58 



WEIGHT OF COCOONS. 



Two hundred cocoons, from worms raised in the early 

 settlement of Georgia, weighed a pound. In Pennsyl- 

 vania, 306 cocoons from worms fed by the late Mr Busti, 

 and from 490 to 600 in the establishment of Mr Terho- 

 ven, weighed a pound.* 



It is very evident that there is a great difference in the 

 weight as well as the quality of cocoons ; and the quanti- 

 ty required to make a pound of reeled silk. This may 

 depend upon the different variety of the worms or the 

 greater or less care in nursing them. 



The following calculation of the labor attending and 

 connected with the culture of silk, is by John Fitch, Esq. 

 of Mansfield, Conn, and is taken from the manual pub- 

 lisher by order of Congress. One acre of full grown 

 mulberry trees, set one and a half rods apart, will pro- 

 duce 40 pounds of silk. 



The labor may be estimated as follows : 



* Mr Pintard of Philadelphia, has raised Silk Worms from eggs 

 produced on Messrs Terhoven's farm, 335 of the cocoons of those 

 worms, chrysales not killed, weighed one pound. Mr D'Homer- 

 gue aided him in counting and weighing them. 



Of the cocoons raised in Philadelphia by Mr D'Homergue the 

 present year, which I saw, the eggs were partly from South Caro- 

 lina and partly from France ; the former were large and were fouud 

 when weighed, to contain 337 to a pound. The French cocoons 

 were small, and 387 weighed one pound. The chrysalis not stifled 

 and the cocoons just gathered. 



Of cocoons raised in Massachusetts, by Mrs Davenport of Milton, 

 from eggs furnished by me, and tended agreeably to my instruc- 

 tion, 206 weighed one pound, before the chrysales were killed, and 

 407 weighed two pounds. 



