520 [Senate 



when the worms were hatched, from which they were produced, the 

 hatching has been retarded, indeed that is the case now — many of the 

 worms that produced the eggs I now have on hand, were hatched on 

 the 10th of February of last year; yet they have not hatched, owing 

 doubtless to a backward spring, and by keeping them in a cool place. 

 I have also retarded their hatching beyond the period of the year at 

 which the worms that produced them were hatched, without any pre- 

 judicial effect, so far as I could discover, upon the worms. 



But the Persians, it is said, possess a variety which produces eight 

 successive crops in the year; and if I am wrong in the theory above 

 mentioned, it will be a desideratum to introduce this species in Flo- 

 rida, where it will find a congenial climate. 



I observe, that at a Silk Convention held last fall at Northampton, 

 Mass., Mr. Samuel Whitmarsh, whose experience in the silk culture 

 is well known, stated that he was satisfied that but one crop could 

 be made in the year in New-England; and the principal reason as- 

 signed by him, why more could not be raised, was that the mulberry 

 there would not afi"ord suitable food a longer period than was neces- 

 sary for one crop. I use the leaf of the morus multicaulis, and that 

 affords good forage for silk worms here at least eight months, and 

 sometimes nine, and even ten months in the year. 



The advantage I anticipated for Florida from the silk culture, in 

 relation to our pine barren lands, (as they are called,) will doubtless 

 be realized; for although the trees raised upon those lands do not 

 produce so large leaves as those raised on the rich hammock lands, 

 yet they afford a better food, and the silk made by the worms fed 

 upon them is stronger and of a finer texture. By-the-bye, I am hap- 

 py to learn that the experiment of cultivating sugar upon the pine 

 lands in the interior also succeeds well; the cane raised upon these, 

 although not so large as those grown upon the swamp lands, contains 

 much more saccharine matter to the gallon, — there is a great saving 

 of labor therefore in handling and transporting it to the mill, and in 

 grinding it. The same result as to the silk culture upon the pine 

 lands has attended the effort in Georgia. A writer in the last ^^ Geor- 

 gian,''^ speaking of the experiments made, then says, " that pine lands 

 are suitable for the production of the qualities of silk, I now consider 

 as determined, and the fact to be of great importance to the neighbor- 

 ing counties, and especially to Savannah. 



" If the pine country in our rear, which has been regarded as little 

 more than waste lands, can be made productive, and subsist a dense 

 population, what would now seem the most visionary calculations of 

 such a change to Savannah, and the country at large, would fall 

 short of the reality. But I venture to predict such a change, and 

 that whoever may live to see thirty years hence, will see '' lower 

 country Georgia silk, quoted in the price current of Liverpool and 

 Havre." I certainly agree with this writer ; and what will be true 

 of Georgia, will also be true of Florida, and those who live to see 

 that day, will also see " Florida silk" quoted in the same price cur- 



