FARMERS' REGISTER 



371 



Btatements, where statements are given, may be I 

 implicitly relied on. The cost of producinir the | 

 BJIk, however, is with him rather a matter ol' esii- 1 

 mate or judfrmenf, than ol'a careful ohservation of 

 every minute charge; and, like Mr. Smith's, 

 embraces only the lat)or applied. 



3. The next authority to which I refcr is that 

 ofD. V. McLean, ofFreehoid, Monm. Co., New 

 Jersey. No experiment has been ijiven to the 

 country so numerous in its details and ins'ruciive 

 in its results, as this. From the time employed 

 and the vvajres paid for the production of twelve 

 pounds of silk, he comes to the conclusion, that 

 raw silk may be produced and reeled at the rate 

 of two dollars to two dollars and one quarter per 

 pound, thoufjh he achnifs, that " his cost him much 

 more than this." This likewise is to be under- 

 eiood as the cost of liie labor only applied to the 

 production of the silk from the ecras ; and without 

 any allowance for land, trees, or cost or rent of co- 

 coonery. 



4. In Mansfield, Connecticut, it is customary 

 with those who have trees, to lijrnish the ego^s, to 

 board the woman employed in the process, and to 

 allow hPT half the produce in silk. She perlorms 

 all the work, from the hatching of the worms to 

 the reeling ofthe silk. The board of a woman in 

 (his case is estimated at one and a half dollar per 

 week. I have no means of ascertaining how 

 many worms a woman would be able to mana^re. 

 Thp general estimate is, that one woman will feed 

 60,000 worms. It has been stated to me, that in 

 one instance, one woman took the care of 120.000 

 worms ; but I am unable to obtain the particulars 

 of the case ; and to learn whether she had any aid 

 in pickintj the leaves or not. In the commence- 

 ment ofthe feeding, the time of one woman would 

 not be occupied entirely by an amount of worms, 

 which at the close of the feeding season would 

 require her whole and exclusive attention. Va- 

 rious circumstances, likewise, must come into the 

 account; such, for example, as the facilities fiir 

 feeding the worms ; Avhether the leaves are to be 

 gathered irom high standard trees or from shrubs ; 

 and whether they are to be plucked from the white 

 mulberry or the improved varieties. In the im- 

 proved cocooneries small cars fixed upon a rail- 

 road are used to convey the leaves from one end 

 ofthe room to the other ; and at a great saving of 

 labor and time. The use of hurdles, likewise, so 

 as to facilitate the cleaninfr of the worms, will 

 serve to lessen the labor. Practice and experience, 

 as in all other cases, maybe expected to bring 

 with them their usual advantages. Under these 

 circumstances, it is not easy to determine iiow 

 large a family of these industrious and hungry 

 operatives may be placed under the stewardship 

 of one person. In Mr. Smith's operations, two 

 women were occupied about five weeks in fi^eding 

 the worms for the production of about twenty 

 pounds of silk ; but how long was required for the 

 reeling is not stated. They received three dollars 

 each per week, and board, which must be rated at 

 one dollar and a half each per week. In Mr. 

 McLean's experience, the labor oftwo women and 

 a man twelve weeks each, would be required to 

 attend upon one acre or 160,000 worms ; and he 

 estimates their expenses, including board, at three 

 dollars per week each. These wages might be 

 deemed ample for a wom.an's labor, but it is not 

 more than half of the cost of man's labor in Mas- 



sachusetts. Mr. McLean's cocoonery, which I 

 had the pleasure of visiting, combines many ad- 

 vantages of construction ; and his lijiiage was 

 gathered from the Peroitet mulberry, planted the 

 same spring, and growing luxuriantly directly in 

 the vicinity. His experiment, however, though 

 conducted in a manner creditable to his remarka- 

 ble intelligence and public spirit, cannot be said to 

 determine in a satislactory manner the cost of pro- 

 duction ; though I think it fully decides the ques- 

 tion at the present prices of raw silk and ofsewings, 

 in tavor ofthe profitableness ofthe culture, within 

 reasonable limits ;and at a (air value of land, labor, 

 and trees. Any very great increase of production 

 must of course be /'ollowed by a reduction of 

 price. 



5. Calculations made by John Fitch, of Mans- 

 field, Connecticut, are as Ibllows. I have not the 

 pleasure of a personal knowledge of Mr. Fitch ; 

 but his reputation is a guaranty lor the correctness 

 of his statement. It. is, as will appear, somewhat 

 matter of judgment, but, I presume, founded upon 

 experience. 



One acre of full grown trees, set one and half 

 rod apart, will produce Ibrty pounds of silk. 



The labor may be estimated as Ibllows. 



For the tliree first week.s after the worms are 

 hatched, one woman who is acquainted with the 

 business ; or children, who would be equal to such 

 a person. 



For the next twelve or fourteen days, five 

 hands, or what would be equal to five, if performed 

 by children. In this period, two men with other 

 help would be employed to better advantage, than 

 all women and children. This period finishes the 

 worms. 



For picking ofl the balls, and reeling the silk, it 

 will require about the same amount of labor, for 

 the same length of time, as the last mentioned 

 period, which may all be performed by women 

 and children. The albresaid labor and board may 

 be estimated at eighty dollars ; spinning the silk 

 at thirty-four dollars; forty pounds of silk at the 

 lowest cash price, is now worth two hundred dol- 

 lars, which makes the following result : 



40 lbs. of silk at ^5 per lb. - §200 00 



Labor and Board, - ^80 



Spinning, - - 34 zr 114 00 



Net profit per acre, - $64 00 



The principal part ol' the labor may be perlor.med 

 by women and children ; but where the business is 

 carried on to a considerable extent, it is considered! 

 more profitable to employ some men for the last 

 period ofthe worms. 



This account of Mr. Fitch, it will be seen, 

 makes no allowance for any capital invested in 

 trees, land, or buildings; or (or expenses whjjjh 

 the care of the trees, land and buildings may re- 

 quire ; and it refers only to the use of the white 

 mulberry as standard trees. 



6. The calculation of an intelligent silk-grower 

 at Manchester, Connecticut, and who is a cultiva- 

 tor of the Perottet mulberry, is as (bllows. He 

 estimates the value of the (rces at 25 cents each, 

 and. he requires three thousand to stock an acre. 

 Coii. 

 Of trees fiir an acre, - - §i7-50 00 



Value of land - - - "- 100 00 



Capital invested, 



S850 00 



