488 [Senate 



grower having a parcel of worms, wanting two or three weeks to 

 finish, perceiving that there was danger of a frost to cut off the fo- 

 liage, gathered, towards night, while there might be some dew on 

 the leaves, a quantity of foliage, which he stowed into salt bags. 

 These leaves did not heat or mold, but were well preserved for feed, 

 so that the worms were enabled to form good cocoons. 



That our climate is peculiarly adapted to the culture of silk, is 

 confirmed by almost one hundred years operation, and corroborated 

 by the silk record of President Styles, written some eighty years ago, 

 and also by the journal of Joseph Clark. Gentlemen who have 

 visited Canton, and are acquainted with the silk trade, uniformly agree 

 that silk raised in the high districts of China, in a climate corres- 

 ponding with ours, is worth, in Canton, tweniy per cent over that 

 raised elsewhere, — having a stronger fibre amd greater lustre. 



Another importantqiiesiion to silk growers, is the best kind of silk- 

 worm. Some are satisfied with the large sulphur kind, enveloped 

 with a superabundance of floss ; others prefer the peanut variety, af- 

 fording more silk than the other varieties. The superior excellency 

 of the peanut variety, was testified by a silk manufacturer and dyer, 

 before a court holden to take depositions to be used in a suit pending 

 in Nantucket. It has been a common remark that silk culture, to be 

 made profitable, should be connected with other farming business, 

 and doing up the whole in a family way. An instance in point has 

 occurred in this vicinity, where a person says he has and can make 

 more clear profit from his small patch of Canton mulberries, than from 

 all the products of his farm. But if worms can be fed with better 

 success upon the open Chinese plan, in better ventilated cocooneries 

 or tents, and the one and early crop system be adopted, and if the 

 after foliage, and the bark of the young mulberry can be appropria- 

 ted to any new and important use, as it is hoped may be demonstra- 

 ted in another year, then, and in that event, the cultivator of the soil 

 may go extensively into the business, with great safety and profit to 

 himself, and thus contribute towards the demand for three hundred 

 millions worth of raw silk, supposed to be annually wanted, to sup- 

 ply ourselves and foreign countries. There are silk producing and 

 manufacturing countries, which do not raise enough of the raw mate- 

 rial for their own consumption. It has been said that the English 

 market requires annually, nearly one hundred millions worth of the 

 raw material, and do not, as we understand, raise a pound of it. Ame- 

 rica must be very industrious for some years, to raise even enough for 

 her own market, although it has been predicted that we must and can 

 do it, and even more, within ten years. To accomplish which, how- 

 ever, will require a great multiplication of trees, not only for feeding 

 worms, but for other important purposes, which have been suggested, 

 and we hope will be accomplished by another year's experiment. 



With us the demand for silk goods must annually advance, to sup- 

 ply the rapid increase of population. 



In this country as an experiment, cotton began to be raised at no 

 great distance of time from the present ; for it is within the recol- 

 lection of many of our inhabitants, when the whole operation was 



