378 



FARMERS' li E G I S T E R 



stand much exposure, and yet be healthy and 

 produclive in spite of ail neglect and ill treatment, 

 that it is true economy to u.~e efleclual means to 

 shut out damp air, and, in bad weather, to dry, 

 warm, and renew the air of the feeding apart- 

 ment, by using a little fire in a fire place, or a 

 stove. Yet almost all have neglected to observe 

 these necessary conditions of success, and there- 

 fore it is not to be wondered at that all such feed- 

 ers have met with either partial or total failure in 

 broods hatched in April, or the first days of May. 

 On the other hand, we have heard of no person 

 who had a close feeding house, and yet well ven- 

 tilated, and who used fire in the worst vveather,vvho 

 has not so far done well, excepting in some partial 

 cases of the use of had eggs, or some other well 

 known and sufficient cause of failure. If every 

 person who has attempted and failed to raise a 

 healthy brood this season were separately exa- 

 mined as to the causes, there is no question that 

 in every case there would be found to have ope- 

 rated one or more of the lollovving insuperable ob- 

 stacles to full success ; viz., eggs from unhealthy 

 stock— early hatching and exposure to the cold 

 and dampness and frequent and violent changes 

 of the weather — wet food given during wet wea- 

 ther and on damp litter— or too close crowding of the 

 worms, and neglect ol" cleaning away their litter. 

 Yet there will be some persons who have permit- 

 ted all of these evils to operate, and who never- 

 theless are astonished at their lailure, and totally 

 discouraged from making new and better di- 

 rected efforts. 



Many experimenters also who have acted more 

 judiciously, and still more of those who have been 

 loo fearful of failure to commence any experiment, 

 will be discouraged by the number of these losses. 

 But there is no ground for such a conclusion. It 

 is certain that this business is capable of being 

 reduced to precise regulation, and conducted al- 

 ways in the same manner. If, then, there were 

 a far greater disproportion of failures compared to 

 successful rearings this season, it would furnish no 

 argument against the business as properly conduct- 

 ed, provided there were any well conducted and cer- 

 tainly successful experiments made in the same 

 unpropitious season. If indeed but one person 

 were to be undoubtedly successful, and 500 others 

 were as certainly unsuccessful, it would be clear 

 that all these might have done as well as the one, 

 if they had but used equal care, and pursued the 

 same method. 



Having suffered in one, as well as having heard 

 of sundry other cases of such early disasters, we 

 were desirous of seeing the operations of some 

 other persons who had been more discreet and 

 therefore more succeesful j and accordingly we vi- 



sited the cocooneries of Mr. Curtis Carter of 

 Henrico, near Richmond, and of T. S. Pleas- 

 ants, at Bellona, between the 9lh and 12ih of 

 June. We earnestly recommend to every one 

 who f( els interested in silk-culture, and has doubts 

 as to its practicability, to make a similar visit to 

 culturists who have taken some care, and exercised 

 some judgment, to attain the end in view. No 

 one can view the operations of an intelligent and 

 judicious person in this business without seeing 

 and learning something of value, even though 

 some errors may also be equally obvious. 



Mr. Curtis Carter has done more and earlier to 

 show his confidence in the profit of silk-culture than 

 any one inVirginia under similar circumstances. He 

 commenced more than a year ago a cocoonery 130 

 feet long, 30 wide, and two stories high, which 

 has already cost him more than ^4000, and which 

 he does not consider finished until it shall be 

 supplied with stoves and flues, and is lathed and 

 plastered, to preserve the dryness and warmth of 

 temperature thus to be obtained. Mr. Carter ia 

 not an enthusiast. He is a prudent and judicious 

 old man, who has earned by his own early labor 

 and economy a competent fortune, without aban- 

 doning the habits of industry and frugality, and 

 plainness of his comfortable living, which were 

 necessary in his early life. His prudence and cau- 

 tion are apparent in his present operations. For 

 after being so well provided, and at such great ex- 

 pense, he has still avoided increasing his rearings 

 otherwise than very gradually. He took care not to 

 hatch out many eggs until recently, and the early 

 small broods, (of which he was then reeling some 

 of the cocoons,) were raised mostly in his close 

 brick hatching apartment, where fire served to se- 

 cure a sufficiently warm, dry, and purified atmo- 

 sphere. Though 10 ounces of eggs had then 

 been hatched, most of the worms were as yet 

 young, and his great cocoonery seemed almost va- 

 cant. 



Reeling was then going on, upon two iron 

 Piedmontese reels. The laborers were Mr. Car- 

 ter's sons and daughters, who already reel well, 

 though having had but a few weeks' practice, and 

 without having seen the operation before, or hav- 

 ing instruction from any one more experienced. 

 The principal material used had been the last 

 years' crop, between 30 and 40 bushels of cocoons 

 made by Mr. Carter last summer. During our visit, 

 the reeling was of cocoons of this year's product. 

 We are not able to judge ofthisoperation by com- 

 parison, or by acquaintance with the article pre- 

 pared ; but to our scant lights on the subject, it 

 seemed that the execution was easy and rapid, and 

 the product excellent. Those who consider the 

 difficulty of reeling. as the great obstacle to silk- 



