No. 124.] 253 



exhibited at the fair struck me as being suitable, and on trying it I 

 found it to equal my most sanguine expectations. * * * * 

 It may be seen that I do not recommend these racks from interested 

 motives, as the model has b^en sent to the Institute, for the benefit of 

 the silk growing community ; I should merely wish the privilege of 

 naming them Canteloh Winding Rack. The silk exhibited is part of 

 this year's crop, and is reeled by my daughters on what is called the 

 Piedmont reel, with some improvements. Relative to the cost of 

 raising, my expenses this year were. 



For 9,000 lbs. of leaves, $30 00 



Expense of picking at 31 cents per 100 lbs., 28 12| 



$58 m 



I cannot state the expense of attendance for feeding, as the worms 

 were attended by my three daughters during the feeding, winding, 

 and gathering, with the addition of an extra person after the last 

 moulting. Knowing the number of persons required to attend 5 

 ounces, any person can easily estimate what that part of the expense 

 would be. 



I have every confidence in the silk raising eventually becoming 

 profitable; under that impression I have planted 20,0C0 trees, built 

 a cocooneiy 200 by 25, two stories high, well ventilated by doors and 

 •windows. I would suggest to those interested in promoting the 

 silk raising in this country, the necessity of encouraging the farmers 

 in their neighborhood who have only the means of raising a small 

 quantity, by giving them slips of mulberries to plant out, and giving 

 them annually the best of seed carefully raised and selected, with 

 the promise of buying the cocoons from them if thay have managed 

 them properly. The reeler would be fully repaid by the good 

 cocoons he would then be able to purchase. It is well known that 

 in Italy the large filatures are principally supplied by the farmers in 

 the vicinity, who raise more or less according to their liou?e room, 

 buying the leaves from the landed proprietors, or giving them half 

 the profit. To conclude I would wish to make a few remarks on the 

 difference of opinion which exists in respect to feeding with wet 

 leaves, or allowing the worms to be exposed to wet or rain. It ap- 

 pears to me wrong in theory ; it has been observed that we should 

 follow nature as closely as possible; that is certainly reasonable, but 

 it must be the nature of the silk-worm, which has been brouo-fit 

 originally from a very hot climate, where they have no rain during 

 the summer season. It is therefore not natural to that insect to be 

 exposed to wet, or to eat wet food. As well might we take delicate 

 exotics, and instead of housing them and giving them as near their 

 natural regular climate as possible, expose them to the hard frosts 

 and blighting rains, and expect them to live. All this is but theory. 

 Experience must test the question. 



