6 PREFACE TO THE 



produced, that the proceeds of its industry actually constitute the chief 

 source of wealth of the most populous and perhaps the richest na- 

 tion of the globe. In the language of a French writer, " if the co- 

 coons (in China,) were collected together, they would form mountains." 

 " The two provinces, of Nankin and Chekiang, alone send every year to 

 the Court three hundred and sixty-five barks laden not only with pieces of 

 wrought silk, satins, and velvets of various kinds and colors ; but even 

 with rich and costly garments of the same material." For the long 

 period of four thousand four hundred and thirty-eight years, the Govern- 

 ment of China has extended its paternal care to the culture of silk : the 

 Empress herself setting an example to the peasant in the requisite labor. 

 Hence their proficiency, and the universality of the culture in the Chinese 

 Empire. 



An important fact is gathered from the following Treatise : the culture 

 of silk is, with few exceptions, co-extensive with the growth of the mul- 

 berry, and that tree grows in every province of China, from the extreme 

 North to its Southern boundary ; and, perhaps, no tree is susceptible of 

 being more widely diffused. In Europe, not unsuccessful experiments have 

 been made near Stockholm in Sweden, Novogorod in Russia, and Bran- 

 denburgh in Prussia. It is true, all attempts to domesticate the silk worm 

 in England and Ireland have proved abortive ; but that is no doubt owing 

 to the extreme humidity of the climate. The Chinese work Nong-sang- 

 thong-kioue, says: " they [the silk worms,] like not wet leaves," and else- 

 where, "that moisture is exceedingly injurious to them;" which is verified 

 by the experience of England. For the same reason the culture of silk 

 in France, is limited to the Southern Departments, the Western being, like 

 England, too humid. It may be objected that the climate of the United 

 States is colder than that of Europe in equal parallels of latitude, and, con- 

 sequently, too cold for the culture of silk in the same degree; such is, 

 undoubtedly, the fact as regards extremes of temperature ; but Ave feel 

 assured, that from th^ superior dryness and heat of the summers of the 

 United States, and the perfect ease with which the mulberry is grown and 

 propagateoVjthat a great proportion of this country is better adapted to the 

 culture of" silk 'than even the Softlh of Europe. From experiments made 

 by the scientific and practical cultivator, Count Dandolo, in Italy, it is 

 satisfactorily ascertained that increase of temperature promotes the maturity 

 of the silk worms ; in other words, shortens their life and labor, without 

 lessening the quantity of silk. 



