270 [Senate 



P. S. To show the excellence of the Canton mulberry, I subjoin 

 the following records of an experiment made three years since, by my 

 wife and daughters: 



One of ray daughters asked me one day if she might not feed ex- 

 clusively with the Canton ; I asked the reason ; she said that she 

 found that the silk-worms would leave the foliage of the multicaulis 

 and other varieties to feed upon the Canton, if that foliage was on 

 the table ; I asked if it was really so. The answer was affirmative. 

 I then asked the others if they had noticed a similar preference ; each 

 replied in the affirmative ; not having so many Cantons then as of 

 the other varieties, I permitted the eldest to have her request, and 

 she took one shelf from that time, to feed exclusively with the Can- 

 ton, and the change was perceptible very soon ; these worms evi- 

 dently increased in size, more than any others which were fed on dif- 

 ferent foliage ; so much so that visitors noticed the difference, and 

 said it ought to be published in the papers. In these early days of 

 feeding, we had daily visitors from distant parts of the country ; 

 and when the cocoons were finished! invited seven gentlemen to ex- 

 amine them ; at which time there happened to be present two gen- 

 tlemen from the south, (silk growers) — Rev. L. D. Hatch, of Green 

 Co., Alabama, and Dr. B. Hill, of North Carolina, who, with other 

 gentlemen of town, were invited to examine the case. The scales 

 were produced, and S. Wells, Esq., clerk of court, was appointed to 

 try them by the scales ; all of the gentlemen were of unexceptiona- 

 ble character, and disinterested. I had myself previously tried the 

 experiment, by the scales, and found upon what I considered a fair 

 selection^ that the cocoons of the Canton feed were twice as heavy as 

 the other. 



But Mr. Wells tried various weighings, and selected the largest of 

 each kind, fed on promiscuous varieties, and it was singular^ that 

 among those fed on the Cantons, there were scarcely any dupions. 

 Mr. Wells did not know that they were double. Knowing myself 

 that the result would be in favor of the Canton, I permitted him to 

 do as he pleased, and after weighing, the result was, that 5 cocoons 

 of the Canton feed were as heavy as 8 cocoons fed upon foliage of 

 the other varieties ; the experiment of feeding was, as stated above, 

 without design, or expectation of such a result ; but the difference of 

 size was so apparent, that 1 thought it worthy of notice. Others 

 have since designedly made experiments with similar results. 



Jacob Pratt, Sherburne^ Massachusetts. — I was not able to keep 

 as many worms this summer as I had intended to do, in consequence 

 of the June frost ; as my hall which I feed in is well ventilated, I 

 have not tried the experiment of open feeding. But my experience 

 has taught me that a free circulation of air, night and day^ is indis- 

 pensable for the health of the worms. My hall is about 30 feet by 



