306 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No, 5 



"1834. — 36 mulberry trees planted. 



5 days' work lor the plarilalion, at 



1 Ir. 50 c. 7.50 



36 mulberry trees at 75 c. - - 27. 

 3 days' work, at 4.50 - - - 4.50 



39. 



Cost per tree, 1. fr. 8 c. 



60 trees, in the vineyard, have been 

 planted at ditFerent times, and at 

 almost no expense ; it will be suf- 

 ficient to charge them, including 

 the cost of the tree, at 1 franc 

 each, at - - - - 



The expense of the surrounding 

 stone wall, 1040 metres long, and 

 1 metre high, ought to be charged 

 to the plantation; but only half 

 the entire expense, as the wall en- 

 closes as much of other ground, 

 occupied by the garden, house and 

 dependencies ; let the share of 

 cost then be, 520 metres of wall 

 (one half of the Avhoie) at 62^ 

 centimes, 



60. 



325. 



Total of all expenses incurred 1960.30 



" To this sum should be added the price of the 

 preparation of two parts not yet planted, and 

 which it is easy to estimate. They will probably 

 cost 330 francs; let us suppose 400, and the total 

 expense will be 2360 f 30 c. But to cover any 

 minor expenses which possibly may have been 

 passed over, or which may be necessary hereafter, 

 I adopt the round sum of 2500 francs, or 3 fr. for 

 each mulberry tree planted. In this calculation, 

 I allow nothing for rent, because the land before 

 yielded none. 



"Let us see now what are the actual products, 

 and those which may be safely expected in a 

 short time, estimating the leaves or only 4 francs 

 the quintal (100 lbs.) whilst the average price for 

 the last twenty years in the Cevennes has been 5 

 francs. 



'^Probable quantity of leaves to be gathered next 

 spring, (1837.) 



25 trees planted in 1825, at 60 lbs. of 



leaves, . - . . . 1,500 



297 1826 40 - 11,880 



80 only in 1830 30 - 2,400 



15,780 



"These trees having been planted at different 

 epochs, 1 will suppose them, to render my calcu- 

 lation more mtelligible, all of the age of eight 

 years at the actual moment. This fiction appears 

 to me quite admissible. 



"I shall have then, on the eighth year, 157 

 quintals of leaves, which at the price of 4 francs, 

 will yield 628 Irancs; that is to say, an income of 

 rather more than 25 per cent, upon the 2500 francs 

 of expense. In four years more, the trees of all 

 the plantings may be gathered l>om; and at that 

 time I assign to them a very low product, in sup- 

 posing it to be 40 lbs. for each tree. The whole 

 number, 833 trees, will furnish 333 quintals and 

 20 lbs. of leaves. Drop the excess, and sup- 

 pose only 300 quintals, which at 4 francs would 

 be worth 1200 francs; and this, on the twelvth 

 year, would be a revenue approaching 50 per cent, 

 upon the capital expended. 



"Let us come by supposition, to 1845, and va- 

 lue the property after IS years of existence. We 

 shall find, without question, if the trees continue 

 to receive proper attention, that the crop will be 

 80 lbs. per tree, and lor the 833 trees, 666 quin- 

 tals. Dropping the 66 quintals, the remaining 

 600, at 4 Irancs, will bring 2400 f. or 100 per cent, 

 on ihe capital. 



"1 will push no further the calculation of pro- 

 babilities; I give it up, with confidence, to the in- 

 vestigation of the best informed men of all coun- 

 tries; and I pronounce that they will find my 

 statements of profit below the truth. In this ex- 

 hibit may be seen the secret of the riches of 

 the countries which have known how to appro- 

 priate to themselves this valuable culture. 



"The advantages of these plantations do not 

 stop here ; then follow the profits both of rearing 

 the silk-worms, and of reeling the silk, which in 

 many cases may double the sum of the products. 

 But these are separate and distinct branches of 

 industry, and of which I have already presented 

 the estimates in one of my last letters."* 



The writer adds, that in estimating products, 

 he had stated them at only three-fourths of the 

 supposed amount in common years, that the omit- 

 ted fourth might serve as an abundant offset 

 against losses from bad seasons. He presumes 

 that the allowance thus made is most ample; as 

 indeed it would permit a total loss of the crop, 

 from late spring frosts, or other causes, once in 

 every four years. 



There is however one apparent, and another 

 real omission, in the above charges. The first is, 

 that Hothingis charged for cultivation. No doubt 

 there was good reason for this omission, though 

 none is mentioned. Perhaps some other crops 

 were raised in the intervals between the trees, 

 which fully paid for the cost of the cultivation. 

 The cultivation of other crops in mulberry grounds 

 is general in France, even after the trees reach 



* Translated for, and published in the Farmers' Re- 

 gister ; See pp. 94 to 96, of vol. vii. 



