66 



F A R M E x1 S ' REGISTER. 



[No. 2 



nication with the pulilic, they immediately coni- 

 menced the puhlicatiou of a monthly periodica"!, 

 under the significant name of "Silk Cullurist and 

 Farmers' Manual," and placed it lUKier the edito- 

 rial charge ofthe secretary of the society. The ed- 

 itor immediately entered upon the discharge oi' his 

 duties, and has since devoted liis whole time and 

 attention to the subject. The officers and mem- 

 bers of the society, particularly the president and 

 secretary, being practical men, and ardently de- 

 voted to the cause as a great national object, have 

 been incessant" and unwearied in their exertions to 

 accomplish its general introduction, in their en- 

 deavors to draw the attention of the public, and 

 particularly agriculturisis, to the subject, and stim- 

 ulate them to engage in it as an important and lu- 

 crative branch of rural economy, they have cau- 

 tiously, and I ihink wisely, passed over the ingeni- 

 ous theories of Ibreign writers, and confined ihem- 

 eelves to the results of experiments Jairly and lairli- 

 lully made, and the simple statement of lacts. This 

 course will approve itself lo the understanding of j 

 every individual of refiection, esp<^ciaily when the { 

 variation of soil and climate of different countries, [ 

 and the dissimilarity in the habits and pursuits ol 

 their inhabitants, are taken into consideration. 



The anticipation of a sudden transition from 

 poverty to competence, or fi'om competence to 

 wealth, is, of itself, a powerful incentive to em- 

 bark in any new project which presents itself to 

 the mind; but the disappomtment and mortifica- 

 tion consequent upon it, when illusory, are as 

 painful, as the success is gratifyino; when real, j 

 The proneness of man to "air-castle building" j 

 needs no encouragement, but requires restraint; 

 and the individual or individuals, who take the 

 responsibility of reconmiending to the farmer a 

 deviation from his ordinary routine of husbandry, 

 must be careful that the advantages [)roposed are 

 real rather than imaginary, or they will ullimatelv 

 awaken in their Ovvn bosoms painful instead of 

 pleasurable sensations. These principles seem to 

 be the cardinal points in the fiiiih ol the Hartford 

 County Silk Society, and by them the meml)8rs ap- 

 pear to have scrupulously governed themselves, in 

 promoting the great object of their association. 



The publication ofthe Silk Caliurist, at a merely 

 nominal price, and on the personal responsibility of 

 the secretary, has exerted a powerful influence in 

 awakening a deep interest in these new branches 

 of American enterprise. The extent of this inter- 

 est may be judged of bj^ the fact, that most of the 

 political, commercial, and literary publications of 

 the day, contain parairraphs urging farmers and 

 others to engaae in them, and assuring them of 

 their practicability and profit. . Thes« show the 

 light in which the subject is viewed by intelligent 

 men, in different sections ofthe country, as a pub- 

 lic object. The extent, also, ofthe interest felt by 

 individuals in the success of the enterprise, as a 

 source of individual wealth, may be estimated by 

 the fact, that there are now in the office ofthe Silk 

 Culturist li-om three to five thousand letters of in- 

 quiry, &c., in relation to it. This interest is fur- 

 ther manifested by the fact, that several other pe- 

 riodicals devoted wholly and partially to the sub- 

 ject have been started, and are co-operating in the 

 great work. 



But notwithstanding both the public and indi- 

 viduals may lie deeply interested in the culiure 

 and manufacture of" silk, itB introduction into this 



country may be unattainable. Our soil and cli- 

 mate may not lie congenial to its growth, and the 

 number, habit? and pursuits of our population may 

 not be adapted to its manuiticture. These are in- 

 superable difficulties, it" they exist; and, conse- 

 quently, f iiave given ihem a prominent place 

 among the topics of invesiigafion. I'he result of 

 all my inquiries in relation to the adaptation of our 

 soil and climate are of the most encouraging cha- 

 racter. From all the information i have Been able 

 lo obtain, I am fully satisfied that there is not a state 

 in the union, atid periiaj:s I might say not a county,, 

 where the mulberry may not be cultivated, and the 

 silkworm reared. Ex[jeriments have been made 

 in all parts of the country, and their success has 

 established the fiicf, that the mulberry will grow,, 

 and the silkworm thrive, throughout the whole 

 length and breadth of the Unned States. The 

 rigor of northern winters has, ordinarily, no inju- 

 rious eflect upon the Italian mulberry; and the in- 

 sect which feeds upon its Ibliage, and produces the 

 silken fibre, being in a torpid state, and secluded 

 from the frost during tlie cold season, sustains no 

 injury, or even inconvenience, fi-om its severity.. 

 It was formerly doubted whether the monis mulii- 

 caulis could be acclimated in the noitliern and 

 middle states; but late ex|)erimen(S ha\ e satisfac- 

 torily proved that, by cutting down the. shoots in 

 autumn, the roots will endure the coldest winters, 

 and send up a new growth of shoots in the spring, 

 and produce an abundant crop of foliage. Thid 

 appears to be the method successfully pursued by 

 the silk growers in India; and with the same treat- 

 ment in this country, there is no doubt of its accli- 

 mation. 



The introduction of this valuable variety of the 

 mulberry, at a time when the attention of Ameii- 

 can silk growers was aroused to the subject, and 

 the facility with whicii it is cultivated and multi- 

 plied to an indefinite extent, affords, in my opin- 

 ion, a lull guaranty against those failures and in- 

 terruptions in the business to which it has hereto- 

 fore been subjected. It has been ascertained by 

 experiment, that the Ibliage which may be gath- 

 ered tiom annual shoots ajjon an acre of land will 

 fijriiish food enough to sustain a (iimily of worms 

 sufficiently numerous to make one hundred and 

 twenty eight pounds of silk, worth, at present pri- 

 ces, six hundred and forty dollixrs. Though there- 

 is novv but little doubt that, treated in this manner, 

 the morns multicauUs will, in the end, supplant the 

 Italian, yet it is adjudged advisable, by most silk 

 growers, to continue its cultivation. Its great valve 

 ibr liiel and timber, especially for ship building, will 

 ever make it worthy of cultivation; and should any 

 unforeseen circumstance render the successful cul- 

 tivation of the former uncertain, or impossible, the 

 silk grower will be able to make silk from its foliage, 

 of good quality, and in large quantities. 



An imairinary difficulty in rearing the worm, and 

 enabling it to make its cocoon, has been urged as a 

 reason against attempting it; but I am happy to find 

 that the process has been so far simplified as to be 

 intelligible to the most unlearned in rural affairs. 

 So simple and easy is the care and management 

 ofthe worm, during its brief life of labor, that chil- 

 dren, with a little instruction and experience, can 

 supply all its wants, both in sickness and in health, 

 and render it all the assistance and attention neces- 

 sary to its comfort and the completion of its labors. 

 The process of reeling, also, wliich was formerly 



