378 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 6 



There is, however, one, and only one, claim of 

 superiority, which can be truly made for the largest 

 over the common sized varieties. 'J'liis is, that the 

 weight of food, necessarily consumed for producing 

 the same weight of silk, is rather less for the Ibrmer 

 than the latter. The comparative quantities as 

 stated by Dandolo, are 18^ lbs. of leaves, consumed 

 by the larger, and 20| by the smaller worms, to pro- 

 duce 1^ lbs. of cocoons. This small dillerence, if 

 known by the advocates of the mammoth varieties, 

 has been studiously kept by them out of sight— 

 they contenting themselves with claiming large 

 products, in general terms, without stating the 

 amount. Dandolo seems to think that the differ- 

 ence of purity in the two kindsof silk, (or difference 

 of waste in manufacturing,) is caused by, and is 



experiments, as has been clone by Dandolo in re- 

 gard to silk-culture ; and the statistics of silk- 

 worms which he has furnished — and which have 

 been ascertained by him as an accurate philoso- 

 phical experimentalist, as well as a verysuccessfiil 

 practical oulturist — offer to the novice a body of 

 information that cannot be too highly appreciated. 

 The better climate of our country, and o her supe- 

 rior advantages of the culturist in Virginia over 

 those of France and Italy, may permit him to dis- 

 pense with many of Dandolo's directions and pre- 

 cautions. Nevertheless, his descriptions of ap- 

 pearances, his facts, his estimates, and his arith- 

 metical statements, are all valuable for reference, 

 and for daily inlbrmation and instruction. And all 

 these apply to the varieties of silk-worms of ordi- 



not more than compensated by this small saving j nary size and duration of aore, &c., and would be 



of food — leaving the other objections out of the 

 estimate. 



We think that some of the ordinary kinds of 

 worms, (or what are called the "six-weeks" kinds 

 at the north, but which usually require only from 



mere or less inapplicable to all "mammoth" vari- 

 eties. This objection also applies as much to 

 smaller sized varieties ; and we should thereupon 

 reject even the "two-crop white" kind, but for the 

 peculiar circumstances of this country at this time, 



25 to 28 days' feeding in Virginia,) are the best I which make it very desirable to secure a double 

 fort'eneral and regular culture. Of these there ! '•^production of eggs, the more rapidly to supply 



are many varieties, or shades of difference, and 

 we know not. from experience, which is best. 

 But as our opinion on this point may be expected, 

 when objecting to other varieties, however little 

 the opinion may be worth, we will say, that, with 

 our present imperfect lights, we should prefer the 

 gray eilk-worm, with cocoons generally orange; 

 because its product is equal to any, except for the 

 cocoon not being white, and because it seems un- 

 commonly hardy, judging from the general suc- 

 cess in rearing this spring, by many different per- 

 sons, under every variety of exposure, and of 

 injudicious and bad treatment. Judging liom re- 

 port, we should also consider the "pea-nut silk- 

 worm" of the northern states as a valuable variety. 

 But of this we have no practical experience, ex- 

 cept in a very small rearing commenced (for com- 

 parative experiment) as late as the 18th inst. ; and 

 from this we have aa yet only learned that the 

 gray worms were larger than the pea-nut, by 50 

 per cent., at five dajs old. Hence v.-e would infer 

 that the latter is of" size considerulily below that 

 of the usual kinds, and which would be as objec- 

 tionable as being much larger than usual. 



If the ordinary or "six-weeks" worms were 

 neither better nor worse than the "mammoth," or 

 any other longer or shorter-lived variety, there 

 would still be a sufficient reason for preferriiig the 

 former, in the fact that to this kind apply the pre- 

 cise and valuable descriptions and instructions of 

 Dandolo. There Is no kind of culture in which 

 the best methods of practice, and the means for 

 accommodation, have been so careiijlly studied, 

 and elaborately and minutely laid down, by a ju- 

 dicious and rigid course of scientific and practical 



the existing demand. Also, to guard against pos- 

 sible losses of eggs, or of hatchings of worms, it 

 will be well for every culturist to have a portion of 

 his slock of this, or some other two-crop kind. 



The recent high appreciationof the "mammoth" 

 silk-worm, is owing to the remarkable prevailing 

 disposition in this country to believe that large- 

 sized individual products are also more abundant 

 in average or general products. Most persons 

 scarcely need the proofs or persuasion of a sales- 

 man's advertisements or assertion, but, of them- 

 selves, readily jump to the conclusion, that a large 

 sized variety of corn or of wheat, or many ears to 

 the stalk, or of grains to the ear, will necessarily 

 yield more bushels lo the acre ; and that large 

 varieties of domestic animals will yield more meat 

 lor the food they consume. There may be a greater 

 or less production from any larger or smaller vari- 

 ety, of vegetable or annual ; but it will not depend 

 upon mere difference of size in the individual, but 

 upon its fitness or unfitness for its new position 

 and irealment. But merely an increase of size to 

 considerable extent, without greater general product 

 in proportion to the cost of support, will always be 

 disadvantageous ; became the previous accommo- 

 dations for, and means of operating with, the usual 

 smaller sized products, will be less suitable to the 

 larger. If there were offi^red tbr sale a breed of 

 sheep as large as horses, and of cows as large as 

 elephants, there would be no inducement to buy 

 and propagate them, ifno more wool, milk, or meat, 

 would be obtained from them than the common 

 smaller kinds, on the same amount of land or grass. 

 Nor will the fanciers of largo corn and wheat and 

 other vegetable products gain any thing from va- 

 rieties as enormous in size as theii hopes can 



