No. 5. 



Murus ISIuIticanlls. 



157 



To the Kdilor of the Farmers' Cabinol. 



Enquiries relative to the Mulberry. 



Sir — Can any of your subscribers or cor- 

 respondents inform nie how innny mulberry 

 trees it takes to supply a million of silk- 

 worms; how old the trees should be before 

 they are fit to feed from, and how many 

 such trees will grow on an acre of rrronnd ? 

 [ am one amon<rst the many who wish to 

 smbark in the silk business, judtrinij from 

 present appearances that it will be, in the 

 jourse of a very iew years, as much of a 

 staple business as the cotton fjrowin<j is at 

 ;he present time, but a much more profitable 

 jne. 1 have had the views of several on the 

 subject, but wishini^ to s^o into it lar<rely, am 

 lesirous of getting- the best information on 

 ;he subject. I have been informed that to 

 'eed a million of worms I must have at least 

 ;en thousand trees, which will require about 

 Dne acre of ground ; but, if a person wishes 

 enter the silk business, it would be hardly 

 .vorth his while to turn his whole attention 

 a million of worms, for the trouble, would 

 )e almost the same as ten times the number. 

 Vow I should suppose that those who enter 

 .he business would at least like to raise from 

 wenty to fifty million; therefore, if I wish 

 o raise twenty million, I must first raise 

 ,wo liundred thousand trees, which would 

 )ccupy twenty acres of ground. This ap- 

 jears at first to be, to one who has never 

 aised worms, a wild calculation ; but, wild 

 IS it is, I believe it is nevertheless true ; 

 )ut, how does it pay 1 why it pays better 

 han any crop that can be raised on a farm. 

 Twenty millions of worms will make at least 

 iix thousand pounds of raw silk when 

 wound, which is worth four dollars per 

 jound, which would be 821,000 ; the cost 

 "or raising would be about $2.50 per pound, 

 A'hich would be $15,000, leaving a balance 



t)f $'J,000 clear profit, which is much more 

 han I could ever realize on a farm of two 

 lundred acres. This calculation, 1 admit, is 

 several years in advance of the times, owing 

 o the scarcity of trees, for suppose, for in- 

 itance, that in each of our twenty-six states 

 here should be but twenty companies or in- 

 lividuals that should enter into the business, 

 and this I think but a very reasonable siippo- 

 iition) how many trees would they require to 

 eed but 20,000,000 each, of worms ? At 10, 

 )00 each it would recjuire for each state four 

 nillion, and for the twenty-six states one 

 mndred and four million. Again, how 

 nany trees have been raised in the United 

 iJtates the present year ? From the inquiries 

 [ have made I have as yet been unable to 

 ind more than two million ; not snfficient to 

 mpply a single state. Again, from mis- 

 nanagement, how many will be lost during 

 ;he present winter ] Should none be lost, 



(which would be wondrous strange,) how 

 many would the whole two million raise 1 

 If they average ten each, (which they will 

 not) they would amount to twenty million; 

 a small supply for one-fiflh of the states. 1 

 give you my ideas, based upon the inquiries 

 that 1 have made, and hope that some of your 

 readers may enlighten me more upon the 

 subject, and convince some of your corres- 

 pondents that, although I wish to enter into 

 the silk business and raise mull)erry trees, I 

 am no gambler. A Subscribku. 



Bucks, Dec. 4ih, 1833 



Things to be Remembered, 



Winter is coming ; — the long files of wild 

 geese on their way to the " sunny south," 

 long since foretold its approach ; and the 

 fleecy flakes have already heralded its ad- 

 vent. Ready, or unready, it will soon be 

 upon us; and much of our prosperity as 

 farmers, and our comfort as individuals, is 

 depending on the preparation we are making, 

 or have made, to meet it. The man has lit- 

 tle pretension to the character of a good 

 farmer, who has not already made anipla 

 provision for his flocks and his herds; and 

 prepared in-door and out, for the wants and 

 comforts of his family ; such will not be of- 

 fended if reminded of things by them already 

 anticipated, while the heedless and the 

 negligent need continual prompting to keep 

 up with the months. 



It should be remembered that an animal 

 in high order the first of December is al- 

 ready half wintered. The quantity of food re- 

 quired to keep such an animal in good heart 

 through the winter, and bring him outsmart 

 and active in the spring, is much less than 

 when he is poor in the fall, and the danger 

 of loss is reduced to the lowest possible rate. 

 See then that your stock is in good condi- 

 tion. 



It should be remembered that an animal 

 provided with a good warm stable or bed, 

 will, to winter equally well, require only 

 three-fourths of the food necessary for one 

 that runs at large and is exposed to the se- 

 verity of the weather. Never undertake to 

 tat an animal, without first making it com- 

 fortable. Much is annually lost by neglect- 

 ing this precaution. 



It should be remembered that where grain 

 is fed to stock, cooking it will cause it to 

 afford at least one-fourth more nourishment 

 than if given raw. Grinding aids its nutri- 

 tive effect materially ; but cooking, as by 

 steaming, still more. Thus it has been found 

 by actual experiment, that half a bushel of 

 corn, ground into meal and made into pud- 

 ding, is equal in effect to three pecks, fed 

 to swine in the usual way, a saving of no 



