308 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



APRIL 4, 1838. 



AGRICULTURAL MEETING. 



The Ilamplisliire, FniiiUlin ainl lliim|i(leii Agri- 

 cultural Society, lield their animal ineetiiifr, March 

 14th, for the choice of officers, and to award |)re- 

 iniiims on raw and man-tfiHured Sill: ; Potatoes 

 from the seed ; Suser f'oi" <ii« Keet, and on Re- 

 claimed Land. The Committee were presented 

 with regular applications, certificates and articles 

 for inspection. 



Mr Timothy Smith exhibited his raw and man- 

 ufactured silk of the last year's growth, on wliich 

 the Society had offered premiums. 5 dollars be- 

 ing the highest premium, was awarded to hiiri on 

 raw silk, and 3 dollars for manufactured silk. 



He has a nursery of about 2500 white mulberry 

 trees, six years old, set in hedge rows, upon half 

 an acre of ground, from which he gathered foli- 

 age to make 20 lbs. of silk, for which he must 

 have fed ab.uit 60,000 worms, and used 2000 lbs. 

 of white mulberry leaves, erpial to 1 1-4 pound of 

 foliage from each tree. 'I'he after foliage fr(,.n 

 the same nursery, was sufficient to have doubled 

 the quantity of silk, and makeover 50 lbs. of silk, 

 if he had worms sufficient, and had known how to 

 have kept the eggs from hatching until wanted. 

 Fifty pounds of silk would have been worth three 

 hundred dollars, from which deduct two dollars 

 per pound, the whole expense of growing the silk 

 and there would be left a clear profit of two hun- 

 dred dollars for the half acre. But if he ha<l fed 

 from half an acre of .Multicaulisaml the varieties, 

 even of one year's growth, he might have ma le 

 not less than 60 lbs. of silk, as 80 lbs. of multi- 

 caulis for feeding worms, are considered equal to 

 100 lbs. of white nmlberry foliage. Hence the 

 advantage of cultivating the Chim^se mulberry, in] 

 preference to the Italian white, not only on ac- 

 count of requiring less amount of foliage, but also 

 on account of the facility of gnlhering the foliage ; 

 and, in a<ldition, they make handsomer silk. His 

 silk was of a better quality than could have been 

 anticipated at this time, and is an evidence that 

 the growing of silk is not so difficult and compli- 

 cated as has been supposed. As the quality and 

 value of silk depends on the perfection of reeling, 

 it cannot be <loubted another year will produce an 

 improved rtrticle. But if silk,, even of the quality 

 presented, can be made in families^, i« this inci- 

 pient stage of silk culture, and that too, by the 

 use of the white mulberry, when the Committee 

 have proof positive, that worms fed on a superior 

 kind of mulberry, have, and will produce silk of 

 more brilliancy and superior lustre, we may an- 

 ticipate that a few years more application to the 

 manufacture of silk, will render the old county of 

 Hampshire as famous for silk culture, as she has 

 ever been for her stall-fed beef; or as the south- 

 ern sections of the U. States have been for the 

 growing of cotton. 



Mr Smith estimates the whole expense of mak- 

 ing his silk at only two dollars the pound, and 

 hereafter expects lie can grow and make it at 

 $1,50 per pound, especially when he shall feed 

 upon his inulticaulis and varieties. 



The last year was a year of observation and ex- 

 periment from which have resulted important 

 facts in relation to the silk cause, some of which 

 have been, and others in due time will be com- 



nninic.ated. . ^ . > i 



To Mr Zachariah Wilder, the Society awarded 

 6 dollars, being the highest premium offered iii 

 Buccession 5 year.^ for the best ten bushels of po- 

 talpeg raised from the seed of (.otato balls, bemg 



the only method to recover or revive the genuine 

 potato when degenerated. This procj^ss demon- 

 strates what was the original shape of the potato, 

 fiotn the seed grown through a succession of 

 years. The potatoes exhiuited were the product 

 of seed of potato balls, obtained by planting se- 

 lected potatoes near together, to cross the varieties 

 if practicable ; among which were the rusty-coat, 

 hlue-noses, pink c^e, and foxite. The potatoes 

 exhibited were the sec( nd year's growth from the 

 s,!ed. There were not less than fifty distinct va- 

 rieties, from which were selected and cooked a 

 few of the best sorts, such as this day exhibited. 

 I'hey are of large size, in shape resembling the 

 kidney, pink-eye anil foxite potatoes ; and having 

 been cooked and tested by other competent judges, 

 are found to be as line a potato as can be desired 

 for the table. The inlrodncliou of such potatoes 

 as these, might very niucli diminish the use of 

 other bread stuffs. 



To Mr William Clark, Jr. the Society have 

 Hwarded the highest and only premium offered 

 for reclaimed land. The public hereafter may 

 expect a detailed statement of the process and re- 

 sults of his experiments and operations during the 

 last three years, according to the requirements of 



the Society. 



No claim was made for the Society's premium, 

 offered for the most sugar made from an acre of 



|,eets no one having cultivated so much land and 



made sugar therefrom. Yel, Dr Hall has ine- 

 seiited a sample, sufficient to convince any one, 

 thai the niauufactiire is practicable and easy,— 

 that it may be made a profitable business for the 

 old county of Hampshire. The Committee en- 

 jtertaiuthe most .sanguine expectations, that the 

 growing of silk and manufacture of beet sugar, 

 together with the ordinary resources, industry, 

 and iimiriug perseverance of the yeomanry of old 

 Haini.shire, that her sons will yet be as rich, 

 contented aud happy, in their ' father land,' as 

 they could have been had they gone to the ' far 

 west.' 



for one pound of silk. I have reeled a pound of 

 silk from less than 2000 cocoons, and one of my 

 neighbors has done the same. 



The most sure way to jirotect the roots of the 

 Miilticaulis and have them survive our coldest 

 vvinters, is in my opinion as follows : After taking 

 off' the leaves, (say from about the ICth to the 20th 

 of September, and before a hard frost) and while 

 the plants are green and growing, cut them down 

 near the ground, and slightly cover the stumps, to 

 keep them from the air. 



If this plan is followed, success is sure. So far 

 as I have had experience, it is the first frosts in 

 autumn which do the injury. 



My mode of planting out the trees is as fol- 

 lows : The land being well ploughed and har- 

 rowed, 1 strike out furrows four feet apart, puB 

 therein a. dressing of compost manure, and lay 

 down my trees the whole length, one after th» 

 other, and cover with earth. One man can planli 

 an acre in a day and have the work done well. — 

 The same amount of labor will be sufKcieiit to cui 

 and clear the ground in the autumn, and anolhei 

 day's work will cover all the stumps. To qncove; 

 the stumps in the spring, use the pronged hoe 

 then let the cultivator pass between the rows- 

 keep the ground clear of weeds and grass unti 

 the sprouts are about one foot in height. 



Silk-worms' eggs should be enclosed in glasi 

 bottles, corked so close as to exclude the air — dei 

 posited in the ice-house and on the ice, and man 

 be brought forth for hatching any time during th« 

 season of feeding. W. C. 



MULBKKRY FACTS. 

 Extract of a letter from a gentleman of great ex- 

 perieu'-'e in the cnllure of the mulberry, under 

 date of March 11, 1838, in reply to a variety of 

 quest^ions in relation to the subject of Silk Cul 

 ture, &c. : 



"That with proper culture and attention the 

 Multicaulis will einlure our winters, is a fact fully 

 established by my own experience. I have a large 

 number which arc now in a perfectly hardy state; 

 many of them have stood through three winters 

 unprotected, and are at present in all appearance, 

 uninjured. 



I have cultivated four distinct kinds, and with 

 equal damage by winter and early frosts,— and 

 have come to the conclusion that if the Multicau- 

 lis is cultivated with the same care and attention 

 as are the peach and apple, we shall have u plant 

 for the business of silk growing that has no su- 

 perior. 



1 obtained last year at the rate of 100 pounds of 

 silk to the acre of multicaulis trees. The present 

 year having better and more extensive accom- 

 modations, my operations will be on a larger scale. 

 Five tons of green leaves can be raised by layer 

 trees (to the acre) in this part of New England, 

 —and upon a large scale, 100 poun.ls of leaves, if 

 judiciously used, will feed 3000 worms, enough 



Remarks. — We esteem it a privilege to receive 

 communications from the experienced silk growe 

 and especially from those in whose opinions ar 

 practice and observations we have confidence.- 

 There are only few who have had the opportun 

 ties and experience of our correspondent, ar 

 whose opinions so well agree with the fi lends > 

 silk culture in this vicinity. 



We fear that there are not so many mulberri 

 under cultivation by hundreds of millions as oug 

 now to he growing in every State in the union, 

 enable silk growers to avail themselves of tl 

 bounty offered orto be ofli;red, and ensure to ther 

 selves the profits of one of the most encouragll 

 pursuits ever offered to an agricultural coramui 

 ty or which offers so ample return for the amou 

 of investment, — and besides, being a husint 

 which will not interfere with the ordinary rnuti 

 of farmers' work or crojis. Inspector. ' 



JVortharnpton Courier. 



The subjoined extract has been handed to 

 by an obliging friend. We were not unaware 

 the fact which it relates. Similar exarainatio, 

 have been made with respect to the roots of )l 

 diaii Corn ; and they have been traced a distai 

 of six feet below the seed. What nourishni' 

 they can find in the cold subsoil, it is beyond i 

 sagacity to determine m- even to guess; but tl 

 are themselves the best judges of what they 

 looking for. We have no doubt, for experiei 

 has well attested the fact, that if the subsoil co 

 be loosened thoroughly by such a plough a: 

 described in the Agricultural Coininissioner's f 

 Report, and made accessible to air and water s 



