172 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



M. Thannaron. 2240 lbs. leaves 168 lbs. cocoons. 



M.Robert, 2504 •' 114 



M. Mazadejr. 2240 " 147 



Misses Reina, Italy, 2240 « 240 



The above crops were all obtained by feeding 

 with the' white mulberry. 



Cullurists in this country, when feeding small 

 crops on shelving, have realized the lullowmg 

 results : 



D. V. JVl'Lean, Freehold, N. J., in 1838, from 

 2240 lbs. of leaves obtained 112 lbs. cocoon.?, 

 and in 1839, from 2240 lbs. leaves 130 lbs, 

 cocoons. 



E. Montague, Belchertown, Mass., in 1840, from 

 2240 lbs. leaves 215 lbs. cocoons. 



Besides these results, we may add the follow- 

 ing, which are ditlerenily stated. It must be 

 remembered that all the crops made in this coun- 

 try were led upon the muliicaulis. 

 Aaron Clapp, Harilbrd, Ct. in 1839, raised 50 

 bushels oi cocoons, each producing one pound 

 of reeled silk: he says 80 lbs. of leaves al- 

 Ibrded him a pound oi reeled silk. 

 M. Amans Carrier, at Rodez, in France, produ- 

 ced 928 pounds of cocoons Irom 1:^ acres of 

 ground : he hatched 7| ounces of eggs. 

 M. Carlo Modena, at Vicenza, m Italy, in 1778, 

 obtained 992 lbs. of cocoons from 26,475 lbs. 

 . of leaves ; also 55 oz. of eggs. 



The loose and slovenly manner in which most 

 of the rearings in this country have been con- 

 ducted, prevents our giving the weight oj' leaves 

 consumed and ot cocoons produced, except in a 

 very lew instances. The careful noting down 

 of all these things, as practised in Europe, is ne- 

 cessary at first, in order to reduce the silk culture 

 to something like Ibrm and consistency. Our 

 American culturisis must imitate their caretul 

 precision, at least for a lew years, until we can 

 obtain tiome ceriain data on ihe most iniporlani 

 points. We furnish above, the result obtained 

 by seven European growers, specilying how 

 many pounds of cocoons each one obtained from 

 a ton of leaves. The Misses Keina obtained 

 240 lbs. It is well known that a bushel of pea 

 nut cocoons will weigh 12 lbs. : hence these 240 

 lbs. are equal to 20 bushels. Now we know from 

 repeated trial, week alter week, that the clear 

 average yield of a lot of pea nut cocoons is 1^ 

 lbs. ot silk per bushel: indeed it maybe more, 

 and unquestionably will be when our reelers be- 

 come less wasteful. Hence the 20 bushels afford 

 us 25 lbs. of silk. 



, Now we know moreover, because we have 

 tested it by actual experiment, that an acre of 

 multicaulis trees will produce 10 to 15,0u0 lbs. 

 of foliage the first season. The second season 

 it will very probably produce 20,000. If then, 

 af3 is really the case, 25 lbs. of silk have been al- 

 ready obtained, annually, lor years in succession, 

 by the Misses Keina, Irom a ton of leaves, the 

 fact is beyond dispute that an acre of multicaulis 

 trees will produce Ibliage enough to make 100 

 lbs. Of that part of the question there can be 

 no doubt: the only doubt is whether our cultur- 

 ists will adopt all the lights that are belbre them 

 as regards improved modes of leeding, and so 

 use this foliage as to make it prodihce all the silk 

 it is capable of yielding. Of their disposition to 

 do so we entertain no doubt, when they once be- 

 come satisfied that the lights held up to them to 



follow are not false ones. No efl^ort of ours shall 

 be spared to accomplish this : but at the same 

 time our readers must assist us. They can be 

 of immense advantage to us and to the country 

 at large, by keeping careful accounts of how 

 many pounds of Ibliage they leed out, and how 

 many pounds of cocoons they make. We sin- 

 cerely hope that this will be done the present 

 season, and the result communicated to us lor 

 publication. Those who use our improved frames 

 will generally do so, and we shall do it ourselves. 

 Knowing already ihe quantities consumed and 

 yielded m Europe, we have a distinct mark set up 

 lor us to eiiual or surpass ; and U v/ill be strange 

 indeed if our fine climate does not enable us to 

 exceed the very highest European crop. 



The large yield of 240 lbs. of cocoons from a 

 ton of -leaves is made with uniform regularity in 

 all of the numerous cocooneries of the Count 

 Reina in Italy ; and this result, though much ex- 

 ceeding the product of all other cullurists, has 

 nevertheless been regularly produced every sea- 

 son for a number of years. It is in fact equal to 

 100 lbs. of silk from an acre of ground. Four 

 acres of multicaulis trees in this couniry would 

 therelbre become an independence to the father 

 of a family. Nay, even one acre, producing 

 this result, would be a Ibrtune to tens of thou- 

 sands of families. Most firmly persuaded are 

 we that this will be Ibund to be ihe case; and 

 that thousands of worihy, industrious men and 

 women, wiih families dependent on ihem for sup- 

 port, who have been prostrated by ilie events of 

 the last two years, will find this silk culture one 

 ot the suresi sources of respectable support and 

 comlort. How firmly, then, should all who think 

 so, stand up in its delence, and persevere to the 

 utmost of their means in implanting it securely 

 on our soil. No matter how unnatural the oppo- 

 sition may be — and it is truly unnatural — yet per- 

 severance is the word, and ilie blessings of thou- 

 sands will descend with graieful accepttmce on the 

 heads of those who succeed in overcoming the 

 obstacles which surround the business, while the 

 additional satisfaction will be experienced of free- 

 ing our happy couniry from its servile dependence 

 upon the fields, and filatures, and looms of foreign 

 countries. 



THK LONG CONTINUED ACTION OF CALCA- 

 REOUS MANURES, AND PARTICULARLY IN 

 PREVENTING RUST IN WHEAT. 



To ttie Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



The following facts, communicated to me a 

 short time since bj' a farmer of Augusta county, 

 may prove interesting to the readers of the Re- 

 gister, especially those of the marl and lime- stone 

 regions of the stale. The facts are these, that 

 in a field of wheat (the last harvest) which was 

 very much injured by the rust, two small spaces 

 escaped entirely, the straw being bright and clean 

 and the grain plump. On one of these spaces a 

 limekiln was burned in the year 1810; since 

 which lime the field had been frequently crop- 

 ped. On the other, the ashes from a distillery-, 

 had been deposited lor several years ; the distillery, 

 however, had not been in operation for 7 or 8 

 years. These spaces were, in all respects, treated 



