1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



879 



reach, unlef?s they can al?o secure a greater pro- 

 duct in hushels Crom the acre, than from the com- 

 mon kind?. This greater general product, how- 

 ever, the humbugged public always expect to 

 obtain, and always have been duped and disap- 

 pointed in, when led to expect it from large sized 

 varieties. So, as we infer, of the mammoth silk- 

 worm ; and even if it were true (as it is not) — that 

 the silk is as good — and the culture as cheap, 

 (which it is not,) still we cannot conceive a reason 

 why it should be preferable to other kinds of com- 

 mon size. But if our reasoning should fail to 

 convince the fanciers of mammoth cocoons, among 

 nur readers, (as wc presume it will,) we have only 

 to wish them all possible success in the pursuit 

 they prefer; and that they may be able to find co- 

 coons as large as oranges, and to buy the eggs at 

 $jlO the dozen, (which would of course insure the 

 demand for them,) and also salesmen wlio will 

 promise them every possible advanta<]:e and profit 

 therefrom, that can be desired or conceived. 



There is, however, a much more important 

 ground for choice among silk-worms' eggs, than 

 merely the kind — and tliat is the source whence 

 ihey are procured, and the treatment and condi- 

 tion of the worms which produced them. It is 

 of the utmost importance that the parent stock 

 should have been healthy, to produce a healthy 

 and vigorous progeny. In our very limited range 

 of observation and practical information on this 

 head, we have known or heard of worms of a 

 particular parcel of eggs becoming diseased, and 

 turning out very badly, when others o( another 

 stock did well, at the same time, or under the like 

 management at a different time. The northern 

 raised eggs hatched and fed near this place, this 

 season, have in the general, brought worms mani- 

 festly less healthy and \'igorous, than the south- 

 ern. An intelligent and observant experimental 

 feeder in another part of the country, from whom 

 we have have just received a letter, has come to 

 precisely the same conclusion. He say, that "from 

 my own observations, and what I knov/ lioin 

 others, eggs raised in the south have a de- 

 cided preference. The worms ate much more 

 Iiealihy." 



Further — the mixture, from carelessness, of the 

 eggs of different kinds of worms, or of variously 

 crossed varieties, even if every one separately 

 were good enough, is enough to make the whole 

 parcel worthless, and of more plague than profit 

 to the buyer. Even when one variety is kept un- 

 adulterated by any mixture of another, ic can only 

 be kept uniform in character and (jualities, by a 

 careful selection of breeders and of eggs. If a 

 race could be thus obtained of character uniform | 

 in all respects, (hat uniibimity alone would malce 

 the stock more valuable than any now known. 



COMPARATIVE WEIGHTS OF COCOONS OP DIF- 

 FERENT VARIETIES OF SILK- WORMS. 



To the Editor of tlic Farmcrg' Rogistet, 



Stafford, June l5Ui, 1839. 



I am hijrhl}' gratified at the result of your first 

 experiment in the culture of silk. I consider it 

 very encourairjng. My worms have also done 

 very well. The cocoons were generally firm and 

 weiffh well. 



My main olijecf in writing you now, is to state 

 some facts on the point on which you intend here- 

 afier to give an opinion. 



I am glad lo find you have come to the same 

 conclusion that I have (though I know not by 

 what inducements,) relative to the comparative 

 value of the large and small varieties of the silk- 

 worm. I reared this season five varieties, viz., 

 "two-crop," "pea-nut," "mammoth yellow," and 

 two other varieties produced by cross fecundation, 

 always using either the male or female of the 

 "two-crop." 



Two hundred and ninety-seven of the cocoona 

 of the "mammoth yellow" taken without selec- 

 tion, weigh a pound ; 326 of the "pea-nut;" 360 

 of the "two-crop;" and 400 of eacli of the varie- 

 ties produced fiy cross fecundation. The f]os3 

 was taken ofi" previous to weighing. While the 

 cocoons of the "mammoth yellow" are full 60 per 

 cent, larger than those ofthe "two-crop" or of the 

 "pea-nut," they have the advantage in weight in 

 one case only 9 per cent., and in the other only 21 

 per cent. (3ne thousand of the cocoons of the 

 "mammoth yellow" furnish an ounce and a quar- 

 ter of floss, while the same number of the "two- 

 crop" give less than a half ounce. This is a point 

 of some importance, and needs close examination. 

 I procured the eggs of the "pea-nut" from T. S. 

 Pleasants, and I am pleased with their cocoone, 

 but further experiments are necessary to decide 

 whether or not they are adapted to the climate of 

 V^irginia. Respectfully yours, 



Layton Y. Atkins. 



PROGRESS OF STI.K CULTURE IN THE NEIGH- 

 BORHOOD OF PHILADELPHIA. 



From Morris's Silk Farmer. 

 The remark is frequently made, by persons not 

 cngaired in this iniercstiiicr business, that every 

 bod)' is raising trees, but few or none are raising 

 silk. Such remarks can only proceed fi'om igno- 

 rance of wh.at is really the condition of the silk 

 business among us ; and while great pains have 

 been taken to inflame the public mind respecting 

 the muliicaulis, none whatever, or comparatively 

 very little, havo been taken to diffuse inlbrmation 

 as to the profjrcr;.-? of the culture of silk. Hence 

 the remark above named being so general. But 

 there are tiicts in existence strong enough to 

 satisfy the public mind, if candidly stated, that 

 the raising of silk is going on as rapidly as the 

 nature of the business will admit, and as the most 

 sanguine could nossil)lv desire. These facts are 

 weir known to those inierested in the business, 

 and may he briefiy stated. Ten cocooneries have 

 been built (within the writer's own knowledge) 

 within a year past, in the neighborhood of This 

 city, some of ihein large enough to feed two mil- 



