No. 124.] 283 



2(1. The first year I fed the greater part of our worms on iheblack 

 or native mulberry. The silk was strong, but not as glossy and fine 

 as the two last years. While we have fed on the moius mullifaulis 

 our worms have done far belter than 1 had reason to expect, as the 

 only knowledge I had was drained from the Silk Journal. 3d. I have 

 never (ed in an open shed. 4ih. I think the pres<?nt peanut variety 

 preferable to any I have tried. 5th. lam now cultivating the morus 

 multicauiis, and am well pleased with that variety ; have about J5 

 acres well set, and they stand the winters well. 1 intend topping to 

 what we call low branch, as the leaves are larger and more conveni- 

 ent to gather. 6th. Our early feeding has generally done the best. 

 7th. The only difficulty with our neighbors seems to have originated 

 from want of cleanliness and room ; say in 4th age, sometimes a 

 room shut tight over night, 8th. Have no knowledge of the use of 

 mulberry for paper. 9th. 1 have never have seen any thing like wa- 

 ter-rotting mulberry for any purpose. 



I purchased a Piedmontese reel in Philadelphia three years since, 

 and reel all our own silk, some of which I send east to find a market. 

 I suppose 50 lbs. will be something like the amount I shall reel this 

 season, besides what we use for sewings in this neighborhood. 



I shall be able, after the legislature convenes, to give an entire ac- 

 count of all silks grown in our State, as the receipts will show, 

 through the auditor of public accounts. I have no hesitation in say- 

 ing that silk is to give employment to multitudes in the United States. 



James Underhill, Covstanlia, Orange Co., JV. Y. — I am a silk 

 grower. In 1840 fed about 500 worms with good success. In 

 1841 I succeeded in raising 39 lbs. cocoons ; did middling well. I 

 had no place for keeping them but the chamber of my li)g house j 

 some died, but my inexperience and want of a place explains the 

 whole. Convinced that the silk business would be_a permanent busi- 

 ness in this country, I entered into partnership in the year 1842 with 

 Curtis R. Cable for four years. Tlie first year the building was new 

 and green, and very damp. My worms died very much. I suc- 

 ceeded in raising 159 lbs. Oui cocoonery is 18 feet wide, 83 feet 

 long, one and a half stories high ; a ground floor, well ventilated at 

 the top and bottom, by means of a swing board, so as to open a space 

 9 inches wide from one end to the other, top and bottom. But 1 did 

 not give fresh air enough, kept the ventilators shut nights, and when 

 the weather was cool ; but I have learned that one cold night, unless 

 it is cold enough to freeze the worm, will not hurt them ; it only 

 renders them torpid and stops the growth; but worms will not be as 

 likely to be sickly in a temperature of 65 as 75 degrees, but will 

 Sj)in much sooner in a temperature of 75 than 65 decrees. In 1843 

 I have already gathered 390 lbs. cocoons, althougli I have had some 

 losses. My first crop did well ; I had 249 lbs. cocoor.s. My second, 

 although I hatched twice as many eggs, made but 131 lbs. cocoons. 

 My third was as large as my second, but I shall not have more than 



