THE SILK CUL7TTJ3T. 



oY/7,- (Su-ltur" and Mulberry Specula! ion. 

 The editorial articU* on ihU subject which 

 appears in this number, (pane li'r-'i) was in 

 type (except the clo. ing postscript.) before 

 liir reception of the communication of Tho- 

 mas Hiek>, Esq. which \va> published in the 

 preceding number (page S7S ;.) and th' 1 first 

 num. '(I article was expected to have be \-. 

 presented, in the proper order oftim". before 

 th'. 1 latter. Our absence caused then uission 

 and the consequent awkwardftcs e> ;;;> 

 p'-aivince of*"o ir notes t .Mr. Ili:-k% !> tier, 

 wh'-h wre written to follow, though in fact 

 they preceded the -publication of iheuider ar- 

 tick-. * 



It lias ha; wn! occa 



thi< \v -.>'!-, that a communication "Vxhib t^nir 

 errors and mistakes of the writ r. has served 

 l,,i b; I..- \ nd fu'l infjrmation i n 



the subject, rs better informed. We 



III'.! if!"" : 



such will be the fruit ot our remarks on wha 

 may be term"d ( in plQre t!i;i!i one ; T.s-e) ll 

 mystery of silk culture in tin i-oimtry 

 hav b'-en <'" i i\i"Lr. by olh'T m"an>. as \w : ! 

 as by the publication of the article referr< 

 (ant! i' > still earlier conmuMt<-ntion irr (ho I 

 proof she< t.) to obtain jn-fo >n this in- | 



t ri'-ii.iL: subject ; and \v- lUecl, and | 



hi;-,) ..." to r ; (Vive, in p;irt. before the i-.pp-ar- 

 i (hi- number, from two verv intelli- 

 er;i. and well-informed correspondents, in- 

 teresting and valuable information on differ- 

 ent branches of this subject. 



In the time which bast-lapped since the 

 j). iminu of th article referred to. \vehave 

 heard of circumstances which, it' of earlier 

 oc.cmrence, would have varied the details. 

 and sonu'ofthe inferences, though they serve ; 

 to confirm the correctness of the general 

 views there presented. The demand for 

 plants of the Chinese mulberry h.is indeed so 

 greatly increased at the north, that every 

 plant and cutting now in Virginia, may be* 

 sold this year to northern purchasers at the 

 highest prices. To oar previous views and 

 recommendations, therefore, we would add 

 the advice to all who have plants to spare, not 

 to sell any to speculators lower than at the 

 highest prices ; to raise as many plants as 

 possible in 1839, from the stock retained. and 

 to be prepared then to supply the whole coun- 

 try at greatly reduced prices, and yet at great- 

 er profits ihan the highest prices at present 

 would give. Every single bud planted next 

 spring, and well taken care ot. will produce 



frn.u 1O tn 70 hml< cur not 1.-- = = iJinn 30 nn 



in average ; and therefore at a mlf-c 

 even a. quarter cent the bud, the sock < 

 "1 yield a much greater sum th?n -ill 

 ?ent growing stock at 2 cents the hul, 

 or 30 cents the rooted plant. But v 

 ;he sales are made this year at the 

 ligh price, or next year at much lov 

 gratifying ihat the course of trade iss 

 oletely turned, and that northern pir 

 ire now coming to the south for sup>li 

 hat this year more money will thin 

 o Virginia, than all that the northern 

 yrn MI have before got from, u* for tl 

 mature and defective plants, with wh 

 state was stocked. 



It is not merely the rage of spec 

 stimulated by legislative bounties, 

 caused 'his great demand at the north 

 ',- a real and great scarcity of morus 

 raulis, caused by the immense loss of 

 by the wet and cold weather ot 1; 

 and early spring, and the drought tFr 

 The following communication A L 

 tersburg Intelligencer shows that o' ) 



;,deni, Mr. Hi ^w 



ready been well paid (and it was r? ( 

 infers,) for his enterprise. w j 

 sundry large, dealers and speculate 

 ready gone ihrouirh lower Virgini< ?K 

 engage 1. (and we fear, generally ^ 

 price they were willing to pay,) ali r 

 of the morus multicaulis they i^j 

 for sale. I) 



Lawrencecille, Aug. 'd 

 ' I think the public oifght tokni!" 

 Thomas Hicks, ot thi-> county, ticP 1 

 fore hist, and la-t year, laid out & "'' 

 mulberry trees ; and this f; 1 , 

 10,060 trees. Two day n^ 

 ^0.000 to some ^ent^'inen in l^U- 

 ".ts a tree thi residue h- r" 

 3cll i.i this vicinity ; havingreali^c: 

 ?ome sum of .$7,500, from so ire 

 an outlay, in so short a time. IVr.su 

 pects to have, by tall twelve monlSI 

 trees more for sale, and in all prof*' 

 get nearly quite as much per tnc- 1;i 

 a'-o commenced the past seasci 11 

 silk, and has succeeded beyond L 

 tions, demonstrating f.hat our coui^,- 

 genial to the'production of that be[ ] 

 valuable article. Mr. H. des r. - 

 and has the congratulations of the ; 

 ty for his enterprise and success H L > 

 ing a new source of revenue and ji- 

 county." 



Having written to M>. Hicks to ki 

 ther this statement was entirely c 

 has stated in reply that the writer h 



t-riru mic:fnlrp wKii'h li n nnrrpntc n 



