AND H O R T I CMJ L T U Ji A L 



m 



REGISTER. 





PU13LtSHED BY JOSEPH BKECK & CO., NO 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (Agricultoral Warehoose.) 



vol,. SIX.] 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 23, 1840. 



[NO. 25. 



N. E. FARMER, 



For the N. E. Farmer. 



TO SILK GROWERS. 



There has been great niismanagemeiit llie pre- 

 sent year, and some serious disappointments in the 

 tnaiiufacture of silk. Some, who intended to liave 

 made 100 or tnore pounds of silk, have fallen far 

 sliort of tlieir e.xpectations. While some have ricfr- 

 lected their trees or destroyed them, others have 

 neglected their silk worms' eirpfs, had them prema- 

 turely hatclicd, or, while nearly ready to hatch, 

 with the intention of retarding the Imtchinij, placed 

 them in the ice house, or other insecure place, by 

 which tliechangfe of temperature was so tjreat or so 

 long continued, as to endanger the health or vitali- 

 ty of the eggs. Iiroods winch were early brought 

 forward for feeding did well; but the after broods, 

 having been submitted to the retarding proces3 in 

 the ice house or refrigerator, were seriously injured. 

 Some did not hatch, and of those which did, so:ne 

 worms became feeble, diseased, soft, yellow, and 

 died ; and others lingering through several weeks, 

 or appearing well until the time of going up, would 

 then die ; or if able to commence the outskirts of 

 the cocoon, would then cease to wind, and like 

 poor little Robbin in the Woods, lie down and die, 

 in its visible shroud: and among a large crop, only 

 a few be able to make a perfect cocoon. Syi.ip- 

 toijis of disease may appear, even in lh(.' e.irly sta- 

 ges, when negligently orimpropeily fed, but when 

 well fed in the early stages with chopped leaves, 

 they have done well. The six weeks worm, when 

 fed two weeks with chopped leaves, finished their 

 cocoons, or went up, in twcntyfive days. Thou- 

 sands of worms have been snfl'ocated and destroyed 

 bv covering therewith large flaccid leaves. In the 

 early stages of feeding, when the worms wander 

 about and begin to Fpin a web under their feet, you 

 may calculate ou a weak and feeble insect; and if 

 the worm is taken up or removed, it may be found 

 so closely attached to its netting that before it can 

 be separated, a leg may be drawn out, a watery 

 sub.-itance follow, and the worm perish. Although 

 tlie season, or other adverse causes, have so ope- 

 rated that eggs and worms liave disappointed the 

 expectation, let no one bo discouraged from further 

 trial. Provided the farmer's crop of grain should 

 fail one year, does ho neglect to try again.' And 

 why not be as sagacious in the silk cause? The 

 silk crop is as sure as any other. Will the cotton 

 planler neglect liij cotfon field next year becauie 

 the worm has committed such ravages the present 

 year? and why should not the silk-grower do the 

 same ? 



Could all the t'acts of the treatment and manage- 

 ment with the eggs of the silk-worm he known, it 

 is believed that one great cause of failure might be 

 traced to mismanagement or attempt to retard the 

 hatching for a late crop and a market for tlie eggs. 

 The too sudden exposure to great lieat or cold is 

 prejudicial to the eggs, especially if the eggs are 

 raised from worthless cocoons. 



The ice-house or refrigerator if not so safe as a 



deep well with or without water, where the tempe- 

 rature is much the same, winter and summer. 



One person, from 100,000 egg.s had less than 

 100 worms which even attempted to wind, and not 

 lialf of them were worth reeling: the others per- 

 ished by the way The person who had charge of 

 them is not disconraged, but ijaving discovered the 

 cause of failure, which was in the ice house, he is 

 determined upiui going ahead, and hopes to avoid a 

 similar occurrence 



One person this year has been experimenting 

 upon one quarter of an acre of mulberries, with the 

 view of testing Mr McLean's exoeriment of last 

 year, and also to convince his incredulous neigh- 

 bors. He will probably have 9 to 12 1-2 pounds 

 of raw silk from that one quarter of an acre, worth 

 .*.5 per lb., say .$.50; whereas if the same land had 

 been planted with oorn, ho might have had 7 bush- 

 els at 75 cents — .4.5 25 ; or if with wheat, might 

 have had enorgli to make one barrel of flour worth 

 $G 25. It costs no more to transport a pound of 

 silk to market, worth five dollars, than a pound of 

 flour, worth four cents ; and while it requires at 

 least sir monlh.i to mature a crop of wheat for the 

 market, sir n'eel;s are sufficient for a crop of silk : 

 and after deducting every possible expense between 

 the culture of a grain and a silk crop, is not the 

 difl^rence of profit so far superior as to encourage 

 some passing notice of silk, and especially when 

 an inferior soil is adapted to the growth of the mul- 

 berry ? S. 



Mr H. Colman — Dear Sir — I forwarded you, 

 sometime since, a circular for ecdloction of facts, 

 respecting the silk business, raising cocoons, &c., 

 and having received several answers, at leisure 

 may forward you souie of them. Previous to the 

 above circular, I had submitted written questions 

 to several persons friendly to the silk culture, for 

 their experience, opinion, ifec. The questions pro- 

 posed were the following' : 



No.]. What kind of mulberry do yon consider 

 the best for freiling, to produce the must and best 

 silk ? 



2. What kinil of silk worms do you prefer, to 

 produce the most and best silk? 



3. Do the two-crop worn.s make as much and as 

 good silk as the one-crop ? 



4. Have you crossed the different breeds, and 

 with what success r 



.5. Do you consider it necessary to feed as regu- 

 larly during tho night as by day? 



6. What is the cost of making raw silk, sewing 

 silk, from cocoons of your own raising ? 



7. What is the average number of cocoons to 

 the pound of Ki oz., and how many pounds for a 

 pound of siik ? 



8. How much foliage for a pound of silk ? Is 

 there any difference of quality in the foliage of dif- 

 ferent trees of the same age ? 



9. The size of yoi r cocoonery ; how many worms 

 can be fed ; what alteration should you propose? 



10. Do you prefer shelves or hurdles for feeding, 

 and what accommodation for winding ? 



11. At what distance should trees be planted 



for a permanent plantation ? 



12. Vowr opinion of the ultimate success of the 

 silk business and the best means to promote it? 



13. How many trees for an acre of land, pur- 

 posely for feeding worms? 



14. Your opinion of taking up and resetting ev- 

 ery spring ; and whether by use of the spade or 

 the plough ? 



15. The dilferenco of expense of planting, culti- 

 vating', gathering and securing an acre of mulberry, 

 corn, or potatoes ? 



16. The difference in the quantity of foliage the 

 first year, from planting roots or cutting buds ' 



17. ilow many cocoons to a thread, designed 

 for ladies dresses, sewing silk or vesting? 



To the above inquiries the answers were at va 

 riance with each other, probably from local causes. 

 Several to whom application was made, have not 

 returned a written answer: some said they were 

 incompetent to do it — had not kept a silk journal • 

 others could not find time. But all were decidedly 

 of the opinion that the 12th question could be an- 

 swered atliruiatively. Of the same opinion arc in- 

 telligent gentlemen who are not silk growers, that 

 the silk business ivill ullimately succeed. There 

 are, however, some cynics who will condemn every 

 thing which does not originate with themselves. 



Sine;? the tree mania has met with a collapse, 

 the silk business has begun to assume a healthy 

 condition, which, by individual exertion, perseve- 

 rance and governmental protection, bids fair to be- 

 come one of the great staples of our country. The 

 present year has been the experiment year, to test 

 the practicability of growing the article merely, 

 without much regard to> the profit. There is much 

 yet to he learned in rrjgard to the best and most 

 economical mode of f *ding' and reeling. But to 

 promote the culture or' growing of silk, until we 

 sliall have arrived at more perfection than at pro- 

 sent, it will be highly necessary to have the en- 

 couragement and bounty in some shape continued 

 a few years more. 



Wishing to preserve on the society's files the 

 originals, I shall foj-ward you copies of Mr Hun- 

 tington's communication and perhaps some others, 

 to be at your disposal 



The exhibition of silk at our late show, wrought 

 upon the domestic reel and wheel, was very en- 

 couraging, and showed the practicability of every 

 family making their own common sewings. The 

 silk hosiery made from floss and perforated cocoons, 

 were a substantial article. People are beginning 

 to appreciate the legitimate use of the silk tree. 



There have been made only partial returns in 

 answer to the silk circulars. Returns have been 

 made from only 23 towns out of Gfi: from Belcher- 

 town 22; Northampton, Easthainpton, Hadley and 

 Sunderland, 10 each; Amherst 18; Williamsburg 

 13; Whately and Conway 8 each ; Springfield 6; 

 Longmendow, Leyden, Greenfield, Soatli Hadley, 

 Chesterfield, Goshen, Hatfield and Southampton 

 2 each ; Deerileld 5 ; Leverctt .-md Rowo one each ; 

 Ware has several whoso names were not returned ; 



