98 



The Mnlherrr 



Vol.. HI. 



in this vicinitv, and have devoted the two last 

 years with close application practically to the 

 culture of the morus multicaulis and rearinj!^: 

 the silk worm. ' 



Second. — " What species of moms do you I 

 deem preferable, and what kind o' soil mils 

 it best"!" I have taken much interest durintr 

 the last few years in comparino' the relative 

 qualities of the different mulberries; and at 

 present I know of none I deem preferable to 

 the morus multicaulis for this and the more 

 southern latitudes for the silk business. The 

 Alpine, the Canton, and the Brusa, are ex- 

 cellent species, and may be well adapted to 

 the more northern latitudes; but they are 

 clowcr of orrowth, and less productive of foli- 

 age. Most of the different species I have 

 seen, which are fourteen or fifteen varieties, 

 require four or five years prowfh before hav- 

 inar much foliage to part with ; but the mul- 

 ticaulis will yield a large quantify the first 

 year's growth without injury to the tree, and 

 tfi eaten with great avidity by the silk worm. 

 The mulberry that is most productive of 

 hmt is less productive of foliage. The mul- 

 ticaulis produces very little fruit, and is nr;t 

 jften grown from the seed. It will flourish 

 ivell on all soils where the peach tree does. 

 To select a location on which to plant a field 

 for the silk business, I would prefer undula- 

 ting grounds, having a deep mellow loam, 

 and mixed with sand and gravel sufficient to 

 prevent the soil from baking or crusting. 



Third. — " What is the best mode of propa- 

 gating, planting, and managing it?" After 

 having the ground made mellow, lay out the 

 field in rows about four feet apart, and the 

 surest mode, by taking one season with ano 

 ther, is to lay the trees down full length and 

 cover deep enough to keep moist. The time 

 for planting in this latitude, I think, will be 

 during the first and second weeks in April, 

 in common seasons. By planting a field of 

 mulberries in this mode they must be taken 

 up in the autumn, as they will stand too near 

 each other to remain in the ground. But to 

 plant a field of mulberries not to be taken up 

 in the fall, my views are to lay out the rows 

 about five feet apart, and plant, in the rows, 

 roots or cuttings two feet apart, and in the 

 autumn take up every other tree in the rows, 

 leaving them standing four feet apart; the re- 

 mainder to have the tops cut off near the 

 ground in the fall. The following spring, 

 many shoots from each stump will start up 

 with vigor, and produce abundance of foliage, 

 and easy to be gathered. Where the field 

 is large, I think every filth row may be omit- 

 ted and not planted, but used as a passage 

 for a cart or wagon in which to trans- 

 port the foliage to the cocoonery. Our ex- 

 periments made this season has proved the 

 feoeibility, that mulberries treated in the 



above manner will fulfil the most sanguine 

 anticipation.^. 



Fowrth. — " W^hat is the value, expense and 

 profit, on nn ncrp of mn'bf rrii s :br the firnt 

 five years inclusive .'" To answer tfli^■ it will 

 require some philosophical speciihiti(.n.^, as 

 the feeding of silk worms from rn ucr^ of 

 niulticnulis of four or five years' growth, has 

 not been done by me, or un<ier my obs-f-rva- 

 tion. At the rate of fitly pounds reeled silk 

 to the acre has been proaiicod from tlie firt-t 

 year's growth of trees. But from an acre 

 planted in the manner I have de^cribed, 

 thirty pounds the first year will be a fair pro- 

 duction, and by leaving the roots in tlie 

 ground and pruning the tops in the autumn, 

 I deem it not extravugant to estimate one hun- 

 dred pounds reeled silk ye;irly on an average, 

 the four succeeding years wfler the fir^t year's 

 growth of tree.--. After the cocconerict ar.d 

 fixtures for feedinir are prepai e<l, v> e cr.n feed 

 the silk worms and reel the silk at an expt pj^^e 

 not over two dollars and fifty ct^nts per prund, 

 and it is then worth from ibur dollars and fiCty 

 cents to six dollars a pound to themanuiiiClu- 

 rer. 



Fifth. — "What kind of worm do you con- 

 sider the most valuable?" At present I 

 know of none I prefer to the white nuim- 

 motli worm so called, but we have a kind th;tt 

 spins a large yellow cocoon, and is a vory 

 good kind. The silk of the white is worth 

 most. We have a kind called the two crop 

 kind, as it can be re-produced the Siime year, 

 but they spin a small cocoon. 



Sixth. — *' \\ hat help does it require to 

 rai.'e one hundred pounds of silk V it re- 

 quires a person having experience to lake 

 charge of the feedii'g, who can manate du- 

 ring the first week nlone aiter tlie worms 

 hatch, and the second week a boy or girl will 

 be wanted to pick leaves, and aiter tlmt anri- 

 ther person, equal to a full hand, will be all 

 that will be required to finish the crop, which 

 will be about three hundred thousand in num- 

 ber. By this calculation I cxpf ct the c(-c< on- 

 ery to be convenient to the mulberry fielil. — 

 It requires two hands to chtiiige the worms 

 dexterously, but they can attend to that in 

 the morning when the dew will be upon the 

 leaves, and to gathering the foliage atler the 

 dew shall disappear. A stork of leaves will 

 always be wanted licl()re hand, lest there 

 should be rainy weather, when they cannot 

 gather them. 



Seventh. — " What buildings, fixtures, &c, 

 are necessary in this latitude to raL-^e one hun- 

 dred pounds of silk?" Common rough made 

 buildings will answer well to feed in. I have 

 seen a couunon barn used as a cocoonery, and 

 the silk worms do exceedingly w ell. They 

 like a gentle current of fresh air to keep them 

 healtlifuL The fixtures &c., such as we have 



