- 

 tion of the subject (silk culture,) is not soon crowned with signal suc- 

 cess, it will not be for want of enterprise or skill in our countrymen ; 

 but merely from the high price of labor here, compared with the 



