Vol. X — N 



AND HOilTICULTUIlAL JOURNAL. 



53 



Krciii Ihe Lowell Journal. 



We ask attention to ti.e following ooininuTiica- 

 tion, it beiiik; the first of a series on tlie SilU Man- 

 ufHClure, I'lirnisliiMJ ns liy an iiitullii;eiit gentleman 

 of this viciiiily, ulio has ilevoieil much time to tin- 

 subject, and is |ire|iariiig to go largely into the cul- 

 tivation of f|i(! iniilherry tree. It is hoped that the 

 farmers in this region will follow fiis exain|de, and 

 capitalists will afford the means for the estahlish- 

 mcnt oftlie silk niatinfaclure in this town. There 

 can be no ilonlu, we apprehenJ, that it would be 

 a prolitable liinil of juanufaeture. 



SILK MANUFACTURE. 



NO. I. 



Mr K.\owlton — If you think it will he useful 

 or nmnsiiig to your readers, please to publish the 

 following letter; and I will cominimicate other 

 extracts from the writings of the same gentleman, 

 with occasional remarks. Mr D'llomergue is now 

 in Philadelphia, but will retinn to France next 

 Spring, unless the government, or individuals, 

 shall give him a reasonable compensation for the 

 Talualile infortnation he possesses relative to the 

 cultiu'e and manufacture of silk. Me is the only 

 person, at present in the Uniteil States, who is ac 

 quainted with every branch of the business, not 

 only in the manufacture of the silk, but in the cul- 

 tivation of mulberry trees, raising silk worms, and 

 producing cocoons. If \ve omit this opportunity 

 of obtaining the requisite inrormation, it may be 

 many years before we shall bring into market this 

 new and valuable production, which must at 

 some future time, becotne a great staple of this 

 country. 



Washington, February 23, 1831. 



Sir: — The ^ bill for promoting the growth and 

 manufacture of silk' having been reported by the 

 Committee on Agricidtnre, several members of 

 the Congress have, in consequence, asked of me 

 some information as to the productiveness and 

 relative value of this branch of industry. I take 

 the liberty. Sir, to submit to you the following 

 facts in reply, which I respectfully pray^you to 

 communicate to the honorable House over which 

 you preside. 



In one acre of land there are 43,560 square 

 feet, on which may be planted 3000 mulberry 

 trees. Th^se will yield, at the age of seven 

 years, 90,000 pounds of leaves, producing 7,-500 

 pounds of cocoons. At twenty-five cents per 

 pound, these cocoons would sell for $1,375. 



These facts. Sir, are deemed sufficient to prove 

 the superior profits to be derived from the culture 

 of silk. — I may be allowed to add, that, in the 

 space of seven years, from 1S21 to 1829, France 

 and England imported raw silk to the amount of 

 §340,000,000. In proof of this enormous im- 

 portation, the documents are now in the Library 

 of Congress. 



I have the honor to be, with great respect. Sir, 

 Your very liunible and oliedient servant, 

 J. D'HOMERGUE. 



To the Hon. Andrew Stevenson. 



Speaker of the House of Representatives. 



We are gratifie<i to learn, from a gentleman who 

 has recently considted Mr D'Homergue, that he is 

 willing to come to Lowell and erect all the neces- 

 sary machinery for reeling the silk from the 

 cocoons, and preparing it for the loom, whenever 

 the quantity produced will justify tlie expense. 

 When sufficient encouragement shall be offered, 

 either by the Government or individuals, he will 



open a schocjl for the instruction of such persons at times raised a hue and cry of 



as may wish for the information in the art and 

 mystery of all branches of this prolitable business- 

 Several gentlemen in this vicinity are planting ex- 

 tensive mu'series of mulberry trees, and we have 

 reason to believe, that sufficient quantities of co- 

 coons will be produced, in two years, to justify the 

 erection of a filature at this place. 



The process of raising mulberry trees is extreme- 

 ly simple, and instead of injuring them by 

 iranplanting, they are improved and will grow 

 infjre rapidly than such as are left in the seed bed. 

 Till! dwarf or biisli mulberry, which is very 

 productive and prolitable, will grow upon a light 

 sandy soil, that is not suitable for the cultivation 

 of other plants. On such land the seed should be 

 soweil in April, or early iu May, and if the groimd 

 could have a dressing of muck from swamps or 

 mi'adows, before the seed is planted, it will yield 

 more bountifully. One ounce of seed on five 

 square rods of land will be as much as can con- 

 veniently be cultivated ; and if they are intended to 

 be transplanted, when one year old, the rows may 

 be eighteen inches apart ; but if they are intended 

 to remain in the seed rows, they sliould be three 

 feet apart. Nothing should be planted between 

 the rows, for ii will be profitable to pass a light 

 plough, or small barrow, between them, for the 

 purpose of removing tlie weeds, and keeping the 

 ground in good order. In two years from the 

 time i!ie seed is planted, the leaves will be fit for 

 use. Several gentlemen in this vicinity will have 

 thirty or forty thousand young trees to sell next 

 spring, at a very moderate price, to any persons, 

 who are disposed to try expeiiments. V. 



B O S T O N I A N S.. 



It appears that the Bostonians have it in' con- 

 templation to ornament their city, by forming an 

 experimental garden in its immeiliate vicinity, in 

 which are to be made such experiments in Agri- 

 culture and Hiirticultnre, as shall be thought use- 

 ful to the community at large. When we consid- 

 er what the pe'iple of tlia' place have already done 

 towards advancing the character and interests of 

 the Uiiite<l Stat 'S, it ought to excite more emula- 

 tion than we see manifested at present by the in- 

 habitants of other states. With a climate anrl 

 soil less favorable to agricultural pursuits than 

 many of the more southern or middle states ; more 

 curtailed in the facilities for manufacturing, when 

 we take into consideration the natural productive- 

 ness of the soil in the immediate vicinity of her 

 water privileges, anil the amount of water-power 

 which is at her command ; we are struck with 

 astonishment at her performances, and the inqui- 

 ry Miiturally presents itself, ' what sort of people 

 are these Bostonians ?' History with her records 

 will answer to the present, as well as to future 

 ages, ' they aie the people who dared to risk' 

 their ' lives, their fortunes, and their sacred hon- 

 ors,' in the cause of liberty, — they are the peo- 

 ple who formed the front-rank, when the despotic 

 and combined powers of Europe threatened us 

 with annihilation, and they are the peo|)le, who 

 with a parent's care, have unceasingly nursed and 

 cherished the tree of liberty by introducing man- 

 ufactures, and facilitating agriculture and the arts. 

 And they are the people, who, (notwitlistanding 

 the cry of nullifiers against the yankees and their 

 notions) remain caterers and bankers of these 

 United States. 



The success attending their honest industry has 



envy against 

 them from some of her sister slates, which she, 

 Willi true philosophy, has passed unheeded, know- 

 ing it to be the weakest jjassion which degrades 

 our natures. They have been the constant en- 

 couragers of commerce, and their ships are to be 

 found from ' India to llie Poles.' But it is in re- 

 gard to their iin[)rovemeiits in Agriculture .and 

 Horticulture, lliat we would more particularly no- 

 tice them at this lime. There can be named a 

 certain number of gentlemen, in ihe immediate vi 

 ciiiity of Boston, who have ilone, ;ind are still con- 

 tinuing to do, more for the advancement of these 

 sister art.s, than the same number fnnn any oiher 

 or all our sea port towns together. As their ves- 

 sels traverse every so.a, their opportunities are 

 great for making collections from the animal and 

 vegetable kingdoms ; nor are those opportunities 

 neglected. Nor are they collected with a miser- 

 like intention of being hoarded up. for the special 

 enjoyment of the individual, but distributed with 

 a liberality bespeaking the nobleness of the intent. 

 The cities of Europe had long been visited by 

 plagues, and sweeping desolations, wlien the in- 

 dependent genius of Bonaparte, determined on 

 removing the causes, (which were acknowledged 

 10 be accuinnlated quantities of putrefying animal 

 matter, collected in the burying grounds in large 

 cities) so far as was within his power. Accord- 

 ingly those in the city of Paris were removed ; the 

 bones were deposited in the catacombs, and the 

 earth replaced with soil, free from contagion. A 

 new biiiial ground was laid out on the east side 

 of ilie city, and without the walls, whicii, from 

 the diversified and elevated surface, as well as for 

 the tasle in arranging, has become one of the most 

 entertaining places in the vicinity of Paris if we 

 except the garden of |)lants. 



The Bostonians have now conceived the idea of 

 combining all that is interesting in these two places 

 of notoriety, and also of adding a third, which 

 shall render their contemplated improvements, 

 equal to anything that Europe can boast of, of 

 the kind, viz : that of having combined a Rural 

 Cemetery, a Botanic garden, and an Experimental 

 fiirm. Should they succeed in this, Boston will bo 

 rendered altogether the most interesting city in Ihe 

 United States. Now we hope that other towns 

 will consider the importance of making public im- 

 provements, and be up and doing. There is 

 scarcely a large town in the United Stales, but 

 what has neglected two things, which are indis- 

 pensable for the health of the population, viz : 1st 

 to secure, and keep open as public property, a 

 siifhcient number of squares for the accommoda- 

 tion of families where tliej' may send their nurses 

 with their small children, and have them safe from 

 the common harm of crowded streets. 2dly. 

 To locale proper places for the Imrial of the dead, 

 at such a distance from the populous part of the 

 town as shall render them free from the effects of 

 the pestilential effluvia, ai ising from putrefactive 

 animal matter. We should naturally suppose that 

 after such a sweeping sickness as New York was 

 visited with, a few years since, which undoubtedly 

 originated at one of their cemeleries, that not one 

 of these depositories would be left within the pre- 

 cincts of a city. But such is the fact, and should 

 the worthily citizens of Boston persevere in their 

 calculations, in regard to their intended cemetery, 

 they will give us another example of their steady 

 perseverance in the march of improvement. — 

 Genesee Farmer. 



