28 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



August 13, 1830, 



m © sj a a © w 2s ^ W5B js 9 



SILK. 



Mr FE3SErfDEN — There can no longer remain 

 a doubt, that the culture of Silk will beconfie one 

 of the most important branches of uur national 



Leaving for liome coirsuniplion 

 While the export of the materials 



for bread, during the same period 



amounted to only 



So that it required 



$7,189,102 



5,414,665 



1,774,437 



industry ; and like that of Cotton, combine in its beyond all our supplies of flour, meal and corn 

 favor, the triple interests of agriculture, manufac- to pay fur the siugle article of silk worn in tin 

 tures, and commerce. As a product of the soil, I country ; — 



it may even claim precpileiice over that great sta- 

 ple, from the universality of its adaptation to all 

 thu various climates embraced within the bounds 

 of the United States. Experiments sufficiently 

 numerous have been made, to establish this fact 

 beyond all question ; and a zeal has been exhibit- 

 ed in their ))rosccution and for their extension, 

 evincive of the deep interest which exists in favor 

 of this culture. 



The national government has deemed it wor- 

 tiiy of direct patronage, and measures have been 

 taken by Congress, to ditTuse intelligence, incite 

 inquiry, and encourage its prosecution. Many of 

 our moat distinguished statt^snjen, and legislators, 

 have ardently cooperated, with the intelligent far- 

 mer and enterprising manufacturer, in the same 

 honorable career. Several useful books of in- 

 struction, on the rearing of midberry trees and 

 silk worms, have been published within the last 

 ihre '.years; and numerous nurseries and planta- 

 tions, of the liirmer, have already been established. 

 In the last number of Professor Silliman's just- 

 ly celebrated Journal of Science and Arts, is an 

 interesting article on these subjects, in which the 

 recent works of Dnponceau, Pascalis, and Ho- 

 mergiie, on the culture of sill;, are honorably men- 

 tioned. 



The high estimation, in which P. S. Dnpon- 

 ceau, Esq. and Dr Felix Pascalis are held, for 

 their scientific attainments and conspicuous ser- 

 vices in the republic of letters, will not more en- 

 dear them to their fellow citizens, than their 

 commendable efforts to subserve their country, as 

 patrons of rural economy. Mr Duponceaii, the 

 patriarch of silk-cnlture, in the United States, has 

 long devoted the energies of his great mind to 

 its sifccessful introduction ; and Dr Pascalis has 

 exhibited a spirit of patriotism and philanthropy, 

 which entitles him to the benedictions of his 

 countrymen. Not satisfied with the pronndga- 

 tion of theoretical intelligence, he has introduced, 

 from Franco, a new and most valuable species of 

 the mulberry, — the Morus Mullicaulis, whicli is 

 represented as possessing such decided superior- 

 ity over all others, as to be speedily substituted 

 fcr them in every region of the globe. 



Finding a detailed accomit, by M. Perrottet, of 

 this invaluable tree, in one of the late numbers 

 of the Annales Da Fromont, I send you a trans- 

 lation for the Farmer. 



Mr Perrottet returned, about nine years since, 

 from a botanic excursion round the world, in a 

 national vessel, and anion;>- a vast collection of 

 seeds nrd plants, was this Chinese nndberry tree, 

 which has bc;n rapidly disseminated throughout 

 France and other parts of Emopp, and will soon 

 be acclimateii in this country. 



By a report, made in Congress last March, it 

 appears, that American silk is superior to that of 

 all other countries, as eight pounds of cocoous 

 produce one of raw silk, which requires twelve 

 pounds of Italian or French cocoons ; 



That in the year 1828 the silk imported into 

 this country amounted to $8,463,563 



Of which was exported but 1,274,461 



And that silk may, in a few years, become an 

 important article of export ii'om this country, for 

 even France, although she raises a vast quantity of 

 silk, annually imports to the amount of $20,000,000. 

 These facts are sufficient to show how deep an 

 interest is involved in the culture of silk, and 

 how much it may contribute to individual and 

 national prosperity. 



Very respectfully. 



Your most obedient servant, 

 l-rinley Place norbiuy, ( H. A. S. DEARBORN. 

 .August Itn, loJU. J 



EXTRACT NO. XX. 



le Annalea De Fromont. 



Remarks on the Culture and Uses of the Many-stalked 

 Mulberry, (Morus Multicaulis.)— 2^/ M. Ferrottel, 

 Agricultural Botanist and Traveller of the Marine 

 and Colonies. 



The Morus Multicaulis, which we noticed for 

 the first time, in the Annales de la Societie Linne- 

 enne de Paris for 1824, appears to have originated 

 in the elevated regions of China, from whence it 

 has been disseminated throughout the low plains 

 near the sea shore. ■ It is believed that it is cul- 

 tivated in all parts of that vast empire, where the 

 education of silk-worms is an object of commer 

 cial importance. It was introduced into Manilla 

 and all the islands in the Asiatic Archipelago, fron 

 Canton, where it was only cultivated for orna^ 

 menting gardens. The Chinese are entitled to 

 the credit of this introduction, who, in cniigra 

 ting from their country, have, from motives of 

 industry, endeavored to multiply it, that they 

 might render it useful to them, in the now 

 country of their adoption. 



In August, 1821, we brought it from Manilla, 

 the capital of the Philippine Islands, and first in 

 troduced it into the Isle of Bomhon and from 

 thence into Cayenne ami Fiance. At a later 

 period, it was sent from Cayenne to Martinique, 

 and from France to Guadaloupe and also to Sene- 

 gal, where it has been considerably multiplied. 



The characters which essentially distinguish 

 this Mulberry from its congeners, arc those which 

 result, 1st, from the remarkable property, whici 

 its roots possess, of throwing up numerous small 

 flexible stalks without forming a principle trunk ; 

 2d, from the great length, which these stalks as- 

 sume, in a very short time; 3d, from the remark- 

 able development which the thin, tender and soft 

 leaves speedily acquire, and the promptitude with 

 which thev are renewed. Their length is often 

 eight inchi'S, and their width about six. They 

 are peliolate, cordate, accuminate, dentate towards 

 their summit, marked with nerv«s and appear 

 curled on the surface ; 4th, and lastly, from the 

 extraordinary facility, with which the stalks and 

 young branches strike root, as cuttings, without 

 particular care, even before they have acquired a 

 complete ligneous consistence. — This last proper 

 ty appears to us, evidently, to be caused by the nu- 

 merous whitish lentula; with which the stalks and 

 branches are covered ; a very apparent cha-iacter- 

 istic, and which seems to us, to offer a certain 

 means of indentifying our species, independently 



of those, Vv'hich we have enumerated. The fioral 

 organization of this mulberry is as follows. 



Each male flower has a calix of four concave, 

 oval membranous leaflets ; four stamens, with 

 filaments accompanied vyiih a tiidentatc appen- 

 dage ; the anthers sagittate and bilocular. 



Each female flower has an ovary terminated by 

 two divergent styles ; the ovary is unilocular, con- 

 taining a single pendant seeil, which is frequently 

 blasted, or imperfect. 



Among the number of mtdberries, now culti- 

 vated by the Chinese, for the education of silk 

 worms, the Morus Multicaulis appears to be the 

 most esteemed of all, not only from the facility 

 with which it is propagated and grows, but still 

 more from the essentially nutritive property which 

 the leaves possess. We liave been enabled to 

 verify this important fact during the five years 

 which we passed at Senegal. Our observations 

 tend tn prove, that when this f-pecies shall be 

 sufficiently multiplied in Euro])e, a preference 

 will be given to it, for the education of silk worms, 

 over the white mulberry [Morns Alba] which is 

 now generally etnployed. We will make siic- 

 cessivel}' known, the resuh of the ex|)criments 

 which we have tried at Senegal, on the education 

 of silk worms, nourished wi»h leaves of our spe- 

 cies, and the causes, which appeared to us, ad- 

 verse to the complete development of the co- 

 coons under the scorching climate of that African 

 region. 



In the garden of the establishment placed un- 

 der our direction, we had a certain number of the 

 Morus midticaulis, which, being j)roperly watered 

 produced very beautiful tnfis of flexible stalks, 

 but whhout assuming, however, a very great devel- 

 opment, but whose long branches, loaded with 

 numerous leaves bent imder their weight, and 

 trai!e;l even upon the ground. April, 1828, there 

 was' sent to us, from the establishment at Richard 

 Tol, a small quantity of the eggs of the silk 

 worm, which the colonial government had re- 

 ceived from France. Placed upon a tabic, in an 

 airy apartment, these eggs generally hatched 

 and gave birth to a certain number of well form- 

 ed worms. We distributed among them, the 

 young tender leaves, collected from the extremi- 

 ties of the branches of our mullicrry ; they de- 

 layed not to eat then; with great avidity. But few 

 were given them at a lime, and three or four times 

 a day, in consequence of the rapidity with which 

 the leaves wither from tl.e action of the air, 

 which was almost absolatdy dry. Larger leaves 

 which were more perfectly ileveloped, were suc- 

 cessively given to them in proportion and in quan- 

 tity, as they iiicrca^ui in ^i/.c. The worms cat 

 with the same avidity, without any previous i>rej)- 

 aration. Finally, at the end of a month or more, 

 our worms thus nourished, had acquired a devel- 

 opment, very satL-iilu-tor. , Hjr the country, and 

 delayed not to form their c icooiis, which, in 

 truth, appeared to us, less beautiful than those of 

 the same species born in Europe. 



The difference of size between these seemed 

 evidently to be the result of the physical causes 

 of the climate, rather than that of the food. 



A few days later the moth appeared, in a very 

 good form, and exhibited characters of a strong 

 constitution. Our location was very bad for the 

 education of this species of insect, and was, 

 without doubt, one of the obstacles, which pre- 

 vented its perfect copulation, nevertheless some 

 eggs were produced, vyhich appeared to us beauti- 

 ful and well organized, but they did not hatch, 



