34 



SILK MANUAL, AND 



Moist lands in valleys and near rivers induce a 

 very rapid growth in the trees ; but their leaves 

 contain in such situations, too much watery mat- 

 ter, and though eaten voraciously are hurtful to 

 the worms from their corporative want of nourish- 

 ishment. The labors of the insect are also de- 

 layed, and the quality of their produce injured, 

 by the weakness of constitution resulting from 

 this cause. Trees in dry soils give fewer leaves, 

 but any deficiency in their quantity is amply com- 

 pensated by the greater nutriment which they af- 

 ford and as a necessary consequence by the su- 

 perior quality of the silk produced." — Lardner^s 

 Cabinet Cyclopedia. 



Extra food for silk worms. — Mr Loudon men- 

 tions that M. Bonafous, an experienced cultiva- 

 tor of silk worms found that "dandelions sustain- 

 ed them until the fourth change, when the leaves 

 of the mulberry were substituted." If this plant 

 should answer in the United States the fact is im- 

 portant, as it is the first vegetable that appears in 

 spring. Various works, during the last thirty 

 years have repeated the following statement, viz : 

 that DrBellardi, of Turin, after a number of ex- 

 periments, found that young worms eat dried mul- 

 berry leaves with avidity. The leaves must be 

 collected about the end of autumn before frosts 

 and in dry weather, and at a time when the heat 

 is greatest ; then dried in the sun, and laid up in a 

 ^ dry place, after they have been reduced to powder. 

 When given to the worms, this powder should be 

 slightly moistened with water, and a parcel of it 

 placed before the worms. This practice, ac- 

 cording to Du Halde, is pursued in China, with 

 this diflerence, that the leaves are merely kept in 

 eartherii jars. 



The writer wishes it to be distinctly understood 

 that the above substitutes for the proper food of 

 silk worms ought only to be used when this can- 

 not be had. Due attention except in a very late 

 spring, will always enable us to accommodate the 

 hatching of the worms to the vegetation of the 

 mulben-y tree Rushes Report. 



wonderfully thickened up at the boltom. There will 

 be nearly an average crop of English hay, and as for 

 nieadows they never looked better. The brown worm 

 that cuts off plants just bi.'low the surface of the ground 

 has made sad havoc in the gardens this season ; in many 

 instances lopping whole beds of onions, beets, &c. cu- 

 cumbers, squashes, and cabbages, in a single day. Who 

 can tell of anything that will prevent the ravages of this 

 worm? Corn looks finely. — Yeoman's (Concord) Gaz. 



New Jersey has been peculiarly unfortunat3 in her 

 agrifultural prospects. Besides losing, by the severe 

 winter, her celebrated orchards of the most delicious 

 varieties of peach and cling, her corn and potato fields 

 in several parts of the state, are now attacked with 

 the grub woim in a countless number, proving extreme- 

 ly destructive. 



Pepper. — Mr Reynolds, in his " Voyage Round 

 the World," gives some account of the culture of 

 Pepper, the principal article of trade at Sumatra. 

 He says it grows on a vine or creeping plant, run- 

 ning up on y olcs, with leaves of a dark green, 

 heart-shaped, pointed, and not poignant to the 

 taste. The blossom is small and white, and the 

 fruit hnnga in bunches or clusters, resembling 

 those of tlte currant bush, but larger and less 

 pliant. It is from four to five months in coming 

 to maturity. The berries are at first green, and 

 gradually become a bright red when ripe, and 

 soon fall off, if not gathered. " All the bunches 

 on the stems do not become ripe at the same 

 time, and the natives frequently go through their 

 little farms with small baskets, plucking off each 

 bunch as they become ripe. When gathered it is 

 spread out on mats, or clean places, to dry. That 

 which has been gathered at a proper age will 

 shrink least ; while those skilled in the trade will 

 readily distinguish that which has been plucked 

 prematurely, by rubbing it in the hand, when it 

 will itripart much dust, and even crumble to 

 pieces." 



The poles are about six feet apart, probably re- 

 sembling one of our hop-fields. The culture of 

 1000 such plants or hills, is- occupation sufficient 

 for a man and his wife — 500 are usually allotted 

 to a single person. 



Grass — Farmers have feared that, in consequence 

 of the small quantity of rain which has fallen in the 

 month of June, grass would be very light indeed. We 

 learn that in t'.e upper part of the county, rain has 

 fallen plentifully for the last two days, and grass has 



The weather thus far has been remarkably cool. 

 Our thermometer at 1-2 past 5 this morning stood 

 at 57 1-2, Avhich is a rare occurrence for the first 

 of July. Ihe season has been hitherto quite un- 

 favorable to travelling, and we presume the wa- 

 tering places have felt its unprofitable influence. 

 A friend just from the Virginia S|;rings, tells us 

 that the visitors were obliged to have fires and to 

 wear great coats all the time he was there.— P/a7. 

 Gazette, July 1. 



