142 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



PRACTICAL, RESULTS, AND OPINIONS THENCE 

 DERIVED, ON SILK CITLTURIi: IN DELA- 

 WARE. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Dagsboro, Delaware, Feb. 18, 1840. 

 In answer to your inquiries as to my silk culture, 

 I may say I have been, or rather Mrs. Waples 

 has been, somewhat engaged in it, for about three 

 years. When I first commenced the business, 

 my object was to introduce the culture of it into 

 our county, believing then, as I now do, that it 

 would be of' an Incalculable advantage fo a dis- 

 trict of country like ours. I began by raising the 

 white Italian mulberry, for Ibod for the worm — 

 presuming then, from information received, that 

 that species of mulberry would suit our climate, 

 doubts then being entertained whether the morus 

 mullicaulis would stand our winters ; consequently 

 I had procured many of the white mulberry, upon 

 which I have principally fed my worms. Two 

 years ago, 1 procured some of the morus multi- 

 caulis, and have turned my attention mostly to 

 the cultivation of them, and am progressing with 

 them for standard trees as food for the worms. I 

 have had no intention from the beginning of spe- 

 culation upon the morus multicaulis. I sold a few 

 to two of my neighbors, which about paid me for 

 the first cost of mine. From some cause, which 

 I can't account for, the cuttings of one and two 

 buds which I planted last spring, nearly all failed ; 

 but as things have turned out, my loss will be no- 

 thing; for I have enough for my own use, and lo 

 sell them would be next to impossible. The great 

 rage for speculation in that article has, lor a while, 

 played the mischief with the progress of the silk 

 culture ; as the great loss of speculators hab 

 caused many, very many of the people (other- 

 wise well disposed towards the rearing of silk) to 

 believe that it is all a humbuor. These, you know, 

 are the days of humbug. But now is the time 

 for those who intend rearing silk, to stock their 

 farms with the morus mullicaulis. I intend to 

 keep a goodly number of the white mulberry for 

 a resort, if necessary. I find not much difference 

 in the two kinds for food ; but in the gathering, 

 one hand can gather more food from the m.orus 

 multicaulis, than five hands from the Italian mul- 

 berry. The worms are fond of both of these spe- 

 cies, and they make equally as fine silk ; but fi'om 

 the easy propagation and the facility of procuring 

 the food, I much prefer the morus multicaulis. I 

 fed last year about 300,000 worms. The cocoons 

 were fine, of good size, and of a fine texture ; 

 said by judges to be equal to any they ever saw. 

 I propose this year, if nothing happens, feeding 

 from half a million to a million of worms. Here- 

 tofore I have kept no account of expenses orco>t 

 of any thing in the premises; I have gone on in 

 this business entirely with my family, and in a 

 manner not to interfere with my other business ; 

 making this business almost entirely an extra 

 one — having done the principal part of the work 

 with a negro woman and black children, the lat- 

 ter of whom, but for this business, would be doing 

 little or nothing. I propose keeping an account 

 of all the ins and outs this year — and if I sliould 

 live, will try and give you a particular account of 

 our doings in the silk for the year 1840. This 

 much I am fully persuaded of, that it can be made 

 a profitable business, and particularly in a family 



way. There is no doubt with me, but that every 

 family in our community might raise from fifty 

 to one thousand dollars worth of silk a year, (ac- 

 cording to ti.e numbers of the /iamily,) with but 

 very little interference with their ordinary business. 

 If so, and I have no doubt of it, if it could be ge- 

 nerally introduced, what an amount of money 

 would it come to yearly l I have now full faith 

 in the multicaulis standing our winters ; mine thus 

 far are not injured the least, although our winter 

 has been what we call a hard one. At some 

 other time I will give you my idea on manuring 

 and farming. 



With sentiments of the highest respect, your 

 friend, Wm. D. Waples. 



DELIGHTFULNESS OF THE CLIMATE OF SOUTH- 

 ERN FLORIDA, GOVERNMENTAL NEGLECT 

 AND AIJUSES, AND THE 3IEANS OF REMEDY. 



To '.lie Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Indian Key, Tropical Florida, 

 \st January, 1840.* 

 A happy new year lo you ! But what a contrast 

 between the weather and vegetation of Peters- 

 burg at this very hour, when compared with the 

 weather and vegetation of Indian Key. Can yoa 

 realize the fttct that this coral rock of twelve acres 

 is covered with ever-verdant foliage and ever- 

 blooming flowers 1 On the r2th December, 1838. 

 my family en)barked amid the cold desolation of 

 the season at New York, and on the 2oth Decem- 

 ber, 1838, my (iimily arrived, amid the cheering 

 consolations of the same month, at Indian Key. 

 My many years of previous residence in tropical 

 climates debarred me from enjoying all the plea- 

 sure of absolute novelty in this speedy transition 

 from the leafless vegetation of the snowy hills of 

 New York to the evergreen woods of the never- 

 frosty Keys of Tropical Florida. But my Northern 

 family was greatly astonished and highly delighted 

 with the magical change, from the cold and gloo- 

 my scenery of December in the latitude of New 

 York, to the warm and brilliantscenery of Decem- 

 ber in ilie latitude of Indian Key. They have 

 now passed one year and five days amid the phy- 

 sical enjoyments derived irom the weather and 

 vegelaiion alone of Tropical Florida; and they are 

 now as well convinced as I am myself of the su- 

 perlative delightfulness and the superlative health- 

 iulness of the tropica! climate of South Florida. 

 They have relinquished thesociety of their friends 

 and acquaintances at the pleasant village of Pal- 

 myra, Wayne County, New York ; they have 

 spent a year rt this village islet of six families, in 

 my temporary dwelling, which has necessarily 

 been my fan)ily fortress or domestic prison ; and 

 they are still as anxious as I am myself to be 

 transferred to the still more solitary enjoyments of 

 the desert wilderness on the adjacent mainland of 

 the Peninsula. All men who are practically ac- 

 quainted with the first settlement of any new 

 country must well know that, during the first years, 

 their own minds and their own families must 

 necessarily constitute their only "good society." 

 He who cannot find sufficient enjoyments in his 



* Lat 24° 48' N. Long. 80° 55' West. Heat 70° to 72° 

 Fahrenheit. 



