1838] 



F A R M E U S ' R E G I S r E R . 



379 



of the morus muHicauUs, or Chinese mulberry 

 leaf, ai that time, I made use, in part, of leaves 

 from our native Itlack mulberry.* Tiie worms re- 

 mained (luite healthy, until 1 supposed eight- 

 tcnihs had spun excellent cocoons. The leaves of 

 the common mulberry became scarce. I had to 

 send tlirec miles (()r ihem ; and the weather being 

 then very warm, I lijund it impossible to get them 

 to the cocoomy before ihey became heated and 

 dark, which caused disease amoni'-st the remnant 

 fed witii the native mulberry. Some died ; and 

 those that spun llie cocoons were not as pcriect as 

 they should luive been. Those led with the Chi- 

 nese nmlberry leaf remained healthy, although 

 the shelves were within a few feet of the diseased 

 ones. The nursery of the Chinese mulberry be- 

 ing convenient, the leaves were used fresh from 

 the tree, or placed in the cellar before they be- 

 came warm, and sometimes remained two or three 

 days in good order. I think that worms led wiih 

 the leaves of the Chinese mulberry, are not as 

 subject to disease as those fed from our native 

 trees. If led with the former, they consume every 

 part of it ; but when the leaves of the latter are 

 used, they refuse a large portion, which, if allow- 

 ed to remain on the shelves, will certainly produce 

 disease. (c) The labor saved in galherinij the 

 leaves of the Chinese muli^erry being so consider- 

 able, I have no doubt it will supersede the use of 

 all others. Some have calculated this saving of 

 labor at nine-tenths, and, I think, are not far out. 

 I have weighed 150 lbs. of cocoons, which I am 

 now reeling. One of the hands gets half a pound 

 of raw silk per day. The reeling is done on a 

 reel I had built at home, alter a model I purchased 

 last summer, in Hartford, Connecticut, (or five 

 dollars; and I think they can be made for three 

 dollars. I have no doubt they are equal to the 

 patent reels, so much puffed at the north. I can 

 see but little diflerence in the strength of the siik 

 made from the two ditierent kinds of nndleiiy ; 

 except that made with the Chinese hasalusir.', 

 which gives it a superiority. I made but one crop 

 this season. I have no doubt that three crops can 

 be made; and I should have attempted it, if I 

 could have procured the eggs. The hands 1 had 

 employed were double the number necessary. 

 My object was to instruct them in the business, 

 so as to be ready for a much larger crop, another 

 year. One of the hands, alter attending the worms 

 two weeks, could liave managed hall' 1 li'd in the 

 usual way. It is quite a mistaken notion with 

 some, that slave labor will not answer in the cul- 

 ture of silk. I had some white hands employed ; 

 but I also had some blacks, who ivere little inlijiior 

 10 tiie best white laborers, and are now reeling ex- 

 cellent silk. One of the black hands, now only 

 eight years old, I found very utseful in leediiig 

 worms, and can now reel well. I have no doubl, 

 much ol'the labor I bestowed was unnecessary, as 

 the business was entirely new to all (Muployeil. 

 The cocoonry I had built is 4U I'eeX by 24, and 10 

 feet pitch, well fitted u|) with shelves, un the most 

 approved norihern plan. The house should 1)0 

 well ventilated, to adnfit the air lieely through, or 

 the worms will certainly become diseased. I have 

 no doubt that a house built of logs i^; ct|ual to any 

 that can be fitted uj) ; and the barns now used lor 

 tobacco can easily be converted into cocoonries. I 



* Morus rubra. — Ed. 



have 30,000 mnrtis multlcaulifi or Chinese mulber- 

 ry tnu's. and a nurh^ery that will afford from 80,000 

 to 100,000 cuttings this fall. Sliould the silk crop 

 linl, (lor which 1 have no fi^ars, being so fairly 

 tested,) I would certainly plant an orchard of the 

 Chinese mulberry trees, lor the purpose of feeding 

 stock. I find both horses and cattle remarkably 

 f)nd of the leaf, and I think we have no coarse fb- 

 laire possessing more nutriment. I think an acre 

 of land planted in mulberry trees, will produce as 

 much in weight, (the leaves being easily cured,) 

 as our best trrass meadows, in the southern and 

 middle counties of Virginia. The trees will yield 

 several crops of leaves in one year. 



I commenced, like most others, with too irreat 

 a number of worms, before I had a sufficient 

 quantity of leaves, and but little knowledge of the 

 business. From 5,000 to 10,000 are fully sufficient 

 to commence with. The worms, in the 4th and 

 5ih age, eat an incredible cjuantity of leaves ; and 

 if they are not fed plentilully, it prolongs the time 

 of spinning, and, therefore, increases the labor. 

 One of my neighbors fed but few worms, and they 

 commenced spinnino; in 25 days ; while mine were 

 40 days before a cocoon was formed. (</) Taking 

 every thing into consideration, I think the crop a 

 fair one, and am willing to try three crops next 

 year.(c) 



I shall have more trees than will he necessary to 

 carry on the business next year, and am willing to 

 dispose of part of my stock. 



Thomas Hicks. 



Notes, by the Editor. 



(a) It is with much gratification that we have re- 

 ceived, and present to our readers, this account of a 

 first, and therefoie imperfect, experiment of silk-cul- 

 ture in Virginia. The writer's locality is precisely 

 that which offers the strongest inducements, and pro- 

 mises the highest profits, for this business ; and we feel 

 assured that he will so correct his first (and always in- 

 evitable) misfalces, OS lo be able to prove, practically 

 and satisfactorily, the soundness of the position which 

 we have long ago assumed, and again recently asserted, 

 that whatever may be the profits of silk-culture in the 

 northern states, they may be far surpassed in Virginia, 

 by applying equal skill, care, and industry, to the su- 

 perior advantages of our better climate, and cheaper 

 land and labor. The interest which we feel in this 

 subject, and the value attached to the experiment and 

 labors of our correspondent, will induce the making 

 some remarks and strictures on parts of his communi- 

 cation; which, for convenience, will be appended m 

 the form of notes to the jmssagcs referred to. 



{h) The keeping together worms of different times 

 (jf hatching was a very great error, and must have 

 caused loss, and injury to the worms, in all their differ- 

 ent "ages," or tiinfs of moulting, by the difference of 

 time in which they were commenced and ended, as 

 well as the injury found at thi time of spinning, 



(c) The bail condition of the leaves of the native 

 niulbeny, used for the latter worms, was sufficient to 

 account for their being less healthy food, and producing 

 inferior silk, to the Chinese. It will require a much 

 more careful and fair experiment than this, to establish 

 the fact, that worms may not be kept as healthy, and 



