G3S 



K A K JM i: K S ' II E G I S 1' E R 



[No. 10 



The example set in Philadelphia, and followed 

 up in Maryland and Columbia, was very reluc- 

 tantly adojjted by the banks in Viigiina, whose 

 operations have been comlucled vviih much pru- 

 dence; but as a constant drain ol' specie has t)een 

 made li'om them which could not be reclaimed 

 from the sus|)enJed banl<s, self-preservation ren- 

 dered it necessary to check i:. However early a 

 period ol' resumjition may be proposed, Virginia 

 will be ready to assent to it. Tlie banks north 

 and east of Philadelphia, with the exce|)tion of 

 those in Rhode Island, have not suspended, and 

 the circulation of the city banks i« so small that 

 ihey may be able to continue specie payments. 

 The pressure on their mercantile communities is 

 however very severe, and the most enormous rates 

 of intprest are submitted to — hoin 2 to 4 per cent. 

 per month. It catmot be otherwise than that 

 many failures must occur, and that an entire de- 

 rantrement prevails in commercial alfairs. The 

 ditlerence of exchange between New York and 

 the cities south of her is 7 to 12 per cent. In New 

 York the rate of exchaiiize on London is 8 to 9, 

 while in Pliiladelphia, Baltimore, and Virgini;), it 

 is 18 to 20 per ceni. premium. 



The banks in Virginia are constantly diminish- 

 ing their circulation, consequently there is an in- 

 sufficiency of money liar the transaction of busi- 

 ness. The result of which must be low prices, 

 when produce shall be freely brought to market. - 



Very little of the new crops of cotton and to- 

 bacco has yet appeared, and prices are not estab- 

 lished. The first smiles of cotton were at 12i to 

 12_^ cents, and recently at 11 to 12 cents. 



The weather in England to 20th September 

 was unfavorable lor the wheat harvest, and ship- 

 ments of tlour to some extent are now going for- 

 ward from this country. Wheat has consecjuenily 

 risen about 25 cents per bushel, say -9 1.25 to ^1.30 ; 

 and flour to §6^ to 6^, in New York §6. X. 



October 26, 1839. " 



SILK MANUFACTURING. 



From the Genesoe Farmer. 



One great reason why we have such an un- 

 shaken conlidence in ihe ability of this country 

 to enter successfully into the cnltuie of silk, its 

 manufacture as well as its production, is found in 

 the superior enierprise, industry and iiiijenuity of 

 our citizf^ns over those ol' any part of the world. 

 Great Britain thought to prevent the establish- 

 ment of the cotton manufacture in this and other 

 countries, by pmhibiiing, under severe penalties, 

 the exportaiion of machinery, or patterns lor its 

 construction. New England machinists went to 

 work, built shops, made their own patterns, and 

 produced specimens of machinery so much supe- 

 rior in action and prinei|ile to European models, 

 that we at once obtained the preference in their 

 own market, and now annually export large quan- 

 tities of maidiinery to order. So it is already with 

 machinery for the manufacture of silk. In reel- 

 iniT, and now in weaving the narrow kinds of 

 silk, such as laces, ribbons, and other goods of 

 that description, we have, already made great ad- 

 vances on the clumsy and ill-arranged implemenls 

 of the old world. 



In ihe manulacturc of ribbons, which forma ao 



important a branch of the Lyons, or French silk 

 manu/'acture, the foreign workman uses a narrow 

 loom, resembling the common hantl loom in other 

 respects, and weaving but one piece of ribbon 

 at a time. A machine, called in France a Jac- 

 quard, is attached to this narrow loom, and regu- 

 lates the pattern of the ribbon, flowers, &c. — 

 These looms are worked by girls, and these deli- 

 cate and beautiful fibrics are the result of their 

 labors. A Jac(]uard was brouiiht to New York, 

 and lell under the notice of Mr. Berijen, an in- 

 senious mechanic, and member ol the Legisla- 

 ture. Mr. Bergen instantly saw that great im- 

 provements might be made in the machine and 

 loom, and immediately constructed one which is 

 worked by power instead of the hand, makes 

 seven pieces of ribbon or lace, where only one 

 was made in the French loom, and gives the 

 figure, color, or pattern with equal exactness and 

 •rreater rapidity. In this single improvement of 

 the ribbon loom, then, five or six sevenths of the 

 labor reciuired abroad is wholly dispensed with, 

 and articles of any pattern can at once be furnish- 

 ed. In very narrow patterns, from ten lo fifteen 

 pieces can be woven at once. Such improve- 

 ments at the outset leave no room for doubt, but 

 that when the attention of our artizans shall be 

 directed to the manuliicture of silk machinery, 

 we shall soon find our improved processes amply 

 to compensate lor any supposed dilference in the 

 prices of labor. 



DEATH OF JUDGE BUEL. 



From the Cheraw Gazette. 



Judire Buel, the able and distinguished editor of 

 the Albany Cultivator is dead. On his way to 

 New Haven, Conn, whither he was going to ad- 

 dress an agriculiiiral meeting, he was arrested on 

 the 6ih. inst. at Danbury, by sickness, which in 

 eight or (en days proved fatal. There are hun- 

 dreds of men in the land whose names are better 

 known to the great mass of even intelligent agri- 

 culturists, who have M)een more bespattered with 

 fijisome praise by a frothy public press, and whose 

 death would be much more extensively deplored ; 

 but we are sure we do not say loo much when 

 we say there lives not a politician who, durinir his 

 whole lile, has done the tenth part of the tithe as 

 much towards advam-ing the true prosperity of 

 the country as Judge Buel did during the hall do- 

 zen years he conducted the Cultivator. 



TO SUBSCRIBERS. 



To give abundant notice and time from action, the 

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