510 [Senate 



ered with boards, and otherwise enclosed with canvass. In this, my 

 eggs were hatched and worms fed, I have fed on the multicaulis, 

 exclusively. For the last ten days I cut off about six or eight inches 

 of the top and fed to young worms. I think most of the objections 

 which have been urged against this variety of the mulberry have arisen 

 from the feeding of the tops (which are very juicy and contain but a 

 small proportion of the saccharine matter,) to worms requiring strong- 

 er food. One acre should produce more foliage than all my worms 

 have eaten this season. Yet, although we fed from four or five acres, 

 our teams were out for several days, scouring the country for eight or 

 ten miles around Auburn, in search of mulberry. We fed two crops 

 of about equal size. The first produced four-fifths of our cocoons. 

 The second, being fed on various kinds of imported foliage, proved 

 an expensive operation. Should I again meet such an emergency, I 

 should throw my worms away by all means. The same labor and 

 expense which this year secured for us only about 300 pounds of co- 

 coons, under favorable circumstances would have returned at least 

 800 or 1,000 pounds. The cause of so small a yield of foliage from 

 our several acres of trees, was, that nearly all of them have stood in 

 the ground as the crash left them, without any cultivation or care 

 whatever. 



The question was frequently asked us previous to this year's feed- 

 ing, " What are your views of the silk culture ?" To which we an- 

 swered, *' This year must decide. We have good eggs, good foliage, 

 and an abundance of the purest air of heaven. If with these we fail, 

 adieu to the business." We knew this could not he. Now, we an- 

 swer the same question almost daily, by saying, we should expose 

 our eggs with as certain a prospect of success as we should plant corn 

 or potatoes, or engage in any of the common occupations of the 

 farmer. 



Abraham Erisman, Rapho, Lancaster co., Pa. — I first commenced 

 feeding this summer. I fed the peanut variety, in three small lots, and 

 gathered 8^ bushels of cocoons. The first lot ate and wound well, as 

 I thought, in about 33 days. About ten per cent died in their last age. 



The second crop was considerably neglected in the first and second 

 ages, and in consequence of this many died. The last lot, through 

 the pressure of other business, were not any too well attended to, and 

 consequently I lost twenty per cent of these. 



(The sickness referred to is common in clear feeding, and the cause 

 assigned is doubtless the true one, viz., "want of attendance." — A. 

 C. V. E.) 



Abial S. Smart, Springfield, Vt. — My family have been engaged, 

 in a limited way, in feeding silk-worms for the last four years, and 

 with tolerable success. There have been raised in this town the pres- 

 ent season over 1100 pounds of cocoons, by a dozen different feeders. 

 There are some in the business in every town adjoining us, but no 

 market for our cocoons very near. No filature to prepare silk for 

 market, and we are obliged to get our cocoons wrought into sewings 

 and twist, but cannot make a cash article of it. 



J. Belcher & Sons, Richford, Tioga co., JV. Y. — We commenced 

 in the silk culture in 1839, when trees were high, and invested a capi- 



