288 On the Manvfactiire of Silk. 



were in bad condition and could not be used in tlic preparation of 

 3ilk ! In conclusion, we feel authorized to assert, that there are not in 

 the country mulberry plants enough in cultivation, nor a sufficient quan- 

 tity of silk to justify those legal provisions which would be neces- 

 sary for all branches of filature, fee. except it be that of reeling from 

 the best cocoons, as is perspicuously and learnedly explained in the 

 manual from the treasury department, (p. 134.) the extract of which 

 has very fairly indeed, been affixed as an appendix to the essays of 

 Mr. D'Homergue, preceded by remarks which are pertinent and prop- 

 er, although the reader may not always concur in opinion. 



Nine pages of directions for raising silk-worms are appended to 

 the essays of Mr. D'H,; w^hlch is the shortest treatise w^e have ever 

 met with upon such an important point. This gentleman has frequent- 

 ly adverted to the superior quality of the American silk over that of 

 the French and Italian, in so much as to require one third less of coc- 

 oons to afford an equal quantity of silk ; on the other hand, he has seen 

 in Pennsylvania and Baltimore, cocoons the inferior quality and imper- 

 fections of which, attested the want of proper care and management 

 m the rearing of them ; it should dierefore have been expected that he 

 would have said something more on the growth of silk than what he 

 has condensed into less than four pages, or that the topic would have 

 been wholly omitted. By this omission he could lose nothing in our 

 estimation ; for we know of old that his branch of pracUcal skill is 

 never associated in his countiy, and is almost incompatible with that 

 of rearing silk-worms ; for even in that little remembrancer of di- 

 rections, besides important omissions, there are exceptions not alto- 

 gether admissible.* Yet, Mr. D'H. has already well merited of this 

 country. He had the best authority to enforce the principles and 

 rules of his art. Doubting not that they have merited, and will more 

 and more merit the attention of the American reader, we hope that 

 he may reap the satisfacdon of having done much good. 



* The test proposed to judge of genuine worm seeds, p. 90, as resembling in their 

 appearance and color, the seeds of Poppy, Papaver rh^as^we think is very strange- 

 We have seen snch seeds, and of different species too, of the same genus ; but ex- 

 cept that kind which perchance is sometimes fraudulently substituted or mixed with 

 the silk-worm eggSj we never heard nor read of the comparison. -Poppy seeds are 

 J or J smaller than those of the insect, and globular. They are also either whitish 

 or yellowish. Now the silk- worm seeds if mature and well fecundated are of a slate 

 color, somewhat lighter or darker. Any other color is either suspicious or bad. They 

 are flattened on one half of their diameter and a little point of depression is seen at 

 their center, and finally, it takes 80 or 86 of them to a grain. 



