180 [Assembly 



the United States, and, in obedience to their request, we will appoint 

 delegates to attend the National Convention of Farmers, Gardeners 

 and Silk Culturists, on the 9th of October inst., there to represent the 

 New England Convention, its interests, experiments, and prospects, 

 and to unite in all such measures as may be adopted for the general 

 encouragement of farmers, gardeners, and silk growers. 



DANIEL STEBBINS, President. 



J. W. Smith, Secretary. 



Samuel Barrett, French Creek, Va., expressed great interest in the 

 silk culture, considering it, as he did, an enterprise of great national 

 advantage, and individual gain. Has not done much the present sea- 

 son, but this little had increased his confidence in, and more fully as- 

 sured him of the entire practicability and ultimate success of the whole 

 business. 



He has been gradually multiplying his trees for years, with a view 

 of entering largely in the culture, when they shall have arrived at ma- 

 turity. He says, " Being at a great distance from any silk grower, I 

 have found it extremely difficult to obtain eggs. I have for a year or 

 two been much retarded on this account. 



The ])ast year, T placed my eggs in an ice-house in March, after 

 considerable warm weather, and feared they might, in consequence, 

 je injured. About one half of them were hatched, May 8th. The 

 oliage had then become quite large and abundant. On the 14th, we 



aad a severe frost, which killed all the foliage, except here and there 



a leaf which had been concealed by the grass. 



On the night of the 24th, we were visited by a second frost, cutting 

 off what had started since the 26th. Again, on the 31st, another quite 

 as severe as either of the others. I still kept my worms alive on a 

 few frost-bitten leaves, but they did not spin, or but few of them, al- 

 though they did not appear to be diseased. 



I exposed another crop of eggs, June 23d — 1 ounce. They hatch- 

 ed in 14 days. During the 1st, 2d, and 3d ages, many of them died. 

 The remainder appeared healthy, and wound superior cocoons in 

 twenty-eight days. The variety, the " Mirabel Inanes," I fed five 

 times per day, and exposed them freely to fresh air. The heat was a 



