288 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 



rialists it can scarcely fail to excite astonishment, 

 that whilst nearly every other interest of the state 

 has been made the subject of li'equent and ex- 

 citing discussion, of bold and energetic legislative 

 enactments, anc! of large expenditures of the com- 

 mon treasure, it has hitherto been well nigh im- 

 possible to attract to agriculture, the great source 

 of wealth and power to all communities, that at- 

 tention which could induce the legislature to pass 

 any laws, or to appropriate any money, having 

 essentially and directly in view the advancement 

 of its interest. Your memorialists cannot under- 

 stand the advantage or propriety of intersecting 

 an impoverished and steril country with canals 

 and rail-roads, nor can they perceivp the wisdom 

 of aiming to draw to the bosom of the common- 

 wealth the abundant productions of distant, and 

 as yet, virgin soils, to the neglect of our own ag- 

 ricultural resources. The soil of Virginia, once 

 rich and bounteous in its productions, though now 

 fearfully deteriorated, is capable, in the judgment 

 of your memorialists, of rapid and profitable reno- 

 vation. 



To the minds of your memorialists all the motives 

 arising from patriotism, love and veneration for 

 native soil, and of interest, urge to the adoption of 

 every measure calculated to effect this great object. 

 Your memorialists will not presume to dictate to 

 your honorable body the measures to be adopted 

 to accomplish the object they have in view, but 

 will venture to suggest that, inasmuch as all scien- 

 tific and practical improvements in agriculture 

 contribute to the public benefit, it justly becomes 

 the subject of legislative enactments, and a portion 

 of the public treasure may justly be appropriated 

 for its encouragement; a measure, which, if suc- 

 cessful, would add to the wealth and resources of 

 the state, give increased value to all her public 

 improvements, by adding greatly to the transpor- 

 tation of produce and of travel, increase her popu- 

 lation, and add most essentially to the value of her 

 lands, and what is of still more importance, destroy 

 the spirit and practice of emigration, cannot be 

 deemed an unfit subject of legislation. The power 

 and wealth of the state directed by your honora- 

 ble body may speedily effect improvements which 

 the insulated efforts of individuals may in vain en- 

 deavor to accomplish. Believing in the correct- 

 ness and importance of these views, your memo- 

 rialists would earnestly solicit ffom your honorable 

 body that attention which the subject justly claims. 

 JoH]v French, 

 John Crocker, 

 John C. Crump, 

 Crawi.ey Finnev, 

 RoBT. Lawrence, 



Committee. 



THE COCOONERY — FIXTURES— FEEDING SILK- 

 WORMS, &C. 



ay Gideon B. Smith. 



From the Journal of the American Silk Societj . 

 It is a common remark that silk-worms require 

 no particular building or fixtures, and nothing but 

 the most ordinary attention; that ihey do as well 

 in barns and open sheds as any where else ; and 

 that wet weather and damp night air do them no 

 injury. It is readily admitted, that silk-worms 



may be raised in this way, and that good silk and 

 a tolerable profit may result Jrom it. But when 

 those who preach such doctrine as the above 

 shall have had a few years experience, they will 

 concur with the writer of these essays in saying, 

 that, though barns and sheds Vv^ill do tolerably 

 well, properly constructed cocooneries will do 

 much better; for, though the former will yield a 

 small profit, the latter only can be depended upon 

 for a satisliictory result at all times and under all 

 circumstances. All will admit, that some corn 

 can be produced from ground badly ploughed, 

 poorly tilled, and subject to depredation from cat- 

 tle for want of a good fence; but surely that 

 would be a poor argument with good farmers 

 against a higher grade of cultivation and atten- 

 tion ; they will know, that, though the soil will do 

 much, it IS from their care and industry that the 

 main profit of the crop is to be derived. With 

 silk culturists, care and attention, with proper co- 

 cooneries and fixtures, are all important. The 

 writer has several limes proved, that, with close 

 attention the worms can be made to spin their 

 cocoons in twenty-five days ; whereas ordinarily 

 they require forty -two days ; and that of the co- 

 coon, produced in twenty-five to twenty-eight 

 days, only eight pounds were required to make a 

 pound of raw silk ; while it took ten pounds of 

 those produced in forty-two days; and further, it 

 required one-eighth more raw siik from the latter 

 to make a pound of finished silk that it did of the 

 former. These are practical facts which every 

 one's experience will demonstrate that tries the 

 experiment. It is a curious circumstance, and we 

 will try to redi'.ce it to figures, to show the differ- 

 ence in parallel columns: 



100,000 worms, 42 days, 

 cocoons 300 to the 

 pound, 333 lbs. co- 

 coons, 33 lbs. raw 

 sills, at $5 00, $165 00 



Cost of labor, leaves, 

 &.C. six weeks, say 



Profit, 



33 lbs. of this raw silk 

 will make 24 lbs. 

 finished silk worth 

 $■8 00, ( 



100,000 worms, 28 days, 

 cocoons 2-10 to the 

 pound, 416 lbs. co- 

 coons will make 52 

 lbs. raw silk, at 

 f 5 00, $250 00 



100 00 Cost of labor, leaves, 



&c. four weeks, 07 00 



65 00 



193 00 

 65 00 



!ifl28 00 



Profit, 

 By tlie other system, 



Diflercnce, 



53 lbs. of this raw silk 

 will make 42 lbs. fin- 

 ished siik, at $8 00, $336 00 



By aie other system, 192 00 



Diflercnce, 



$144 00 



The above estimates are, it is believed, strictly 

 correct. If they vary from the results of actual 

 practice, it is believed to be in fiivor of the negli- 

 gent system rather than against it. But is said 

 they raise siU-worms and make silk in the cabins 

 of the peasantry of France and Italy, every little 

 family keeping them in their small cabins, in the 

 midst of their children &c. and hence an argu- 

 ment is drawn in favor of negligence. We should 

 scarcely deem it necessary to waste time in refu- 

 ting such argument, were it not for the mistaken 

 notion so generally prevalent, that in t ranee and 

 Italy the silk business is universal., has arrived at 

 perfection, and that whatever is done there by the 

 people at large must be right; when ihe fiict is, 

 that there is as much effort now making in those 

 countries to improve the system of silk culture as 

 there is here. There are numerous periodicals 

 published tlierr, devoted to the improvement nl 



