1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



before been practised, and where it was before 

 Ihought unsuitable, on account of the compara- 

 tively severe climate. Forthe department of Avey- 

 ron, though in the southern part of France, is so 

 elevated as to be as cold as the northern depart- 

 ments, in the latitude of Paris. The general pro- 

 cedure ol" M. Carrier in feeding silk-worms is 

 evidently directed by Dandolo's rules, which are 

 those laid down in the French treatise of which 

 a translation was made for and presented in the last 

 volume of this, work, (commencing at p. 468, vol. 

 vi. ;) and reference to the directions there given will 

 serve to fill out, and make clear, every thing which 

 may not be stated here with sufficient fullness and 

 particularity in the diary. In reading the state- 

 ments of daily operations and condition of his la- 

 boratory, we become, as it were, the companions 

 of the writer in his labors, anxieties, and pleasures, 

 and feel interest in, and derive lasting as well as 

 useful admonition from, every occurrence. We 

 enter fully in all the writer's cares and feelings, 

 sympathize with him in his disappointments, and 

 rejoice with him in his success. Such a diary has 

 all the interest of a narrative of novel facts, as 

 well as offering the most effective of instructions. 

 We hope that the plan of communication here 

 presented, will be adopted this summer by some 

 of the many rearers of silk-worms in this coun- 

 try; and that their diaries, made much more full 

 and minute than this, will be given to the public, 

 through the Farmers' Register. 



The following is one of several letters written 

 by M. Carrier to Bonafous of Turin, one of the 

 most distinguished investigators and scientific 

 cultivators of this branch of industry, after Count 

 Dandolo. Each of these letters embraces either 

 the statement of the distinct operations of a par- 

 ticular season, or some other separate and substan- 

 tive subject, which may appear alone, without 

 suffering for the omission of the others. This is 

 the fourth letter; the fifth will be given afterwards; 

 and the sixth (which was obtained first) was 

 translated for and published in the Farmers' Re- 

 gister, (vol. ii. p. 537) and was thence copied 

 into several of the agricultural papers of this 

 country. It presented estimates of the profits ol 

 each of the three departments of silk-culture, 

 (viz. cultivating and providing the leaves, feeding 

 worms, and winding the silk,) which would be 

 more interesting and valuable to readers at this 

 time, than when (he translation was prepared and 

 first published. To be interested and instructed 

 by an article on any subject, it is necessary that 

 the readers' curiosity and desire to learn, should 

 have been excited; and for want of previous ex- 

 citement, cr sufficient interest felt in advance, it is 

 probable that various articles which we gathered 

 Vol.. VII— 12 



from French journals, and published in the Far- 

 mers' Register several years ago, were not then 

 dulyappreciated by readers, who would now study 

 them with interest. Under this impression, we 

 shall resort to the same sources, (from which the 

 American public has been excluded, except so far 

 as this journal has served as the channel of sup- 

 ply,) for some other articles which were then 

 passed over, but are well deserving notice now. 



There is a mistaken impressionl'upon most well- 

 informed persons in this county, which causes 

 them to under-rate the value of the writings of 

 French silk-culturists. This is, that silk-culture 

 having been very long prosecuted in France, the 

 articles published thereon, in periodicals of the 

 present time, would be only suited for the infor- 

 mation of people who are supposed to be already 

 well versed in the regular business; and that they 

 would contain almost nothing for the instruction 

 of novices, and for a country in which the culture 

 was untried. If the premises were true, this con- 

 clusion would be undoubtedly correct; for the best 

 instructions on any subjects, furnished by agricul- 

 tural periodicals, will always be presented by wri- 

 ters who are in very similar circumstances, and 

 not very much advanced as to time and proficien- 

 cy, before those seeking to be informed. Be- 

 tween those who are the most and the least ad- 

 vanced in knowledge, there is a want of feelings 

 and ideas in common; and when the best informed 

 insti-uctor is addressing well-informed readers, 

 his lessons will be worth not much to the most ig- 

 norant. But though silk-culture in France dates 

 from the time of Louis XI, it has been confined 

 to the most favorable portion, and to a very small 

 proportion of the territory, and carried on even 

 there in a very rude manner. It is but recently 

 that exertions have been made to extend the bu- 

 siness, and in its highly improved state, to the 

 central, and even to the northern parts of the king- 

 dom; and the facts and reasoning necessary to 

 forward that object, and all the lights thrown on 

 the subject, are therefore precisely suited to those 

 persons who have had little or no experience. 

 Hence, the recent writings of French culturists 

 are of especial value to the many new or intended 

 beginners in this country. — Ed. Far. Reg.] 



FOURTH LETTER FROM M. AMANS CARRIER 

 TO IVI. BONAFOUS, DIRECTOR OF THE ROY- 

 AL GARDEN OF TURIN. 



Translated from the Freneli, for the Farmers" Register. 



Rodez, June 30, 1833. 

 I resume, sir, with the most lively satisfaction, 

 a correspondence which has been interrupted by 

 political events, during the last I liree years. Do 

 not believe, however, that this stormy time has 

 slacliened my zeal, or suspended my labors in 



