31G 



Silk.- — Disease of the Potatoe. 



Vol. IX. 



will afford food for reflection to all, but more especially 

 to our younger readers, whose habits are being formed, 

 and who are perhaps scarcely aware of the practical 

 jniponance of the views here inculcated. We can as- 

 sure them, they come from one who practices what he 

 preaches, and whose daily habits afford a happy illus- 

 tration of his sentiments.— Ed. 



Silk. 



At a meeting of the New York Farmer's 

 Club on the 1st ult., President Tallmadge 

 said : " On the subject of silk, a few words. 

 In the first place, I venture to suggest that 

 it is the most interesting subject that could 

 be brought under the consideration of this 

 nation. Whether as it relates to our pros 

 perity, wealth, or national pride, it has no 

 equal. The question is often asked, why 

 has not silk yet been cultivated in America? 

 Ours was a new country: we were in no 

 condition to undertake it until recently. I 

 maintain that we are peculiar in our na- 

 tional advantages for the silk culture. No 

 country on the globe, except China, can 

 compete with the United States. 



The silk worm cannot exist but in warm 

 and dry climates. China and the United 

 States are both on the eastern sides of con- 

 tinents, and the prevailing winds pass from 

 the western board over great tracts of land 

 and mountains, and become dry before they 

 reach the United States on this continent, 

 or China, on the other; while the western 

 shores of Europe, receiving the humidity of 

 the ocean, are all more moist by much than 

 we are. On this subject of climate, as af- 

 fecting the silk worm, there is no country 

 except China and the United States, in 

 which the silk worm hatches without artifi- 

 cial means. The warmth of the bosom, or 

 some contrivance, is found indispensable 

 to the hatching, in all other countries. This 

 is a most extraordinary natural adaptation 

 for silk in America. We now have nume- 

 rous and various mulberry trees; the wild 

 multicaulis speculation is over, and forever, 

 I hope. We now want more extensively 

 the trees, the domestic rearing of the silk 

 worm, and above all the best filatures. In 

 Georgia cocoons are raised, but for want of 

 filatures, the silk has in some cases actually 

 been used to make well ropes and tcagon 

 harness. I have the pleasure to announce 

 that Mr. Van Epps and Mr. Smith have 

 been encouraged by the American Institute 

 to establisli a competent filature. We then 

 shall want the manufacturing process; and 

 I think myself safe in dating from this day 

 the glorious work of American silk! We 

 have persons coming, and some have already 



come, from Europe; and we shall learn the 

 arts of making, dyeing, and manufacturing 

 silk fabrics. This great staple has now 

 reached, like the point of the wheel, its 

 passing place, and will henceforward main- 

 tain its constant motion. In sewing silks, 

 it is said that in the first process gum is ex- 

 tracted to 26 per cent, of the weight of the 

 silk, and afterwards in dyeing, the French 

 chemists know how to restore 18 per cent. 

 of that lost weight; while our chemists or 

 dyers here can restore but 12 per cent., 

 making six per cent, against us. 



" American farmers will erect a monu- 

 ment in their hearts, if not one of marble, 

 to him who shall introduce a new staple. 

 As to our grain, we never can, in any event 

 — corn laws or no corn laws — supply Eng- 

 land with grain. Europe is ready in a mo- 

 ment to glut any open port of England with 

 bread stuffs — and they raise the wheat with 

 hands at 18 cents per day — while ours have 

 75 cents per day. Long may it be so. I 

 avow my purpose to be, to maintain high 

 rewards for labour, to hold it elevated above 

 the depressed labour of Europe. Agricul- 

 ture is bound to rejoice at this introduction 

 of silk; great will be the individual and na- 

 tional results. Suppose that we had never 

 manufactured a yard of cotton, or of broad- 

 cloth, we should now be wearing the wretch- 

 ed Hum Hums of past days, at several shil- 

 lings per yard, instead of cents — and broad 

 cloth at about double the present prices, and 

 our sheep would be extirpated. Now the 

 moment we began to manufacture cot- 

 ton — look. England's five per cent duty 

 on American raw cotton disappears! Our 

 farmers are all interested in this, for it 

 brings down prices of manufactured goods. 

 I repeat it — the farmer has the deepest in- 

 terest in every measure that brings down 

 prices and extends here a home market for 

 the produce of his farm. He must make 

 his market here, for he is shut out of Eu- 

 rope. — Farmer and Mechanic. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Disease of the Potatoe. 



Mr. Editor, — I have recently read a 

 number of articles upon the "Disease of the 

 Potatoe;" and have been struck with what 

 seems to me a deficiency in the reasoning 

 on the subject. I formed an opinion in rela- 

 tion to the matter more than a year ago, in 

 consequence of some investigations I then 

 made, and subsequent readings and exami- 

 nations have confirmed that opinion. I will 

 give it to you for what it is worth. If it is 



