254 



F A R M E R S' RE G 1 S T E R 



nor any other gratification, or to consume the inter- 

 val by keeping with the steam train in lis course 

 to Portsmouth, to return again wiih the next; 

 which was done. Thus to lra\ei 80 miles out ol 

 one's course, without losing time by it, is one of 

 the strange things attending the present rapid 

 mode of travelling, and its interruption on cross 

 routes. This delay gave me an opportunity of 

 spending ii-om 2 to iTP. M., in Portsmouth and 

 Norlblk, and of viewing some of the (to me) in- 

 teresting subjects of the Ibllowing notes. 



Silk culture in cperaiion and preparation. 



Who could have anticipated, even as late as 

 two years ago, that this heading would be suita- 

 ble lor any notes of observations made in Vir- 

 ginia? Yet it is so now; and I leel confident that, 

 before this present season expires, so many and 

 such successful operations will have been complet- 

 ed, as to leave no room for the experimenteis to 

 doubt, and which will serve to establish silk-cul- 

 ture among the reuular and profitable directions of 

 labor and capital in the southern slates. 



The authorities of the Alms-house of Norfolk 

 have done honor to themselves, and furnished a 

 profit, and rendered a distinguished service to the 

 institution they govern, and to their country, by 

 introducing silk culture, upon an extensive scale. 

 Mr. Duesberry, the intelligent and zealous super- 

 intendent, has either ready fitted up, or in progress, 

 the upper floor of the Alms-house. He has now 

 feeding, in various stages of grovvth, half a mil- 

 lion of silk-worms, and intends to leed as many 

 more, during the season, as will make lour millions 

 in all. Mr. D. is less a novice than most other 

 experimenters in Virginia, he having led silk- 

 worms on a small scale for the tlirce preceding 

 seasons. The oldest of his worms (the eiigs of 

 which had been prematurely hatched by March 

 12th) had begun to spin on Afiril 24ih, and 

 by the evening ol'the next diiy, when I saw them, 

 the cocoons seemed comjjJeted in outward appear- 

 ance and in firmness, so that I could bring away a 

 lew as specimens of such unusually early product. 

 A fire had been kept in the fire-place of the room 

 generally, until within a lew days previous, when 

 the weather became warm. The oldest worms, 

 doubtless, were somewhat injured by such early 

 hatchiufT, and the consequent exposure to cold, 

 and even want of food; but had on the whole 

 done well, and were forming hue cocoons. The 

 greater number, hatched later, were in the best 

 possible condition. 



1 was surprised as well as luLfhly gratified to 

 learn from Mr. Duesberry that the preparations 

 already made, or m progress towards sure comple- 

 tion, lijr leeding silk-worms this season, were so 

 extensive. He named the sundry individuals who 

 are about commencing the business in the envi- 

 rons of Norfolk and Portsmouth, and the number 

 of worms that each counted on feeding. There 

 will be at least a dozen proprietors so engaged, 

 and who ex|)ected to leed collectively more than 

 twenty millions of worms this season. It is true 

 that this is yet to be done; and therelbre I shall 

 not make statements at greater lencth as to mere 

 intentions. But there is no doubt that a business 

 to this amount will lie underudcen, and I liope 

 to be enabled to slate results, and successful and 

 profitable results, of what now is but preparation 



and promise. Norfolk county, though having natu- 

 ral agricultural advantages which lew other regions 

 can compare with, has heretofore been the most 

 sluggish ill the march of agricultural improvement. 

 But Uiis county is now decidedly ahead of all the 

 south in the silk-business ; and I trust that energy 

 and success in that will produce the energy which 

 will certainly lead to success in the exercise of 

 all its great and neglected means for improvement 

 and aifricultural wealth. 



In North Carolina, though 1 met with but few 

 cases of regular silk-culture either in operation or 

 preparation, I heard of sundry, and some on a 

 very large scale, at places not in my route ; and I 

 witnessed several striking proofs of the admirable 

 fitness of the climate to enable the worms to en- 

 dure privations and rouoh treatment. At Wil- 

 mington, in Dr. McRee's garden, I saw silk- 

 worms leeding on moras multicaulis bushes in the 

 open air, and apparently as healthy and vigorous 

 as if sheltered and well cared lor. The eggs, in 

 a hatching state, had been merely placed on the 

 bushes, and nothing more done to save them. A 

 i'ew of the oldest were in their fifth age, and had 

 endured one snow (on March 25th) and all the 

 rains, one of which occurred on April 15, the even- 

 ing before 1 last saw them, and was very heavy. 

 The hatching having been very unequal, most of 

 the worms were much less advanced than the 

 most forward. Doubtless most of them had pe- 

 rished, and perhaps all then remaining will perish, 

 before attaining full growth, by the depredations oi' 

 birds and ants. But still, the good condition of 

 those which remained when I saw them, after 

 such early and lonnr exposuie, was a very satisliic- 

 tory evidence of the climate being altogether aa 

 kindly as if natural to silk- worms. 



In Nevvbern, several persons were feeding very 

 successfully, but mostly on a small scale. The 

 largest operator was Mr. W. R. Street, the keep- 

 er cf the hotel where I lodged, whose establish- 

 ment I visited. He had feeding, as he supposed, 

 200,000 worms, in an old dilapidated frame build- 

 ing, which had no glass or close windows, but 

 plank shutters on hmges instead, and was more 

 open to outer air, and to cold and dampness, than 

 any house i ever saw used for the purpose. Two 

 negro women were the feeders, with very slight 

 superintendence from Mr, Street, in short visits 

 two or three times a day. There had been fires 

 kindled on three of the coldest days only. The 

 progress of the worms had been slow, owing to 

 so inuch cold weather; but they appeared to be 

 doing well, and to have suflcred liom nothing 

 except too much care, or illy directed care, from 

 their feeders. 1 learned from my inspection, and 

 a ii-ee conversation with the two leeders, to be 

 much more confident than I had been as to trust- 

 ing the details of the business to such ignorant aa 

 well as inexperienced operators as we nmst now 

 find in our neirioes. 



At 11 P.M. (2ot!)) I left Portsmouth by the re- 

 turn train, and reached the junction of the rail- 

 roads (78 miles) to early breakfast next morning. 

 There I had again to wait through a tedious day 

 for the next train to Petersburg, which started at 

 8 P. M. and reached Petersburg after midnight.* 



* The letter of J. W. Bryan, esq., spoken of in the 

 foregoing article, as to follow, though in type, is com- 

 pelled to be postponed, for want of space "for its inser- 

 tion. It will appear in the next number. — Ep. F. R. 



