1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



601 



portintr them to the cocooner}^, for reeding them to 

 tlie silk-worm?, and for reelinf]; the silk from the 

 cocoon*, requisite to yield one pound ol" raw silk, 

 worth three dollars per pound. But to do all this 

 labor, the higiiest estimate of the ti7ne requisite to 

 perlbrm it we have seen is but four days lor a sin- 

 <i;le person, fcir which he will receive at the rate of 

 62i cents a day. And is not the gain or62i cents 

 per day sullicient encouragement to induce the 

 southern states to employ in the silk-culture all 

 their feeble hands whirh would be otherwise idle 

 and unproduc.iivc ? To sum up the whole, in a 

 ihw words, I insure to the old southern states the 

 sum ol" 12.^ dollars per acre lor their poorest lands, 

 and 62^- cents [lerday I'or their feeblest hands, when 

 employed in the buna fide production ofreeied silk 

 at ^3 per pound. Hkxry Perriive. 



P. S. I predict that you will not continue to 

 raise cocoons, for profit, during three successive 

 years, when you can sell all the leaves on your 

 trees at 25 cents the 100 lbs. or $12 50 cents per 

 acre of the poorest soil. H. P. 



CAUSES OF BAD SILK-WORHIS' EGGS. 



From tlie Sillv Culturist. 



The great demand for silk-worm eggs, and the 

 extravagant prices they have commanded the past 

 season, have induced many persons to lay in large 

 stocks for the supply of liie demand, which is rea- 

 sonably expected to be greater another year. It 

 is desirable that an ample quantity be preserved, 

 in order that all may be able to procure them at 

 fair prices; but it is more important that they be 

 of A quality that will not disappoint the expecta- 

 tions of the feeder. Nothing is more discouraginir 

 to the beginner in silk culture, than a family of 

 diseased and dying silk-worms — and such he may 

 rest assured will be his experience, unless he takes 

 especial care to furnish himself with good eggs. 

 Eggs, to be good, must be laid by large and heal- 

 thy moths, and be carefully kept through the win- 

 ter. There is no ditRculty in saving good eggs, if 

 the proper method is pursued; but if not, they 

 will be of an inltirior quality, if not entirely worth- 

 less. 



Judging from present appearances, there will 

 be large quantities of eggs thrown into the market, 

 the coming fall and spring, most of which will 

 be of liitle or no value. We hear of individuals 

 industriously engaged in hunting up cocoons for 

 the purpose of" increasing their stock of eggs. It 

 is said ihey purchase small lots here and there, 

 antl mix them up together without regard to qua- 

 lity, or variety — make no selectioo li-om the largest 

 anil firmest cocoons from the common mass, but 

 sutler the moths to eat out of all, and lay their 

 eggs. One individual, we are told, has procured 

 twenty bushels, or more, of cocoons for this kind 

 of management. He will doubtless have a large 

 quantity of eggs, and may fill his pockets to over- 

 flowing; but it vvill be at the expense of honest, 

 but credulous, purchasers. The injurious cti'ects 

 also, which such speculations have upon the silk 

 enterprise in this country, cannot be estimated by 

 dollars and cents. 'J'he man who sells shad's 

 eggs, while mustard seed, &c. lor silk-worm eggs, 

 undoubtedly injures th'o cause of silk culture:"bul 

 Vol. V 11-76 



in a fiir less degree than the man who palms off 

 upon an unsuspecting novice, the genuine article, 

 but of a quality, and in a condition, which renders 

 it worthless. If beginners would succeed, they 

 must exercise a great degree of care and caution 

 about these apparently small matters — for upon 

 them, their success or failure princif)aliy depends. 

 It is believed there will be good eggs enough in 

 market, to supply the wants of all, and we would 

 advise all to obtain their supplies of regular and 

 responsible dealers, in preftjrence to hawkers, 

 whatever may be their pretensions. 



PROBIISCUOUS REMARKS. 



For tlie Farmers' Register. 

 Industry and economy. — Industry is of first im- 

 portance, economy is second. Without industry, 

 nothing IS obtained, without economy nothing is 

 retained. But when we epeak of industry and 

 economy, we wish to be understood as connecting 

 therewith discretion and judgment; lor industry 

 improperly applied is worse than idleness; and 

 parsimony is not economy. 



The dwelling, the out-houses, the fences, and 

 ditches, are all made by industry ; but economy re- 

 quires that they be located with discretion and 

 judgment. The old stock of Virginians are (ond 

 of placing their dwellings on the hills ; I, being 

 one of this stock, reside on a hill, but if I may ever 

 build again, I shall certainly locate so that I may 

 obtain spring water at hand.> My people, my 

 horses, my cows, my poultry, could then drink 

 pure water at will, wilhout the trouble and expense 

 of travelling after it, and all the otherwise worth- 

 less slops from the house, the kitchen, and privy, 

 could be moved off by the superabundant water, 

 and dispersed on an adjacent meadow. One hun- 

 dred yards would be sufficient distance between 

 the liwelling and stable and cattle yard; the space 

 between should be my garden ; the water should 

 first pass my yard, then to the horses, then the 

 cows, then on the meadow. From the kitchen I 

 would have a second course of bored logs directly 

 to the meadow, for the purpose of conveying, as 

 required, the above-mentioned slops and excre- 

 ments with the water, so the water lor the beasts 

 should not be damaged. Indeed, to come short at 

 it, 1 have the stables, cattle yards, meadow, and 

 water, now standing and in operation to suit my 

 nnnd; all I lack is the dwelling and garden pro- 

 perly located. 



I draw and use the water first, then in succes- 

 sion my liorses, cows and meadow. i\ly cattle 

 yards are oblong squares; they are not made ba- 

 sin-like, as recommended by all the books, but the 

 upper end and sides being highest, the supera- 

 bundant water (either rain or stale urine) passes 

 olF, commingles with the spring water at the lower 

 end and exterior of the yard, and is dissipated 

 where required on the meadow. 



The spring iiom which the above mentioned 

 water is drawn, not yielding a sutliciency for the 

 meadow, it is my intention shortly to draw from 

 another and more abundant source, wliicli wiil 

 not commingle with that now conducted till they 

 both arrive at the lower end of the cattle yard. 

 Now if my dwelling were located at the above 

 mentioned desirable spot, and this abundance oi 



