FARMERS' REGISTER 



219 



Now, sir, il" you deem the above of any value, 

 you are at liberly to make what use you please ol 

 if. I should prefer your incorporating any portion 

 of it in your proposed remarks on caitle ; but if 

 you think fit to publish it as a communication, I 

 have no objection. 



Hoping you may succeed in calling attention 

 to the beautiful Devons, I remain, &c. P. H. 



MISS RAPP S SILK GOODS,- 

 COONS, &C. 



-CURING CO- 



From the Journal of the American Silk Society. 



The editor of this Journal having solicited of 

 Miss Rapp, of Economy, Pa. the privilege ol' 

 -exhibiting some specimens of her silk manufac- 

 tures, he received from her a case containing the 

 following articles, viz : 33 yards black fiijured dres*? 

 silk, 12 do. lavender figured dress silk, 1^ yards 

 green velvet, l^ do. black velvet, 3 yards black 

 plain satin, 12 yards figured satin vestings, 13 

 pieces fancy ribands, (165 yards.) 4 pieces of plain 

 ribands, and a raw silk handkerchief. These 

 goods are all of first rate quality — heavy and dura- 

 ble. They were exhibited at the public meeting 

 of the American Silk Society on the evening of the 

 20th February, and elicited expressions of surprise 

 and astonishment nt the progress already made in 

 the production of silk in this country. They fur- 

 nished conclusive evidence of the important liict, 

 that we can not only (ijrnish all the raw material, 

 hilt even the best manufactured silks from our own 

 resource^, and that all that is wanting to accom- 

 plish the great object is the diffusion of knowled<je 

 among the people, and for the people to say that 

 they lotll do it. 



The fallowing are extracts from the letter ofMiss 

 Rapp, that accompanied the silks. We publish 

 them without her permission, because it will do 

 the public more good than it can do her harm. 

 We would recomtnend attention to the extract on 

 curing cocoons with camphor. Th s is an impor- 

 tant and interesting item of infiirmation. 



Economy, Pa. February 7, 1840. 



Gideon B. Smith, Esq. — There is so great a 

 demand for our silks that, after supplyinij the 

 wants of our society, we can never manufacture as 

 much as our store could sell at the annexed prices. 

 There is, therefore, no necessity to seek a distant 

 market. Notwithstanding this, we thought we 

 would send you all we had ready made ; as these 

 specimens (tocrether with those you will probably 

 receive from other quarters) may assist you and 

 your society a good deal, to cnnviitce every patriot, 

 that our oion and our own people's hands them- 

 selves can produce and mamifacture this so highly 

 beloved article of luxury, with which we are so 

 fijnd to adorn ourselves, and clad in a garment of 

 which, if thus obtained, we may justly (eel a noble 

 pride, — but, 7/ the product of foreign hands, we 

 have the best reason in the world to feel great 

 shame, when we reflect, that by the way of obtain- 

 ing if, we have so much and so unpatriotically 

 contributed to squander our national treasure, 

 burden our country with an enormous debt, and 

 thereby lay the sure foundation of ruin and misery. 

 These specimens have all been made of silkraised 

 within our society in the summer of 1839, (we 

 never wove a thread of purchased silk.) In 



strength and durability they will surpass any im- 

 ported article. The handkerchief of silk floss, or 

 tow, you will please to accept as a small contribu- 

 tion to your collection of specimens, it is to show 

 that that part of the cocoon is valuable too. 



As you wish me to make any communication 

 which I consider useful, I will make a few re- 

 marks : 



1. On the curing of cocoons. 2. On the mul- 

 berry tree, the foundation of the whole business. 



1. Since we are killing our cocoons with cam- 

 phor, we find them as easy to reel, at any time 

 after the regular season, as when freshly taken 

 from the spinning shelves. We do it as follows : 

 for 100 lbs. of cocoons in the floss, we take a well 

 made box, large enough to hold them, then we 

 take about 3 oz. of camphor, which we moisten 

 with as much alcohol as is necessary to rub it into 

 a powder, a part of which we sprinkle on the 

 bottom of the box, then we fill the box by making 

 5 or 6 layers of the cocoons, and spread a propor- 

 tional part of the camphor between each of them; 

 then we screw on the lid and paste strips of paper 

 on all the splits and joints, to make it air-tight. 

 After 3 or 4 days we take them out and dry them 

 in the shade until perfectly light. They must be 

 assorted before camphoting, or else the bad co- 

 coons will spoil the good ones, 



2. In regard to the mulberry I would earnestly 

 recommend, especially to the silk growers of the 

 northern and middle states, not to neglect the cul- 

 tivation of the white Italian or a similar mulberry- 

 tree, as by raising the multicaulis only the best 

 crops (which are produced in the fore part of the 

 summer) are lost. The multicaulis is a most 

 excellent addition to, but not a periijct substitute 

 fiir, the other kmds. They ought to go together. 

 Several years ago we received among others a 

 kind of mulberry under the double name of moras 

 brussa or expansa, which we now endeavor to 

 multiply (by grafting) as fast as possible, as it 

 possesses all the excellent qualities of the Italian, 

 besides having large, heavy, glossy leaves, which 

 are gathered with less than [lalf the labor required 

 for the foliage of the white Italian. Such silk 

 growers as possess this kind, would undoubtedly 

 do well to propagate it as fast as possible along 

 with the multicaulis. Respectfully yours, 



Gertrud Rapp, for Geobge Rapp. 



ACCOUNT OF AN AGRCULTURAL, EXCURSION 



INTO ST. .John's, rerkley. ry the ed- 

 itor. 



[ Concluded from page 178.] 



From the Southern Cabinet. 



Sweet potatoes are here, as in all the lower 

 part of the state, grown in considerable quantities; 

 every planter endeavorinii to raise as many as will 

 serve the plantation from the middle of August to 

 March, when they are not longer deemed whole- 

 some or nutritious enough (or laborers. It is a 

 matter of regret, that more attention is not paid 

 throughout the state to this crop, which is destined, 

 at some future day, to be of the greatest value to 

 us, not only as food for our negroes, but also for our 

 horses, cattle and hogs. This root far surpasses in 

 nutritious qualities, the far-famed turnip, which is 



