142 THE EVOLUTION OF OUR NATIVE FRUITS 



of the old ambitious experiments and served as a stim- 

 ulus to the inception of an enterprise which set the 

 country aflame in the early part of the present century. 

 In 1806, for example, Frederick Pursh, a botanical 

 traveler, found mulberries cultivated in orchards near 

 Cayuga Lake, N. Y., "may be for the raising of silk 

 worms, as the trees were low and planted in regular 

 close rows." The particular event which seems to have 

 awakened general interest in this second silk enter- 

 prise, was the report of the Committee on Agriculture 

 of the House of Representatives, in 1826, respecting 

 the imports of silks and the exports of bread stuffs. 

 These imports were increasing with wonderful rapidity, 

 while the exports were decreasing in like ratio. This 

 committee took the matter up in pursuance of a reso- 

 lution introduced into the House on the 29th of 

 December, 1825, by Mr. Miner: "Resolved, That the 

 Committee on Agriculture be instructed to inquire 

 whether the cultivation 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 obtain such 

 information as may be in their power, respecting the 

 kind of mulberry tree most preferred, the best soil, 

 climate, and mode of cultivation, and 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." 

 The report of the Committee on Agriculture, made on 

 the 2nd of the following May, contained a statement 

 of the imports and exports of which I have spoken, 

 and .it requested that the Secretary of the Treasury 

 "cause to be prepared a well -digested Manual" upon 



