Leaders. 65 



it must far excel the ordinary silk-worm (B. mori) in 

 this respect. No special facilities seem necessary. The 

 ailanthus can be raised with the greatest ease anywhere, 

 and by pruning can be forced to assume and retain a 

 low growth, so as to be readily accessible by the cultiva- 

 tor to facilitate the care of the worm. It can thus be 

 easily raised in the open air. 



Undoubtedly a letter addressed to the Commissioner 

 of Agriculture at Washington would elicit not only any 

 further information which might be desired, but also 

 substantial aid by furnishing eggs or cocoons of any of 

 the species hereinbefore mentioned, since this depart- 

 ment of the Government is now exerting itself to foster 

 silk-culture in this country. 



I have entered into this subject somewhat at length, in 

 the hope that it is only necessary to call attention to it, 

 to insure before long a supply of domestic gut far supe- 

 rior to that we are now forced to put up with. At pres- 

 ent we are compelled to depend on Spanish gut. At 

 least twenty per cent, of this is imperfect, with hardly 

 any two strands of the same thickness, and seldom ex- 

 ceeding fifteen inches in length. If we may judge from 

 the past, with American ingenuity to conduct this man- 

 ufacture, soon the angler would be able to order gut of 

 a certain number, and receive an article perfectly round, 

 of any desired length, and each strand of uniform thick- 

 ness from one end to the other; the number as invaria- 

 bly indicating the diameter as a like designation now in- 

 dicates that of metal wire. 



In rods, reels, and lines we lead the world; why not 

 in this as well? 



But another consideration suggests itself, of greater 

 moment than an improvement in the art we love so much. 



5 



