Ko. 1S4.J 299 



and our old spinning-'wheel we had before. I find more difficulty in 

 coloring than in anything else, having all to karn by experience — 

 books are of little service to me, as their process is generally on a 

 large scale, and the articles used not easily understood. Hovvevrr, 

 as I am not easily discouraged, I think ail these difficulties will be 

 at last overcome. I mean to attend the convention, and bring some 

 silk along — not because 1 expect it will be of much use to others, 

 but I wish to learn. I am fully satisfied that the business is not only 

 practicable, but that it will well remunerate and justify any capital 

 that may be judiciously employed, if our county agricultural socie- 

 ties would appoint special committees in each county to collect infor- 

 mation and lay it before the public, offering a small premium, many 

 would be induced to make experiments and bring in the result. A 

 spirit of enterprise and competition would soon follow, and much 

 good evidently be the consequence. 



W. Adams, J\''orthampton^ Mass. — On behalf of the Northampton 

 Association of Education and Industry, I beg to acknowledge the 

 receipt of the Silk Circular, issued by the officers of the American In- 

 stitute; and in reply to the questions annexed to it, I have the plea- 

 sure to append such information as the experience of the Association 

 supplies, embracing a brief statement of the results of silk growing 

 during the past season. 



The Association which was established in 1842, on the principle of 

 a community of interests among the members, purchased the estate 

 formerly belonging to the Northampton Silk Manufacturing Com- 

 pany, including between twenty and thirty acres of mulberry trees, 

 the cultivation of which had been long neglected. In the spring of 

 the present year the Association built a cocoonery and commenced 

 the culture of five acres of trees, by cropping, p'oughing and hoeing, 

 and the foliage produced was in consequence very greatly increased, 

 and the result of feeding highly satis/actory. 



The building erected is a frame, covered and shingled, without any 

 floor. The sills are raised by underpinning the posts, and with a view 

 to thorough ventilation, a large number of the boards are secured in 

 such a manner, as to swing back like doors; several scuttles in the 

 roof also assist the free circulation of the air. The building is 100 

 by 25 feet, with two tiers of frames the whole length, on which the 

 worms are fed. 



The following is a brief view of the value of the capital invested, 

 and of the results of the present season in this department of indus- 

 try:— 



Capital Invested. 



Cost of cocoonery, $200 00 



5 acres of land, at $50 per acre, 250 00 



Capital invested, $460 00 



