^ 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 1 



the business, their sales have been eo rapid, that 

 lew if any of tliem, have more of through-bred 

 animals on hand, than are necessary for tlieu- own 

 immediate purposes. That the business has been 

 a source of considerable profit to them, and will 

 continue to be so, cannot be doubled; but they 

 have not received more than a just reward lor their 

 enterprise, and the care and attention they have 

 given to ihe important subject ol improving our 

 breeds of cattle. It is a mailer in which every 

 farmer, and posterity, are deeply interested. As 

 a mine of the richest ore is more valuble than one 

 which contains nothing but the meanest metals, 

 so is an agricultural country, stocked with the 

 finest breeds of domestic animals, wealthy above 

 that which possesses none but the unimproved 

 scrub races. 



The cow above stated, purchased by Mr. Allen, 

 is one of superior form and size; the calf, we have 

 also been told by good judges of slock, has rarely, 

 if ever, been exceeded in appearance by one ol 

 his affe. 



ON THE PROPAGATION OF SILK-WORBIS. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



« The moths which come out the first day are 

 called grass-moths. The last of all, are called 

 mo-gno, (that is to eay: the last butterflies.) 

 Neither of them ought to be kept. Only those 

 which come out after the second day should be 

 taken. The sheets of paper must be spread 

 upon the cases of a shelf, then the males and fe- 

 males come close together and copulate. When 

 the evening comes, the male butterflies must be ta- 

 ken aivay, and the females placed on sheets ol pa- 

 per, leaving an equal distance between them. 

 The eggs vvliich are found in lumps ought to be 

 thrown "out."— ( Chinese Treatise on the culture 

 of silk, published by P. Force.) 



"After the cocoons have been taken down from 

 the hedge, those which are intended ibr eggs, 

 should be laid, but not crowded, on tables, that is 

 to say, the males on one table and the females on 

 another, that they may not copulate two soon, and 

 before they have discharged a viseid humor, ot a 

 yellow reddish color, ichich pi events their fecun- 

 diiy. They discharge this humor in one hour alter 

 they come out of the cocoons."— (i^ssai/s on 

 American silk, by J. D. Homergue.} 



1 have read with pleasure and profit, the essays 

 of Mr. Gideon B. Smith, on the culture of silk, 

 recently published in the Farmers' Register. But 

 there is an objectionable passage in No. 2 which 

 I hope Mr. Smith will consent to alter or sup- 

 press, when the essays shall be published in 

 pamphlet form. 



The lantruage used about the writers of a po- 

 lite, hospitable and scientific people is uncourteous, 

 and the theory maintained erroneous, and calcu- 

 lated to do harm. I should not nse such poisi- 

 tive language, if I had not investigated the sub- 

 ject with unusual care. 



1 will now contrast the passage from Mr. 

 Smith's essay with quotations from^ the Chinese 

 and French writers and the result of ray own ex- 

 perience since the spring of 1836. 



Mr. S. says " the^ recommendation of the 

 French to separate the moths alter they have 

 been coupled six hours, is perfect nonsense, and 

 is one of the ridiculous refinements that refined 

 people have tried to apply to the silk-culture, with- 

 out the shadow of utility to recommend them, 

 and only remarkable for the great additional la- 

 bour and perplexity with which they encumber 

 the business. Like all the other fooleries of the 

 French, I tried this, and got for my pains no other 

 result, than a loss of about one-third of my eggs, 

 which were not fecundated, as might have been 

 expected. Let the moths remain together until 

 they separate of themselves, and all your eggs 

 will be good." 



Nothing it seems to me, short of infallible cer- 

 tainty can justify the spirit and turn of ihis quo- 

 tation ; and to arrive at such certainty it is obvious 

 that more than one or even two experiments are 

 requisite. The subject is too important to be des- 

 patched in this hasty and peremptory style. It 

 will appear from one of the following quotations, 

 that Mr. S.'s failure to get good eggs may be 

 accounted tor without pronouncing a practice 

 sanctioned by the combined experience of France, 

 Italy and China, to be "perfect nonscnce''' and a 

 a ridiculous foolery. 



I have practiced the method described by the 

 Chinese writer five times, and have uniformly 

 had the eggs well fecundated. The eggs may 

 fail to become fecundated, not only for the viscid 

 humor mentioned above, but also by delaying the 

 union until the eggs are formed, and the females 

 are ready to deposit them. Copulation may take 

 place after this, but it Avill avail nothing. The 

 moths usually come out of the cocoons between 

 sun-rise and 10 A. M. Those which copulate 

 about that time, should be spread out in pairs, 

 where they cannot be disturbed by males seeking 

 union with the female, until 4 P. M. The males 

 must then be taken away, and the females left 

 quietly to deposit their eggs. 



The energy of the males is far from being^ ex- 

 hausted when the females are satisfied, and if not 

 taken away, such is their anxiety for re-union, 

 that the females will be harassed, and confusion 

 and disorder will be the consequence. Such at 

 least, has been my experience; let others exa- 

 mine the subject carefully, and report the result 

 I of their observations. 



Your ob't servant, 



Layton Y. Atkins. 

 Stafford County, Va., Dec. Slst, 1838. 



' From the Farmer's Magazine. 



BEaiNNING OF MARLING AND LIMING III 

 ROXBURGaSHIRE, SCOTLAND. 



Marl was first apjlied, as a manure, in Rox- 

 burgh, by Lord Mi«o, as a proprietor, and by 

 Mr. Davvson, as a famer, about the year 1753; 

 the former using his own shell-marl, which was 

 not then to be had for~.ale, and the latter clay- 

 marl; the former at the late of 30 carts, the latter 

 at the rate of 330 carts per acre. So soon as roads 

 of communication vvere oper«d, lime immediately 

 superseded the use of clay-ir.arl (of which such 

 enormous quantities needed to oe applied;) though 

 the county yields no lime, and .he distance to it 

 extends from 16 to 30 miles. Since the year 1772, 



