WHITE-FKU1TED MOLBERRY-TREE. 45] 
event however proved him to be wrong; and showed that difficulties did exist 
of an insurmountable description; for, although it was confidently predicted thai 
in the ensuing year, a considerable quantity of raw silk would be produced the 
expectation was disappointed, and the company soon sunk into oblivion. In 
1825. a company was established in England, under the name of "The British, 
Irish, and Colonial Silk Company," with a large capital and under the direction 
of the celebrated Count Dandolo, whose treatise on the management of the silk- 
worm, &c, is considered the best work extant on the subject, in Italy. This 
company formed extensive plantations in England and Ireland, particularly near 
Slough, and in the vicinity of Cork; and Mr. John Heathcoat, of Tiverton, I ' 
vonshire, one of the most influential members, invented a method of reeling, which 
was attended with the most complete success. The company also formed plan- 
tations in the county of Devon; but, after numerous trials, it was found that the 
climate of the British Isles was too humid for the production of good silk: and 
the company was finally broken up, and its plantations destroyed, in 1829. ' 
The first introduction of the silk culture into the British North American colo- 
nies was made by James I., who, on several occasions, urged the Virginian Com- 
pany to promote the cultivation of mulberry-trees, and the breeding of silkworms 
In 1622, he addressed a letter to them expressly on this subject, conveying to 
them strict injunctions that they should use every exertion for this purpose, and 
should stimulate the colonists to apply themselves diligently and promptly to thi 
breeding of silkworms, and the establishment of silk works. The company, thus 
incited, showed much zeal in their endeavours to accomplish the king's wishes 
They lost no time in transmitting his majesty's letter to the governor and council 
of Virginia, together with particular instructions how the colonists might ! 
apply their labours in the production of silk. For the furtherance of this object. 
their instructions were accompanied by several copies of Bonoeil's "Treatise on 
the Art of Making Silk," &c, and a quantity of mulberry-trees and silkworms 
eggs, which had been sent from England to that colony. Mr. Bonoeil, who w 
a member of the Virginian Company, engaged warmly in the undertaking; and 
was so fully convinced of its practicability, as to assert that, with an adequate 
number of hands, such a quantity of silk might be produced in Virginia, as m a 
very short time, would sufficiently supply all Christendom. The misfortunes 
soon after this time experienced by the colony of Virginia, and which involved 
the dissolution of the company, materially checked the execution of this project, 
A considerable number of mulberry-trees were planted, and flourished ; but little 
silk was produced. In the year 1654, the rearing of silkworms again becami 
subject of interest in Virginia. This revival was principally owing to the exer- 
tions of Mr. Edward Diggs, who confidently asserted that he had conquered all 
the main difficulties attending the experiment. He endeavoured to persuade the 
Virginians that, in a short time, a great quantity of silk mighl very profitably be 
obtained. About this period, it was also enacted by the British government that 
every planter in Virginia, who should not have raised at least ten mulberry-trt 
for every hundred acres of land in his possession, should be lined ten pounds of 
tobacco. Five thousand pounds of tobacco were promised to anyone who should 
produce one thousand pounds of wound silk in one year. In 166 I. Mr. W alker. 
a member of the legislature, stated that he had seventy thousand mulberry-Ire* s 
on his estate. In 1666, all statutory provisions were repealed, because, il is -aid. 
the business was in so thriving a condition as no longer to require protection 
This branch of industry, however, was soon after suffered to decline; and it does 
not appear that the production was ever carried to any meat extent n, that co 
ony. The decline was probably owing to new immigrants, who brougnl with 
* See Loudon's Arboretum Britannicutn, iii . pp 1350 el seq. 
