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House op Representatives, 



December 29, 1825- 

 On motion of Mr. Miner, 



Resolved, That the Committee on Agriculture be instructed to in- 

 quire whether the cuhivation of the mulberry tree, and the breeding of 

 silk worms, for the purpose of producing silk, be a subject worthy of 

 legislative attention; and should they think it to be so, that they ob- 

 tain such information as may be in their power, respecting the kind of 

 mulberry tree most preferred, the best soil, climate, and mode of cul- 

 tivation, the probable value of the culture, taking into view the capital 

 employed, the labor, and the product, together with such facts and opin- 

 ions as they may think useful and proper. 



Resolved, That the same Committee inquire whether any Legisla- 

 tive provisions are necessary or proper to promote the production of 

 silk. 



House of Representatives, 



May 2, 1826. 



Mr. Van Rensselaer, from the Committee on Agriculture, to which 

 the subject had been referred, made the following 



REPORT: 



The Committee on Agriculture, to whom was refen^ed the resolutiou 

 of Mr. Miner, to inquire whether the cultivation of the mulberry 

 tree and the breeding of silkworms, for the purpose of producing 

 silk, be a subject worthy of legislative attention ; and should they 

 think it to be so, that they obtain such information as may be in 

 their power respecting the kind of mulberry most preferred, the 

 best soil, climate, and mode of cultivation, the probable value of the 

 culture, taking into view the capital employed, the labor, and the 

 product, together with such facts and opinions as they may think 

 useful and proper; 



REPORT: 



That they have examined the subject attentively, and have taken 

 such steps as they thought best calculated to obtain information which 

 might be useful and lead to satisfactory conclusions. 



The facts developed in the course of their inquiries, tend to place 

 the subject in an important point of view. It is an interesting fact, that 

 the mulberry tree grows indigenously throughout the United States, 

 and that silk may be raised with facility from the Southern to the 

 Northern boundary of the Union. Formerly, considerable quantities 

 of silk were produced in Georgia. In 1760 more than twenty thousand 

 pounds of cocoons were exported from thence to England. The produc- 



