FARMERS' REGISTER— SILK CULTURE IN FRANCE, 



539 



Tlie proprietor who wishes to occupy a planta- 

 tion of mulberry trees, sujjposino; he had ah-eady 

 at his disposal a quantity equal to those wliich I 

 stripped last spring and in the same condition, 

 (that is) producing 100 quintals of leaves at 4 fr. 

 the quintal. Well ! this proprietor could have ob- 

 tained li-om half a hectare of ground with no 

 other expense than that of cultivating the trees, 

 a revenue of 640 fr. or 320 fr. for each scieree, 

 composed of 640 square lathoms. 



The person who would have bought this quan- 

 tity of leaves to devote himself only to the raising 

 of silkworms. Avould have had (as I did) 928 

 pounds of cocoons, and would have sold them at 

 1 fr. 50 c. a pound, according to the course of that 

 time: this sale would have ])rodu- 



ced, ----- l,392fr. 00c. 

 Deduction of expenses, purchase "] 



of about 8 ounces of egss at 3 | 



fr. - - - 24fr. 00c. | 

 Expense of all Icind for the man- }- 895 75 



agement, - - 171 75 



Price of 160 quintals of leaves at 



4 fr. - - - 640 00 

 Rent of the room, - 60 00 



The laborer who works up the remains 

 does the labor for 30 fi'. and gains 

 besides, . - - - - 



His part of the profits for 40 days at- 

 tendance, - - - - 496 25 



The filateur who buys the cocoons 

 obtains a quantity of silk equal to 

 niiuc and sells it in the same man- 

 ner, ----- l,8681r. 55c. 



He draws from the remains, - 115-00 



Total, - - 1,983 



It is necessary to deduct from this sum 

 as the cost of 928 pounds of cocoons at 

 1 fr. 50 c. - l,392fr. 00c. > j gg^ 



Expensesof the filature, 263 85 ^ ' 



Clear gain of the winder. 



55 



85 



327 70 



The laborer, with a family, takes for his share 

 the remains of this filature, employs his wife and 

 children to pi-epare and v/ind the low and different 

 qualities of silk, which are in much i-equest and 

 readily sold. These products can be valued, after 

 having received all the suitable work, 1651r. 00c. 

 Deduction for the purchase of the ^ 



first materials, - 50fr. 00c. V 80 00 

 Hand work, although gained by j 



the family, - - 30 00. 



Profit, without including his work 

 already paid, - - . 



85 00 



85 00 



Sum equal to the total profit which I 

 have made by the union of all these 

 operations, _ - - - 1,548 



A simple recapitulation will make the result 

 better understood than this division of the labor, 

 which division certainly agrees, in many cases, 

 with the taste or situation of persons who neither 

 wish, nor are able, to undertake all parts of the bu- 

 siness. 



The land owner who sells 100 quin- 

 tals of leaves at 4 fr. receives, 640fr. 00c. 

 The person who buys them and man- 

 ages the raising, gains, - - 496 25 

 The winder who takes charge of the 

 cocoons, winds them, and receives 

 for his labor, - - - - 337 70 



95 



The calculations which I have just presented, 

 speak loudly enough without my adding the least 

 observation to make the evidence more sure; I 

 will only say that one o'f the great benefits of this 

 direction of industry is to make a considerable 

 mass of work for all classes of society, and for all 

 ages. Here is good St. Simonism, which it is 

 necessary to encourage, and in favor of which I 

 should like to see apostles and preachers rise. 



1 arrive at the object of the letter which you 

 did me the honor to address to me on the 31st of 

 last month, and which informs me that the Royal 

 and Central Society of Agriculture, of Paris, 

 wishing to profit by your presence in this capital, 

 has charged you to present to it a report on the 

 condition of the industry of silks in the parts of 

 France, where it has been recently introduced. 

 You desire, sir, that I should show you our pro- 

 gress, for the purpose of classing in your work the 

 department of Aveyron in the rank which be- 

 longs to it. To satisfy this request, I hasten to 

 profit by the documents which are at my disposal, 

 and in uniting them, I dare hope that you will find 

 there all the desired elements. 



I will at first acquaint you with a speculation 

 made at Milan in 1833, on a part remarkable 

 enough for cocoons, in the end to try to introduce 

 the filature of silk on a large scale in this city. 



This operation has been made on the account 

 of M. M'. Brouillet, & Co., and directed by a skil- 

 ful lady originally from the Cevennes. 



The atelier of this filature has had, for nearly 

 three months fi'om 7 to 8 tours en roulement, giv- 

 ing different qualities of silk, according to the 

 goodness and the color of the cocoons. 



Here is the account, truly certified, which has 

 been communicated to me bj^ this house. 



The general produce of the filature has been as 

 follows: 



235i^^VkiI. of silk of various quali- 

 ties, sold at different prices, accord- 

 ing to the times, for the sum of 13,300fr. 00c. 

 Advances to deduct, 3,09 1,^0 1 

 kil. cocoons bought at the [ 

 mean price of 3 fi'-^ 30 c. the I 



kil. 



Expense of the 

 filature, 



10,239fr. 75c. 



1,725 00 J 



Clear gain for flie undertaking, 



11,964 



1,335 25 



An experiment crowned with such success will 

 be a powerful encouragement for the future. 



The following account will determine you on 

 the progress of the culture of the mulberry in 

 Aveyron. This estimate cannot be of the most 

 rigorous accuracy, but it approaches truth as near- 

 ly as possible, because it is the result of conscien- 

 tious instructions which have come to me from all 

 parts of the department. 



Of the 5 arrondissemens of Avhich it (Aveyron) 

 is composed, 4 have taken a part more or less in 

 the progress of the mulberry plantations. That 



