250 



THE FARMERS CABINET. 



VOL. I. 



before liiin, he walks over the field, agitating 

 the box by his hand if it requires more move- 

 ment than it receives from his walk. In this 

 manner the seed is equally scattered over all 

 the ground. 



If thought necessary, a poice of wood may 

 be hooked on the bottom of the box, to pre- 

 vent the seed dropping ou^ before the sowing 

 commences. The box may be made of light 

 cedar, and not weigh more than six or eiglit 

 pounds without the seed. 



[At the request of many of our subscribers 

 who commenced taking tlie Cabinet the first 

 of the present year, we republish the foregoing 

 illustration and description of a Clover Box, 

 from the 8th number of the present volume. 

 We have heard it highly recommended by 

 gentlemen of intelligence who have tried it, 

 and found it to answer all their expectations. 

 One of the first farmers in a neighboring state 

 assures us that he would not be without this 

 Clover Box for twenty times its cost.] 



Culture o€ Silk— Fabricatiouof 

 Beet Sugar. 



We have on file several interesting 

 articles on the culture of Silk, in its 

 various branches, and the fabrication 

 of Sugar from the Beet Root. We 

 defer them, however, until the next 

 and succeeding numbers of the Ca- 

 binet in order to lay before our readers 

 the following report submitted to the 

 Legislature of Nev/ Jersey, by a com- 

 mittee appointed by that body to in- 

 quire into the expediency of protecting 

 and encouraging the culture of Silk 

 and the manufacture of Beet Sugar in 

 the state of New Jersey. Several of 

 our subscribers, residing in New Jer- 

 sey, have requested its publication in 

 the Cabinet. We cheerfully com.ply 

 with the request — and we commend 

 the report to the attention of our read- 

 ers in all sections of the Union, as 

 containing matter of general interest. 



The right and duty of the legislature to sus- 

 tain and promote the agricultural interests of the 

 community, except in the prohibited mode de- 

 signated in the national compact, cannot be de- 

 nied. The exercise of tliis unquestioned right, 

 in fostering those arts, which contribute to the 

 wealth, population and political importance of 

 the community, is frequently necessary to sup- 

 port them in their infancy, and has always been 

 deemed proper, just and politic. It will be uni- 

 versally conceded, that if the culture of silk and 

 manufacture of beet sugar, can bo successfully 

 prosecuted in our state and country ; they con- 

 stitute interests, well justifying legislative pro- 



1 tection and encouragement. The now eminently 

 successful manufacture of silk and sugar in Eu- 

 rope, in comparison with the feeble efforts of 

 those who were instrumental in their introduc- 

 tion, renders it sure and certain that these two 

 articles will be two of the greatest agricultural 

 interests in the state and nation. The com- 

 mencement of the manufacture of silk at Con- 

 stantinople, by means of the introduction of the 

 eggs of the silk worm, in hollow canes of two 

 missionary monks from China, in connexion 

 with the comparatively limited knowledge of the 

 modes of profilablyusing the productions of these 

 interesting insects, and the feeble beginning of 

 the manufacture of beet sugar in Prussia, lead 

 irresistably to the conclusion, that the hopes 

 of the enterprising and patriotic friends of these 

 two branches of industry in our country, are 

 not the fanciful creations of an excited imagina- 

 tion, but based on good and sufficient grounds. 

 The establishment and profitable prosecution 

 of the manufacture of silk and sugar in other 

 countries, with climates similar to ours, added 

 to the admitted enterprise and industry of our 

 own fellow citizens, are, it is deemed, sufficient 

 guaranties, with proper protection, to ensure 

 with us a like successful result, and impart con- 

 fidence in the sentiment entertained by so many 

 valuable citizens that they will become two of the 

 staple products of the northern and middle states. 

 Let no individual question these fondly cherished 

 anticipations, who reflects that fifty years ago 

 the great southern staple was unknown among 

 American productions. That it was then not 

 known that cotton would grow in any part of 

 our American soil. That in the year 1791 there 

 were but two hundred thousand pounds of cotton 

 exported, and that the export of this article now 

 amounts to nearly four hundred millions o) 

 pounds annually. That " the first cotton sup- 

 posed to be of American growth, brought tc 

 New-York for foreign export, it is said, came 

 from Savannah in the year 1792, and consisted 

 of only two bags." That then its productior 

 was limited to one state, while it has now be- 

 come the staple of seven states, regulating b\ 

 its price the value of most other productions o 

 our whole country, and supplying, in addition ti 

 our own great and increasing demand, two third: 

 of all that is used in foreign climes. Let m 

 enterprising citizen hesitate in arriving at : 

 favorable belief on these important subjects, am 

 carrying his faith into practice, who remembers 

 that as late as the year 1803, the productior 

 of sugar from the cane had only commenced ir 

 Louisiana, and that it has increased so rapidly, 

 as to furnish sixty millions of pounds annually 

 and will, it is confidently believed, in a shor 

 period, with the anticipated products of the sugai 

 beet of the north, furnish not only a supply foi 

 the whole population of the nation, but consti 

 tute one of the valuable staple exports of th« 

 United States. These things demonstrate, tha 

 native ingenuity, enterprise, industry, and per 

 severance, ore not surpassed in any other country 



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