486 



which is perfectly practicable. It is a great object with the culturist 

 to get them out of the way, and their instincts certainly harmonize with 

 our wishes. I succeeded in the following manner. My hurdle frames 

 terminated whhin two feet of the ceiling, and this space I filled with 

 green ferns, supported upright, not however quite touching the ceiling. 

 Underneath this mass of brush, which occupied a superficial area of 

 less than forty square feet, we had an aggregate of nearly three hun- 

 dred feet of hurdles. The communication between the hurdles and 

 brushwood, was by means of rods and strips of boards nailed to the 

 hurdle frames so as nearly to touch the hurdles. In this way, with a 

 little care the entire family ascended to the brushwood, which, in a few 

 days was converted into a web of cocoons full forty pounds in weight. 

 Every hurdle, of which there were thirty, was removed. An ingenious 

 observation of these little artists will suggest a hundred ways of promot- 

 ing their instructing labors, and the culturist must make his own se- 

 lections. 



From data acquired by practical experience I proceed to draw up a 

 list of expenditures in cultivating silk, which under judicious manage- 

 ment I believe will be found to appro.ximate actual results. But 1 must 

 say that there can be no standard of cost, where every thing depends 

 upon skill, knowledge and judgment ; and since the audacious falsehoods 

 of mulberry dealers have been circulated to accomplish their objects, I 

 have looked upon published statements with some distrust, and accord- 

 ingly invite to my own the sharpest scrutiny. Good land, with a warm 

 rich mellow soil, will contain from 10,000 to 15,000 plants of the mul- 

 ticaulis variety, and they may be computed to yield 5,000 lbs. and up- 

 wards of foliage. For this amount of fodder five ounces of eggs will 

 be required to be hatched, producing full 100,000 cocoons, a quantity 

 at least sufficient to reel 35 lbs. of pure silk. It sells readily for $5 50 

 per lb., and would therefore bring the gross sum of $192 50 



EXPENDITURES. — FoT FoUage. 



Rent of land, $6 00 



Preparations for planting, . . . . , . . 4 00 



Planting and dressing two or three times, . . . . 8 37 



Interest on trees worth $100, , 6 00 



Taking up trees, trimming, protecting, &c., . . . 5 72 



