1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



675 



I will endeavor to show what may be effected 

 by perseverance in a systematic plan, which is the 

 only mode of proceeding with any certainty of suc- 

 cess. I shall limit the calculation to seven years, 

 which will be a fair beginning; after which, any 

 one with the experience of that time, will be able 

 to make calculations 1'or the future. I shall set 

 down each item in the calculation far below, and 

 in some, instances, three hundred percent, below 

 what fair experiments have shown, may be relied 

 on. 



As it. is important, at the commencement to 

 multiply the trees as last as possible, I would ad- 

 vise to begin with about an acre of mellow, rich, 

 sandy loam, which, though not so good for the ul- 

 timate production of silk, is more conducive to the 

 rapid growth of the young trees before transplan- 

 ting, and therefore, best for the nursery. In this 

 nursery, 1 would set the seedlings, cuttings, or 

 other young trees as near together as they can 

 have room to grow, the first year. 



The first year, 200 cuttings, set in the spring, 

 will afford leaves sufficient to feed about 500 

 worms. This number would be of no profitable 

 use in yielding silk; but it will be well to keep 

 them, in order to form some acquaintance with 

 them, and to provide eggs for the next year. 



The moths produced by the 500 worms, will 

 probably be half females, and will produce about 

 100,000 egix^ about 15,000 of which will be 

 wanted for the next season. Suppose 50,000 of 

 them should be sold at 12.1 cents, which is one 

 half their present price, the account for this year 

 may stand thus. 



Rent for acre, for nursery - - $5 



200 cuttings, say, - - - 2 



Trouble of collecting, settin<?, &c. - - 2 



Feeding 500 worms, - ° . . .2 



50,000 eggs sold, at 12$ cts. per 1000, 



$11 



25 



Net expense out first year, $4 75 



Second Year. 



This year also, but little or no profit can be ex- 

 pected. Allowing only five cuttings or layers 

 from each tree, which is probably not more than 

 one-fourth of what may be produced, there will be 

 200 trees of last year, and one thousand propaga- 

 ted this year. These will afford leaves sufficient 

 for 15,000 worms, which besides producing eggs 

 for next year, would yield perhaps a little over six 

 pounds of silks, which at $5 per pound, will brino- 

 $30. 



The expenses and proceeds of this year may be 

 estimated thus. 



Rent of nursery, .... ,<ft.<5 



Propagating by cuttings, or layers 1000 



trees, - 

 Feeding 15,000 worms, - 

 Reeling 6 lbs. silk, ... 



Six pounds silk at $5 per pound, 

 Net gain second year, 



6 

 10 

 4 50 



825 50 

 30 00 



84 50 



Third Year. 



This year also will afford but small profit. All 

 the increase of the trees may still be retained in 

 the nursery. From each of those set the spring 

 before, ten at least may be taken. 



For the spring of the third year, there will be 200 

 trees two years old, and 1000 of one year old. 

 Prom each of the first, may be propagated ten, and 

 five from each of the others, making of this year's 

 propagation 7000; in the whole 8200. Iffrom each 

 of the first trees, two pounds of leaves are taken, 

 and one pound from each of the next, and 1000 

 pounds from the 7000 young plants, making in all 

 1900 pounds of leaves, these together will feed 

 50,000 worms, which will make twenty pounds of 

 silk. 



So 

 21 

 25 

 15 



$66 

 $100 



$34 



Statement for the third year. 



Rent, ..... 



Setting 7000 trees, ... 

 Feeding and care of 50,000 worms, 

 Reeling 20 pounds silk, 



20 pounds silk at $5 per pound, 

 Net gain third year, 



Fourth Year. 



Proceeding in the same ratio for four years yet 

 to come, allowing each tree set the year before," by 

 cuttings or layers, to produce five, and each over 

 that age, ten; which is infinitely short of what can 

 be effected, then the number of trees for ihe fourth 

 year will be 55,200, the fifth year 372,200, the 

 sixth year 2,500,200, and the seventh year 

 15,872,200. 



But as these last numbers outstrip all practical 

 calculations within the bounds of reason, we will 

 therefore go back to the beginning of the fourth 

 year, which commences with 8,200 trees. 



As this number will extend beyond the conve- 

 nient limits of the nursery, of course it will be neces- 

 sary to begin transplanting the trees to tlie place of 

 their final destination. To effect this, I would ad- 

 vise to hire a piece of ground on a permanent 

 lease, say twenty acres, and more if can be done 

 conveniently, with the privilege of purchasing in 

 three years. 



I would prepare a part of this field, and trans- 

 plant the 1200 trees of one and two years old. 

 These I would set in rows eight feet and six inches 

 apart, and the trees in the row, a little short of 

 twenty inches, or ten trees in a rod, by which ar- 

 rangement an acre will contain 3,200 trees. The 

 whole field ought to be well fenced, or at any rate, 

 the trees protected from every kind of depredation. 

 The trees three years old may be calculated to 

 yield three pounds of leaves each; those of two 

 yeah? one and a half pounds, and those of one } r ear 

 half a pound; in all 4,600 pounds without those set 

 this year. These will feed 120.000 worms, which 

 will yield fifty pounds of silk, which, at $5 per 

 pound will amount to .§250. 



The expenses and avails this year may be set 

 down thus. 



