183G.] 



F A R ?.I E R S ' REGISTER 



285 



'a\vs7 Would he infer that we were almost en- 

 tirely an nirricultunil people? or, would he incline 

 to think us a conununity ofliiigant speculators and 

 traders? 



If our fathers have prodiiiall}" dissipated the ibr- 

 tility ot" our lands, yet, skill and industry liavo 

 power to restore if. All the other bountiful j^ifts of 

 Providence still remain to us; and their great value 

 is daily made more nianilt3st. Lon": experience 

 and the example of other communities prove, that 

 Ihc means and enterjjrisc of scattered individuals 

 are insutiicienf, promptly, to developc the advanta- 

 ges of new improvements, and to change, in any 

 short period, the immemorial habits and practices 

 of a whole community. Hence, it is very impor- 

 tant, through the instrumentality of a Board of 

 j^gricullure, to concentrate, and then difl'use what- 

 ever valuable systems and practices that may ex- 

 ist in different parts of the State; and, by means ol' 

 an jIgricuUural Tour, collect and disseminate a 

 knowledge of those of our sister States. I grant 

 that much of this information might be .gathered 

 from periodical publications. Bnt it exists m such 

 detached scraps, mixed up with so much other 

 matter, that, if the materials were accessible to in- 

 dividuals, it would require much time and great 

 labor to collate and embody it in a usefiil form. 



A Board of Agriculture would bring Avith them 

 the results of their own experience as well as that 

 of the most successful husbandmen in their respec- 

 tive districts. Their own discussions and compa- 

 rison of opinions would elicit much light for the 

 benefit of the public; and they would be enabled to 

 recommend to the Legislature the wisest and most 

 beneficial enactments, both to "improve the prac- 

 tice and support the interests of agriculture." In 

 whatever light such a Board may be viewed, it 

 ecems to promise benefits that would justify its 

 establishment. Perhaps it may not be necessary 

 to keep it in existence more than a few years. 

 When it shall have stimulated and aided the Le- 

 gislature in doing something for the drooping inte- 

 rests of the cultivators of the earth; when it shall 

 have roused into active being, and given a proper 

 direction to a becoming zeal in the pursuits of hus- 

 bandry, its duties may well be superseded by a 

 State j/gricultural Socielij, under the inmiediate 

 ptitronage and support of the Legislature. That 

 each a society should be soon gotten up, need 

 hardly he here suggested. I think it only requires 

 to be proposed to ensure its organization the coming 

 winter. May not the failure of a similar attempt 

 heretofore, be ascribed to an improper organiza- 

 tion and the want of legal aid? At that thne the 

 spirit of improvement in every thing else had not 

 so far outstripped husbandrj', as at present; nor did 

 there exist so many urgent reasons to make exer- 

 tions to increase the respectability and profits of 

 the land owners, in order to keep them from mi • 

 grating. At that time we had no public journal 

 dedicated, like yours, to our uses, and calculated 

 to keep together and reflect the value of such an 

 association. When such a society shall be asain 

 organized, it is hoped that the officers and ma'na- 

 gers, and even its members will consist only of 

 actual and practical farmers. To place the chief 

 coiiduct of its afliairs in the hands of any other de- 

 scription of persons, however elevated, "by reputa- 

 tion lor talent, by office, or by private worth, is to 

 ensure its failure: to kill it, in the very act of its 

 birih! ^ 



Let it be remembered that the Agricultnral 

 Convention wliich met in Richmond last winter, 

 adjourned to jneei again, on the second Monday in 

 January next. It is expected that the friends of 

 this measure will take steps in time, to insure a 

 full meeting, and to embody as much zeal and tal- 

 ent as possible; and go prcj)ared to compare opin- 

 ions and act with union and energy. It ia con- 

 tended that the fiirmcrs and planters have a rio^ht 

 to demand that something should be done in their 

 behalf If the measures, to wliich I have so has- 

 tily and imperl(2ctly adverted, be not approved, 

 then, let better ones be substituted, having the 

 same great object in view. I am confidenTihat 

 such, when properly understood, will be gratefully 

 received by the whole agricultural community. 

 That community cannot be expected to acquiesce 

 much longer in delay and indifference; nor be sat- 

 isfied witli the poor excuse, that "nothing can be 

 done for their interest, more than by measures 

 that collaterally support it." But my confidence 

 in the patriotism of the Legislature, and in their 

 disposition to do any thing for the public good, 

 when they see clearly how it may be done, is such, 

 that I am sure the members will, between this, and 

 the time ol their meeting, reflect seriousl}- on, and 

 entjuire into, this vital subject, and be prepared to 

 legislate wisely and efficientl}- upon it. 



I am, very respectfijll}', yours, 



C. W. GOOCH. 



For tlie b'ainiers' Eegister. 

 ON THE USE OF THE OSAGE ORANGE (mA- 

 CLURA AURANTIACA) AS FOOD FOR SILK 

 WORMS. 



Some months ago the Farmers' Register con- 

 tained a translation of an interesting article by JM, 

 Bonafbus, giving the result of an experiment on 

 fijeding the silk worm on the leaves of the Ma- 

 dura. Although the authority of that gentleman 

 may be regarded as decisive on any matter coiv 

 nected with the culture of silk, yet as many sub- 

 stitutes for the mulberry have been successively 

 used and discarded, it was reasonable to suppose 

 the Madura might share the same fate. On trial 

 however, I find it to answer all the purposes for 

 which M. Bonafous recommended it; and as the 

 silk business is becoming an important branch of 

 industry of the United States, I am induced to de- 

 tail, in corroboration thereof, the result of my own 

 experiment. 



In the month of May, I had a kw thousand 

 eggs to hatch; and during the three first ages the 

 worms were fed exclusively on the leaves of the 

 Madura. At the commencement of the fourth 

 age, they were divided into several parcels, with a 

 view of giving to each a separate kind of food. 

 About one third were condnued on the same — the 

 native mulberry was given to an equal number — 

 a portion of" the balance was fed on the Madura 

 and Chinese mulberry indiscriminately — and the 

 remainder on the Chinese mulberry alone. Dur- 

 ing the pr'cess, I could not perceive that the 

 worms manifested any partiality between the 

 leaves of the Madura and those of the Chinese 

 mulberry: if they evinced any, it was certainly 

 not in fiivor of the latter. But they greatly pre- 

 ferred either to the leaves of the red mulberry, 

 some of which I would occasionally lay on the 

 shelves, where they would sufler them to remain 



