366 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Junes, 1829. 



remain in its chrysalis state ten or twelve days, 

 and then come out a gray miller. In a short time 

 the females will commence laying upon the paper, 

 each one laying about 450 eggs, which are at first 

 of a sulphur color, but soon turn to a dark lilac ; 

 those which remain of the yellow hue are useless, 

 and may be thrown away. The good ones must 

 be kept in a dry, cool place, in a temperature of 

 40 or 50 degrees. In a high temperature, they 

 might hatch. 



^ The cocoons, from which silk is to be obtained 

 must be stripi)ed of the floss, or loose outer coat- 

 ing, and the insect destroyed ; otherwise, it would 

 soon pierce the ball and destroy the silk. The in- 

 sect may be killed either by baking the balls for 

 half an hour in a half heated oven, or, which is 

 the better mode, by steaming them for a few min- 

 utes in a common kitchen steamer. After the co- 

 coons are thus prepared, from thirty to fifty of 

 them, in proportion to the size of the thread in- 

 tended to be spun, may be placed in a kettle of 

 water heated to such a degree that the hand may 

 be barely kept in without scalding, at which tem- 

 perature it must be constantly kept. Twigs are 

 then to be stirred about in the vessel till a suf- 

 ficient number of fibres is caught to make the 

 thread you wish, and as the fibres break they are 

 to be renewed, so as to keep the thread even. In 

 this manner the silk may be reeled oflT with a 

 common reel, and afterwards twisted in the man- 

 ner required by a conmion spinning wheel. After 

 this it should he boiled four or five hours in soap 

 and water, and rinsed with clear water, to disen- 

 cumber it of the gum, which naturally adheres to 

 it. The silk is now ready for use, and may be 

 dyed any color to suit the consumer. 



In this report the Committee have not aimed to 

 make an elaborate, or novel treatise on the culti- 

 vation of the mulberry, or, the rearing of the silk 

 worm ; but merely to exhibit, in |>lain language, 

 the more general and important directions in re- 

 lation to those subjects, for the aid of the farmer, 

 and beginner, who may desire to embark, on a 

 limited scale, in this, to our country, new and 

 profitable branch of business. Other more minute 

 rules will be easily learned by experience ; and 

 others, of a nice and more abstruse character, may 

 be gathered from books, written upon the subject 

 in other countrici. 



B. DRAKE, 



F. D. MANSFIELD. )■ Committee 



CHARLES FOX 



White mulberry seed, and some eggs from a 

 stock of the Italian silk worm, belonging to the 

 Hamilton County Agricultural Society, may be 

 had upon application at the office of B. Drake, 

 on Fourth, near Main street, Cincinnati. 



Cincinnati, .'}pril 1st, IS'28. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



> Con 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 1829. 



WOODBRIDGE SCIENTIFIC AND PRAC- 

 TICAL SCHOOL. 

 Messrs J. Ely, and D. R. Austin, propose to 

 open a school at South Iladley, Mass. This is in- 

 tended as well for physical as intellectual educa- 

 tion, and to convert " tlu; ordinary exercises of a 

 Gymnasium into some useful and lucrative chan- 

 nel." The " Course of Instruction," as stated in a 

 Prospectus, with the signatures of the above men- 

 tioned gentlemen, will embrace the following oh- 



jects. "1. To inculcate upon the pupils the prin- 

 ciples of sound moi-ality and religion. 2. To pre- 

 pare those designed for professional hfe to enter 

 any of our colleges, or if preferred, to fit them to 

 commence their professional studies. 3. To pre- 

 pare those designed for mercantile, or agricultural 

 pursuits, or any of the useful arts, to enter upon 

 their occupations well furnished with useful 

 knowledge, and acquainted with their business as 

 far as possible by practical experience. A due 

 proportion of time will be devoted to chemistry 

 and the natural sciences in connexion with other 

 studies, which arrangement we have found from 

 experience in a great measure obviates that aver- 

 sion to books which sometimes is manifested by 



youth who commence their course in early life 



The government of the institution will be mild 

 and parental. The instructors will reside in the 

 same family with the students, ajid associate with 

 them both in their exercises and studies. From 

 one to two hours a day will be devoted by those 

 of sufficient age to practical agriculture, or to the 

 construction of plain and useful materials in a 

 workshop, provided for the purpose. An eligible 

 site for an extensive garden has been selected, 

 where those pupils who may desire it will have 

 an opportunity of acquiring a thorough practical 

 knowledge of the science of Horticulture, under 

 an approved and skilful gardener. The advan- 

 tages of this system will be obvious to all. Hab- 

 its of industry and economy will be formed in 

 early hfe, and the intellectual powers gradually 

 invigorated and i)repared for more intense and 

 continued application. Suitable encouragement 

 will be given to any who may wish to contribute 

 to their support by labor. The annual charges 

 for each scholar will be $150 including tuition, 

 boai-d, room, lights, ftiel, and washing. Bedding, 

 stationary, books, &c. will be furnished if desired. 

 A strict and sacred observance of the Sabbath will 

 be required. The interval of public worship wil.l 

 be devoted to the study of the scriptures, and the 

 evening to biblical instruction and sacred music. 

 The French language will be taught without any 

 additional expense," &c. &c. 



The plan of the seminary and the qualifications 

 of its instructors have been recommended to pub- 

 lic patronage by the following gentlemen, viz. 

 Andrew Gates, D. D., Principal of the Poly- 

 techny, in Chittenango ; Eliphalet Nott, D. D. 

 LL. D., President Union College ; R. Peoitdfit, 

 D. D., Professor of Languages ; F. Wayland, Jr, 

 D. D. President of Brown University ; Rev. Ly- 

 man Beecher, and Hon. Samuel HnsBARD, Bos- 

 ton. Respectable and numerous references are 

 given, and the auspices of the proposed institution 

 are as favorable as could be wished by any per- 

 son who may have an interest in the correct and 

 efficient education of those who are preparing to 

 " act well their part" in the grand drama of life. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



* LUCERNE. 



Mr Editor — Being fully convinced, that the 

 Lucerne* grass will be a most important and val- 

 uable substitute for clover, I think it a duty, to 

 add the further experience, which I have had in 

 relation to it. I have now four distinct species of 

 it. One is now in its eighth summer. Two in 

 their third, and one in its second. While orchard 

 grass and clover perished in our late trying win- 



* 1 always use Ihe French orthography for this grass, be- 

 cause I know no sutKcienl reason for clianging it to Lucern. 



tcr in considerable quantities, the Lucerne is more 

 vigorous than ever. Those who know the great 

 depth, to which this root extends, will not be sur- 

 prised at this result. I cut Lucerne for soihng 

 (even this late season) on the tenth of May, and 

 the new shoots after cutting, are at this time eight 

 inches high. I have it growing from seed sent to 

 mc by the Society of the Georgio-fili at Florence, 



(a name which signifies friends of agriculture) 



from seed brought home from Chili, by Commo- 

 dore Hull, and from American seed. They are 

 all the same plant, the Jl/erfiCrtg-o saliva of the bot- 

 anists. 



The grounds of preference of the Lucerne to 

 the clover, are the following : 



1. The clover is a biennial plant, and like all 

 biennial plants it furnishes a poor, or no crop the 

 first year, and dies at the end of the second. If 

 uninformed minds should oppose this lust asser- 

 tion, because they find clover always in their 

 grounds, I reply, that this is, because its seeds are 

 abundant in our soil, and manure, and there is a 

 constant succession of plants — but let any one 

 sow clover only, and in the third summer his field 

 will present a most desolate appearance. 



2. The next superiority of Lucerne over clover 

 is, that it will give three crops, often four, at least, 

 in good land, in the same season, in which it is 

 sown, provided it be sown in April. In this re- 

 spect, I am able to assert from experience, that it 

 is better adapted to our climate, than even to that 

 of France, for reasons, which I think, in addition 

 to the FACT, woulil be satisfactory. 



3. The Lucerne is not so coarse a grass, as the 

 clover — its stalks never become so woody, and 

 yet mey are stiffer, and less liable to lodge. 



As to curing it for hay, it is about as trouble- 

 some as clover, but if got in half cmed, and, salt- 

 ed, it makes a better bay. Now, let me not 6e 

 misunderstood on this subject. There is nothing, 

 which is so injuriotis to the prevalence of sound 

 opinions on all sulijects, as exaggeration. It has 

 done more nsischief in all arts, and sciences, than 

 iuiy other cause. 



Lucerne is only to be compared with clover. It 

 is no sort of substitute for the culmiferous arasses. 

 It cannot be put, for a moment, in competition, 

 with herds grass, as we call it, or timothy, as the 

 southern people term it — or for orchard grass, or 

 for pratiyisis, or red toj), or the meadow foxtail, or 

 the excellent grass recommended by Mr Phinney, 

 the tall meadow oat grass. These grasses are, 

 and must be, forever, our cliief dependence for e.x- 

 cellent liay. 



I recommend the Lucerne solely as a substitute 

 for Dutch clover, and it ought io take its place, 

 and, within twenty years, it tvill take its place, 

 everywhere, in America. I say it, without fear of 

 ridicule. 



The Lucerne is the favorite grass of France, 

 south of the river Loire, of Spain, Portugal, 

 and Italy — of Rio Janeiro — of Buenos Ayres, and 

 Chili. Why does it suit these climates ? Because 

 its long tap root enables it to sustain the long 



droughts and excessive heats of these climates 



But we, in Massachusetts, are subject, in an emi- 

 nent degree, to these same evils. When our 

 crops fail, it is chiejly owing to these causes. The 

 Lucerne is calculated for early, and late pastur- 

 age — for small farmers, yielding at least double 

 the quantity of food, which any other plant can 

 do. I may be called a speculative farmer, and I 

 am so, if 25 years close attention entitles me to 

 the name. But practical farmers will find, that so 



