PRACTICAL FARMER 



69 



uses of silk, the stronger the inducements appear 

 to engage the industry and ingenuity of the good 

 people of these United States in the culture and 

 manufacture of that precious article. 



USES of'thk'mulberry tree. 



The wood of the mulberry tree is used for 

 many purposes. Its being compact, pliant, and 

 hard, capable of receiving a good polish, causes it 

 to be sought by upholsterers, turners, and carvers. 

 Its strength makes it useful to the joiner, and its 

 power of resisting the action of water almost as 

 well as oak, makes it good timber for building 

 boats. It is also a very good wood for fuel, and 

 is well adapted for making charcoal. 



Mayet sur le culture du Murier. 



It was observed by Dr Deane, in 1793, that 

 *' The only mulberry in any degree proper for the 

 food or successful culture of silk worms is the 

 white mulberry. [The Chinese Mulberry, and 

 some other sorts of mulberry, were not then 

 known in this country.] All attempts to raise 

 them on the common black mulberry will be un- 

 successful." 



The same writer observed, "If we are not dis- 

 posed to make use of mulberry trees for the feed- 

 ing of silk worms, they would pay for the trouble 

 of rearing them by their fruit and timber." 



It is much in favor of the culture of the mul- 

 berry tree, that its roots strike very deep into the 

 ground, so that the surface not being impoverished 

 as it is by many trees, whose roots are found more 

 in the upper soil, other kinds of cultivation may 

 be prosecuted around it. Neither its shade, nor 

 the dropping of rain from its leaves, is considered 

 prejudicial to plants growing beneath it. * 



GRAND SILK MACHINERY. 



Mr Lambe, of Derby, Eng. having, in the dis- 

 guise of a common workman, succeeded in taking 

 accurate drawings of silk-throwing machinery in 

 Piedmont, erected a stupendous mill for that pur- 

 pose on the river Derwent at Derby, and obtained 

 a patent for the sole and exclusive property in the 

 same during the space of fourteen years. This 

 grand machine was constructed with 26,586 

 wheels, and 97,746 movements, which worked 

 73,726 yards of organzinc silk thread with every 



* Dr Lardner. 



revolution of the water wheel whereby the ma- 

 chinery was actuated ; and as this revolved three 

 times in each minute, the almost inconceivable 

 quantity of 318,504,960 yards of organzine could 

 be produced daily. Only one water wheel was 

 employed to give motion to the whole of this ma- 

 chinery, the contrivance of which speaks highly 

 for that of the constructor, who possessed the 

 means of controlling and stopping anyone or more 

 of the movements at pleasure, without ot)structing 

 the continued action of the rest. The building 

 wherein this machinery was erected was of great 

 extent, being five stories in height, and occupying 

 one-eighth of a mile in length. So long a time 

 was occupied in the construction of this machine- 

 ry, and so vast was the outlay which it occasioned, 

 that the original duration of the patent proved in- 

 sufficient for the adequate remuneration of its en- 

 surprising founder, who, on these grounds, applied 

 to parliament for an extension of the term for 

 which his privilege had been granted. This, how- 

 ever, in consideration of the great national impor- 

 tance of the object, which was opposed to its 

 continued limitation in the hands of any individ- 

 ual, was not granted ; but parliament voted the 

 sum of 14,000 pounds to Sir Thomas Lambe, as 

 some consideration for the eminent service ren- 

 dered by him to the nation, in discovering and 

 bringing to perfection, at great expense, a work so 

 beneficial to the kingdom ; the grant being made 

 on the sole condition, that competent persons 

 should be allowed to execute an exact model of 

 the machinery, to be deposited in such a place as 

 his Majesty should appoint, in order to perpetuate 

 the manufacture. 



SILK-THROWlNG MILL. 



In a throwing mill (or manufactory in which 

 raw silk is prepared for the weaver) situated in 

 the neighborhood of London, there are 1600 swifts 

 employed, with a proportionate number of spin- 

 dles. These are all put in motion by a steam en- 

 gine, on the high pressure principle, of six horse 

 power, having a boiler of capacity equal to the pro- 

 duction of steam for an engine of double that 

 force. The surplus steam is employed in warm- 

 ing and drying the factory. In the establishment, 

 which is very carefully and ably conducted, are 

 employed 120 people, mostly young girls, and the 



