466 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 8 



will do well to recollect that the foliage of the 

 same tree may vary as much in quality, by grow- 

 ing on different soils, as the products of the same 

 aromatic plants grown in torrid and temperate cli- 

 mates. That soil should be selected for the busi- 

 ness, that will be the hottest, and at the same 

 time, safest in regard to the health and vigor oi 

 the tree. The kind of tree should be selected best 

 adapted to, and that will produce the greatest 

 quantity of foliage on poor soils. This, I think, is 

 the Chinese mulberry. It is yet to be learned 

 how poor a soil it will flourish in; as yet I have 

 not put it on any land too poor for it — though I 

 have set it on light sandy loam that would not 

 produce eight bushels of rye to the acre — where 

 it grows quite fast enough and the soil has gradu- 

 ally been improving. I would recommend to any 

 one wishing to engage in the silk business, to set 

 out as few or as many as he can afford; hut at any 

 rate set the Chinese mulberry four by three, or 

 four feet apart — then multiply them by layers and 

 cuttings, not by innoculation and grafiing, till the/ 

 have covered as much ground as wished for — the 

 trees to be kept within reach and continued in 

 large plantations. I think one man, constantly 

 employed, with a horse plough and cultivator, 

 after the first season, may give fifty acres of free 

 soil all the cultivation necessary. The white mul- 

 berry, but should prefer the dondolo, 1 would set 

 by roads, fences, &c. for standard trees — so that all 

 parts of a farm might be contributing to forward 

 the business in every possible way. 



Our neighbors of the states north of us, can ad- 

 vantageously engage in the silk business with the 

 Chinese mulberry if soil, location, and cultivation 

 be resorted to as here described, that will mature 

 the tree before winter. This tree comes recom- 

 mended from its native soil, as well adapted to the 

 high northern parts of China. The leng'h of the 

 season has nothing to do with its wintering, if it 

 is prepared, and if not, though it may be located 

 many miles south of us, it will be destroyed. 

 More care will be necessary in choosing soil, &c, 

 as we go north; long seasons are preferable to 

 short ones, as they will afford more time to prose- 

 cute the business. But the great value of this 

 tree consists in its continuing so long and furnish- 

 ing at all seasons of its growth, such an abun- 

 dance of suitablefood for the young and full grown 

 silk worm — the leaves of the common tree becom- 

 ing spotted early in the season, and unfit for use. 

 But this disposition, in this tree, of continuing long 

 in growth that so much enhances its value, will 

 be liable to cause its entire destruction, if not pro- 

 perly managed. This tree has had the misfortune, 

 being so highly esteemed, to find itself located in 

 rich soils and gardens highly manured, which 

 would protract the growth of many forest trees to 

 the frosts of autumn, and thus, as expressed by 

 Mr. VVhitmarsh, "we kill the tree with kindness." 

 If our friends in Mansfield can make the rearing 

 of silkworms a source of profit, by a few weeks 

 use of the common tree, what may we expect, 

 when the eye of the traveller is constantly meet- 

 ing on almost every farm, plantations from one to 

 fifty acres clothed like a corn field with their rich 

 foliage, and the same soil, cocoonery, appara'.uw 

 and hands employed from the opening of the leaf 

 in spring to the severe frosts of autumn, a term of 

 nearly six months— and even longer by picking 

 the leaves before severer frosts as they may be 



kept much longer than the leaves of the white 

 mulberry — and this same set of hands may spend 

 the winter in reeling and preparing the silk for 

 market. What business promises equal profits? 



After having four years experience in the culti- 

 vation of this mulberry, notwithstanding the fears 

 expressed in many periodicals of its ability to en- 

 dure our climate, I can say that I believe it will far 

 exceed the most sanguine expectations ever enter- 

 tained of it in this country. I expect to be fully 

 compensated for the many losses I have sustained 

 in its cultivation — for I hope and expect to see the 

 day, and that not far distant, when the growing 

 and manufacture of silk will become a source of 

 greater wealth to this country than the raising and 

 manufacture of both wool and cotton. 



The frost here last week killed most of our vines 

 and froze the leaves of the Chinese mulberry quite 

 stiff'; but did it no injury. Occasionally one or 

 two of the small top leaves are dried up. After 

 the last year's frosts every leaf was as dead and 

 black as if scorched by fire. Should the tree kill 

 to the ground annually in the fall, and sprout in 

 the spring, I should prefer it to all others for the 

 silk business. 



# # # # # 



JOSEPH DAVENPORT. 



From the last London edition of the "Complete Grazier." 

 ON THE BREEDING, REARING, AND FATTEN- 

 ING OF SHEEP. 



[Continued from p. 396 Vol. III.] 

 On the shearing of sheep. 



The shearing of sheep is an object of very con- 

 siderable importance in rural economy. The most 

 proper time lor this purpose must be regulated ac- 

 cording to the temperature oi the weather, in the 

 different parts of this island. If it be, hot, the 

 month of June may be fixed, though some breed- 

 ers defer it till the middle of July; under the idea, 

 that an additional half pound of wool in every 

 fieece may be obtained, in consequence of the 

 increased perspiration of the sheep. An early 

 shearing, however, is preferable, where the wea- 

 ther and other circumstances will admit of the op- 

 eration being performed; because the new wool 

 will not only gain time to geta-heud, but the animal 

 will also be secured from the attacks of the fly, to the 

 depredations of which it becomes liable by delay- 

 ing the operation. 



Previously, however, to shearing, the sheep 

 ought to be washed, in order to remove the dust 

 and other filth which they may have contracted; 

 this is usually performed in some neighboring 

 stream, or even in a common pond, by men stand- 

 ing in the water, who, not unfrequently, become se- 

 riously indisposed in consequence. To prevent 

 this inconvenience, as well as the abuses resulting 

 from the careless manner in which the washers 

 frequently do their work, it has been proposed to 

 rail off a portion of the water, for the sheep to 

 walk into, by a sloped mouth at one end, and to 

 walk out by another at the other end, with a 

 depth sufficient for them at one part to swim. 

 Pave the whole. The breadth need not be more 

 than six or seven feet; at opposite sides of this 

 passage, where the depth is just sufficient for the 

 water to flow over the sheep's back, let in two 

 casks, either fixed or loaded, each for a man to 

 stand in dry; the sheep being in the water be- 



