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SILK MANUAL, A xM ii 



boughs of tlie mulberry tree, instead of using the 

 leaf separately, as is practised -in all temperate cli- 

 mates. Tlie leaves continuing attached to the 

 branches, remain longer fresh, have a better flavor 

 and are more nutritious, than those separately 

 gathered, and tlie silk worms fed from the branches 

 with less waste than when the leaves are strewn 

 singly over them. 



" In some parts of Italy and France, mulberry 

 leaves are commonly sold by weight, in the mar- 

 ket, and those persons who rear silk worms are 

 often wholly dependant on this source for a siij)- 

 ply. Judgement and experience are required in 

 the purchaser, to enable him to inake a [jroper 

 selection of leaves, choosing such as are of a nour- 

 ishing quality, and rejecting those whose sale 

 would, from their greater weight, be more profit- 

 able to the vender. The interests of the two j)ar- 

 ties arc consequently at variance. In other ['laces 

 trees are hired for tlie season ; from four to six 

 francs, according to its size and condition, bei;ig 

 paid for the hire of each tree. Under equal circum- 

 stances an old mulberry tree always yields better 

 leaves than a young one ; and whatever may be 

 the original quality of the tree, as it grows older 

 the leaf will diminish in size, and will so materi- 

 ally improve that at length it will atlain to a very 

 excellent quality." 



From llie Baltimore Karmer. 



In our 35th number we gave an article commu- 

 nicating the fact of the formation of a comj)any in 

 Queen Ann's county, in this state, far the purpose 

 of carrying on the silk culture, and expressing the 

 undissembled pleasure we felt at the information, 

 and it will be seen by the article appended to this, 

 that some patriotic citizens of the adjoining county 

 of Caroline, are about to form another company 

 with a similar object in view. To thctn we say,^, 

 as we said to the public Sjjjrited gentlemen of the 

 first named county, may God speed your good 

 work; for good must that work be, that sets an 

 example, which, if followed, will add millions to 

 the productions of the state, and increase the 

 means of living to its people, to an amount more 

 than equal to all their wants, necessary or artifi- 

 cial. 



Whilst we rejoice in the fulness of our heart 

 at these auspicious beginnings near home, we say 

 to the citizens of every district in the coimtry, 

 where there are genial soils and sun — and where 

 are they not — to emulate the example here set 

 them ; they need not fear a glutted market — the 



markets of America, England and France, are alf 

 open, and ofier the richest rewards which the hus- 

 bandman coidd desire to urge him forward in this 

 generous enterprise i nor should the present de- 

 mand for raw silk, be. taken as any criterion of 

 what it may, by time and circumstances be raised, 

 to. As the means of j roduction and the supply 

 may he augmented, so will the demand be increas- 

 ed. As each year rolls around, new uses will be 

 found for the commodity, until at last, it will be 

 used in a hundred >vays not at present thought of. 

 Already have the ever inventive genius of our 

 mechanics sui-stituted it to considerable extent for 

 fur in the fabrication of hats ; and as civilization 

 forces its way to the distant west, and as the forests 

 fall beneath the unerring stroke of the axe-man, 

 will the supply of fur become diminished, and the 

 consequent increase of the use of silk in the man- 

 ufacture of hats be promoted. ^ 



What are the facts connected with the history 

 of the growing of cotton in the United States? 

 Who, a quarter of a century ago would have be- 

 lieved that it would have attained one hundredth 

 part of the present amount of product and con- 

 sumption. Tiic deuumd has regularly kept pace 

 with ihe rate of production, and this has bee« 

 done without any ditninution of i)ound value. 

 Indeed the whole range of incidents involved in 

 the culture of this beautiful and necessary article, 

 are as extraordinary as they are interesting and 

 instructive. And we would here invoke all who 

 may desire to do-an especial favor to themselves 

 and to their country, te take counsel by the suc- 

 cessful results of the culture of cotton, and enter 

 at once with energy and spirit into that of the 

 more profitable commodity of silk. 



CULTURE OF" SILTC. 



M'hroughout the range of nature there is not 

 |rcrhnps a more wonderful, a more mysterious 

 ]>henomenon, than that which is presented in tlie 

 natural history of the silk- worm. That an insect 

 apparently so insignificant in the scale of aninml 

 creation — so destitute of every quality calculated 

 to recomnjend itself to the eye of man — should 

 be the producing cause of immense wealth, not 

 only to individuals, but to the whole nations — is 

 a fact so many centuries old, that it has ceased to 

 be regarded as marvellous. Yet it is marvellous 

 — and the closer we look into the matter, the more 

 astonishing are the results manifested. From the 

 inscrutable toils of this petty mechanic, which 

 seems to exist, and to labor, and to die, for the 

 sole and exclusive benefit of the human race, are 

 furnished the most splendid habiliments which 

 bedeck royalty and nobility — the most useful and 

 durable fabrics worn by the great mass of civil- 

 ized society. An imperfect idea of the annual 

 worth of these labors may be gathered from the 



