374 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 6. 



settlement known as "Ilickstown;" and it is my 

 regret that the want of personal inspection com- 

 pels me thus briefly to dismiss the notable supe- 

 riority of the "Hammocks" in that settlement. 

 Faithful and disinterested reports have described 

 them to me as being of a dark chocolate com- 

 plexion, and dense with a luxuriant growth of 

 magnolia, wild cane, tulip and dogwood. 



The county of Hamilton bordering the Suwa- 

 neeon the west, is the first we enter, of those con- 

 stituting the middle district. The county of Mad- 

 ison is adjacent, and together, they comprise the 

 country lying between the Suwanee and Oscilla 

 rivers, from The line of Georgia to the gulf. Next 

 thereto, being the western boundary of the Oscil- 

 la, lies Jefferson county, and beyond it on the 

 west, the counties of Leon and Gadsden. These 

 five counties, contiguous to each other, and con- 

 taining some 2500 voters, or thereabouts, consti- 

 tute the "middle district of Florida,'''' and are 

 bounded on the north by the state of Georgia — on 

 the east by the Suwanee river — on the west by 

 the Apalachicola — and on the south by the gulf 

 of Mexico. It is this district which essentially 

 deserves our most labored attention — for whether 

 it be from fortuitous or intrinsic circumstances, it 

 cannot be denied, that at present, it is prominent- 

 ly first, above all other sections in the territory, in 

 general prosperity. 



It is not the province of these letters to investi- 

 gate the causes which have led to this prominence 

 of sectional improvement, farther than those may 

 have originated from agricultural success. Doubt- 

 less it has been much owing to the enterprise and 

 intelligence of her denizens, as well as to those 

 local advantages which might arise from her im- 

 mediate proximity to her sister states, and her 

 possession of the seat of government — or to her 

 natural advantages of varied richness, good wa- 

 ter, and picturesque landscape. Be it however 

 from one or all these hypothetical causes, I may, 

 as an indisputable evidence of her actual increase 

 of wealth and population, state that her cotton ex- 

 ports for 1827, were only 338 bales — whilst they 

 amounted last year, (1834,) to 15,870 bales, of in- 

 creased weight. This fact taken from the pub- 

 lished annual enstom house report, so strongly in- 

 dicating an improvement in agriculture, immedi- 

 ately concerns the aim of these letters, and in- 

 vites the consideration of the producing causes, 

 which my next letter, I trust, will be enabled sat- 

 isfactorily to exhibit, as originating in the rich 

 soils, and improved advantages, of the middle dis- 

 trict. 



FARQ. MACRAE. 



From the Silkworm. 



INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ART OF MANAGING 

 SILKWORMS. 



[Chiefly compiled from the work of Count Dandolo, 

 Milan, 1824. 4th edition.] 



Translated from the Italian. New York, April, 1834. 



By Charles Rhind, Jun. 



The following instructions are adapted to five 

 ounces of seed or eggs. If the quantity be in- 

 creased, the space they occupy, and the nourish- 

 ment given them, can be increased in proportion. 



As the worms produced from this quantity of 



eggs will, in their last age, or stage, occupy 500 

 yards of grating, the room ibr this purpose should 

 be capable of containing on each side 10 yards of 

 grating, and have sufficient height to receive 5 

 frames horizontally, and leave room to walk round 

 them. If the height is greater, the other dimen- 

 sions may be smaller. 



General observations and implements. 



The room where the silkworms are raised should 

 have, at least, one door and one window, and it 

 would be better there should be two or more. The 

 windows should be glazed, that the light may en- 

 ter, not only for the convenience of altending to 

 the worms, but also for their health, as darkness is 

 injurious to them. They should not, however, be 

 exposed to the rays of the sun. 



They should be ventilated, if possible, both in 

 the floor and roolj or, on a level with both, to open 

 and shut by slides. One of the low ventilators 

 should be made in the door. 



There should be a stove, and one or more chim- 

 ney places. The chimney place is of much use 

 to burn straw or chips when a blazing fire is re- 

 quisite for changing the air. The stoves serve to 

 heat the room at any time. A Franklin stove 

 will answer both purposes. 



One or two thermometers and a hygrometer 

 should be kept in the room to regulate the heat, 

 and determine the degree of humidity or dry- 

 ness. 



Another appendage is necessary to purify the 

 air when it becomes deteriorated by ihc exhala- 

 tions of the worms and their excrements, the pu- 

 trid leaves which collect, the breath of atten- 

 dants, or the use of lights at night. This con- 

 sists of a bottle of strong glass, and a large 

 mouth, with a cork stopper, and a smaller bottle. 

 In the last is put one pound oil of vitriol (sulphu- 

 ric acid,) kept well closed with a ground glass 

 stopper. In the larger bottle put six ounces com- 

 mon salt, three ounces powdered manganese, mix- 

 ed with two ounces water, or one pound saltpe- 

 tre. Pour on the mixture of salt, manganese, 

 and water, or on the saltpetre, a spoonful or small 

 wine glass full of oil of vitriol, and a white vapor 

 is produced which purges the air. This vapor is 

 not only more wholesome, but less disagreeable 

 to those who breathe it. It may also be obtained 

 by a mixture of two-thirds of pure nitre and one- 

 third manganese, pounded and well mixed to- 

 gether, placed in a spoon or wine glass, on which 

 are poured a few drops of oil of vitriol. This 

 process may be repeated as often as necessary to 

 purify the air. 



It is also necessary to have cartoon boxes, in 

 which to place the eggs, and others on which to 

 place the worms when they are produced, and 

 small tables, or baskets with a handle. 



Preparations for hatching the ivorms. 



Those who, in the preceding year, have pur- 

 chased the seed, (eggs,) and have them in the 

 cloths where the worms laid them, ought, on the 

 approach of the proper season, to prepare them. 

 This is the mode: 



Plunge in a pail of pure water the cloths con- 

 taining the eggs, and leave them there about six 

 minutes. Take them out, let them drip for two 



