i79t. ON REARING SiLK-WORMS IN SCOTLAND. I)! 

 fent, a principal employment to a great proportion of 

 the peopk of that fine country. 



Here, however, the progrefs of the filk-worm was 

 once more interrupted ; nor would they have found 

 their way farther north >'ard, perhaps for fome centu- 

 'xies yet to come, had not another hero appeared upon 

 the borders of the Baltic, who, like Henry of France, 

 had his mind unfcackled, and his judgement clear ; — the 

 .great Frederick, of Pruffia, whole warlike exploits have 

 been heard of through every part of Europe, but whofe 

 beneficent internal regulations to promote the profperity 

 of his dominions in peace, are little known, with a 

 keennefs of perception peculiar to hiaifelf, obferved 

 the erroneous ideas that had univerfally prevailed for 

 fo many ages in regard to this article,— and boldly re- 

 folved, at once, to introduce the culture of the filk- 

 worm on the banks of tlie Oder, where he faw it 

 would furnilli a lucrative and healthy employment to 

 many thoufands of his fubjeds, who would otherwife 

 have been, in a great meafure, unprovided for. The 

 experiment fucceeded ; — in a few years, this valuable 

 branch of bufinefs was fully ellabliflied ; — and though 

 he was not a young man when he formed this project, 

 lie had the fatisfadlion, before his death, to fee this Im- 

 provement firmly rooted and fpread over a confiderable 

 extent of country, and giving bread to a great many 

 thoufands of women and children, who would other- 

 wife have been deftitutc, — and ftill fpreading wider and 

 •wider every year. 



This iliart hiftorical (ketch of the progrefs of rearing 

 •filk-worms, will probably tend more direiitly to weaken 

 the prejudices againft the attempt to introduce it into 

 this country, than any reafoning could have done. 

 The facts above Hated are all well known, and fuffi- 

 cienily authenticated. It may perhaps, however, prove 

 ftill more fatisfaftory, to add a few other obfervations, 

 tepding to ihcw that there cannot be the fmallell rea- 



Yz 



