66 



The culture of silk was introduced into Georgia at 

 the earliest period of its settlement. The trustees ofthe 

 colony transmitted mulberry trees as well as seeds and 

 silk worms' eggs. The public seal of the colony repre- 

 sented silk worms in their various stages. In the year 

 1736 a quantity of raw silk was raised in that colony, 

 and was manufactured at Derby, by Sir Thomas Combe, 

 into a piece of stuff and presented to the queen. A 

 few years before our Revolution considerable quanti- 

 ties of raw silk began to be exported to England, which 

 was found equal to the best silk of Piedmont, and to be 

 worked with less waste than the China silk. In 1776 

 more than twenty thousand pounds of raw silk were 

 imported into England from Georgia. 



No result of any consequence seems to have follow- 

 ed the exertions of Dr Franklin to establish a filature 

 at Philadelphia in 1769. The revolution came on 

 and put an end to the undertaking. There is little 

 doubt that if the United States had continued to remain 

 British colonies, the culture of silk would have made 

 an immense progress in this country, because its promotion 

 wasa matter of vital interestto the mo: her country, whose 

 manufacturers would have been furnished from hence with 

 the raw material, which they are obliged to purchase at 

 a great expense, drawing very little from their domin- 

 ions in Bengal, where it seems it is imperfectly prepared. 



In Connecticut this culture has been attended to for sev- 

 enty years, and it is probable that about four tons are now 

 raised annually in the county of Windham. 1 was told by 

 an intelligent citizen of that county during my visit there 

 in 1828, that the culture was found profitable and was the 

 best business they could pursue. I found many families, in 

 some towns nearly all, engaged in raising silk. A family 

 makes ten, twenty, fifty, or a hundred pounds in a season, 

 according to their supply of leaves. It is evident that 

 they will derive much advantage from introducing Eu- 

 ropean skill into their manufacture ofthe article. I am told 

 that during the present season they have erected a factory 

 and employ several European artists. There is every 

 reason to believe that a rapid increase of production 



