280 [Senate 



next year, and a few of the white mulberry, f intend to increase my 

 stock of multicaulis, and erect a suitable building for a cocoonery. 



The soil of land where my trees grow is not the best. It is a reddish 

 loam inclining to clay, which holds the water too long ; but it is the 

 best I have. Some of the roots winter-kill. I cut the tops off in the 

 fall, and save them to plant. There is no other jjerson doing anytliing 

 at the silk business in this town, though there are some making small 

 preparations for the business through my influence. Others are waiting 

 to see those get rich, as they say, before they go into it. 



Scepticism and doubts are vanishing, and many are inclined to con- 

 sider it a practicable, if not a profitable, branch of business. 



By sending me any publications relating to the silk business, you 

 will greatly oblige one who wishes information on the subject, and who 

 believes it to be a great national enterprise. 



E. L. Newton, Athens^ Georgia. — I have been engaged only two 

 years in the silk business. I have a very fine orchard of the morus 

 multicaulis of about 7 acres ; the trees are 4 years old. I have a co- 

 coonery 36 by 40, two stories, and well filled with shelves, and under 

 every shelf lattice- work for the worms to wind in. Last year I made 

 about ten bushels of first rate cocoons, but not being acquainted with 

 the process of reeling I did but little with them. My main object, how- 

 ever, was to ascertain what could be done in raising silk worms, so as 

 to have a succession of crops: which was satisfactory, and which I 

 deemed of great importance to the ultimate success of the business. As 

 our seasons in this climate are much longer than they are in your State, 

 it gives us a decided advantage in the number of crops we can raise in 

 the season. Our climate, I presume, also suits the morus multicaulis 

 better; as our winters are more mild and not so long, our trees are not 

 injured at all except the tops, which are not matured. Our first crop 

 hatched about the 1st of April ; as they commenced winding I exposed 

 the second crop of eggs, which I had kept in an ice-house ; and so 

 also with the third ; and I believe a fourth crop might be made in a 

 season, as we seldom have a frost before the 10th of October. Thus 

 the hands may be employed during most of the year in feeding and 

 reeling. And while on this subject, I will express my strong conviction 

 of the wonderful adaptation of the multicaulis to the business. I had 

 not a sufficient number of worms to consume all the foliage; I there- 

 upon required the hands to feed from a particular part, so as to make it 

 very bare. This would put out a new set of foliage, which would be 

 in time to supply the next crop with young and tender leaves, suitable 

 to the age of the worm. This I consider an important discovery, as 

 the young worm would scarcely be able to subsist on the old tough leaf. 



I find I have run into several of the questions proposed in your Cir- 

 cular, therefore shall not attempt to answer them in regular order. I 

 have the black and the white worm, which produce the variously color- 

 ed cocoons, viz: sulphur, orange, white, green, and Nankin. I have 

 also the peanut, but not being able to reel, I am not prepared to say 

 which is the best. I plant my trees about 5 feet apart, in rows, and 



