164 



SILK MANUAL, AND 



erations has changed my opinions on the suh- 

 ject. 



Count Dandolo, (a celebrated Italian silk cul- 

 turist) is of opinion, tliat in Italy it is disad- 

 vantageous to obtain more than one crop in each 

 season. He affirms that the ninlbervy tree cannot 

 bear the constant stripping of its Seavcs wirhont 

 injury. *■'■ All things considered" says he, " I aiii 

 well f>ersuaded that one of our good crops will be 

 equal m produce to any number thai may be gath- 

 ered in a year." If then one crop a year is all 

 that can be advantageously obtained in a country 

 so famous for the production of silk as Italy, our 

 warm season in New England is long enough and 

 warm enough for that kind of culture. 



The reason why the advance of silk culture has 

 been so slow, in places in which it has maintained 

 onJy a languishing existence, or at best a feeble 

 progress for many years and even centuries, has 

 been the want of that general information relative 

 to the growth and manufacture of &ilk, which our 

 New England habits of investigation together with 

 our printing presses will supply. If A. makes an 

 insprovement of any consequeiice, B. C, &c. to 

 the end of the alphal;>et will soon be in possession 

 of it. The press gives universality to every iin- 

 proveraent in the arts. Any lal>or saving machine, 

 contrivance or discovery, diffused by our loco- 

 motive omnipresent newspapers, and other peri- 

 odicals, instead of being confined to the closet of 

 the philosopher or the work shop of the mechanic, 

 soon becomes as common as day light, 



liut I am told that no capital, nor incorporated 

 company is requisite for the manufacture of silk. 

 That half an ounce of mulberry seed, and land 

 enough to sow it on, are all that are necessary to 

 begin with. Very well, neither is capital neces- 

 sary to commence operations in making a railway or 

 a canal, say one hundred miles long. A spade and 

 a pick-axe are alone wanted, yet, we, very properly, 

 incorporate companies for constructing canals and 

 railways. A single laborer might break ground 

 for forming a canal across the isthmus of Darien, 

 to unite the Atlantic with the Pacific ocean ; but, 

 if we wanted to make a good job of it we should 

 incorporate a cdmpany with a large capital. 



If Massachusetts gives no encouragement to 

 silk culture, but seems to look upon it with a 



jealous eye, and extends to our itifjmt manufac- 

 tures a hard and a heavy instead of a helpins^ 

 hand, we shall induce artists and capitalists to 

 choose their locations in other Statrs. Connecti- 

 cut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, &c., will 

 Sim fail to take advantage, of such illiberal and 

 short sighted policy. Brrt we have no reason for 

 complaint or apprehension ; and tx-lieve 8hat this 

 enlightened Legislature will act in aeeonlance to> 

 the maxim that a judic-ious liberality is the beer 

 economy. In praying for acts of incorporation 

 we do not ask for any exclusive right, and are 

 perfectly willing that otFiers should build silk fac- 

 tories. Neither do we ask for money from thh? 

 Co.n>n\onvvealth to carry our plans into operation- 

 We only petition for the privilege of expending^ 

 under the sanction of the Legislature, our oum 

 money, in a way, which, if it succeeds will greatly 

 benefit the public, but if it fails will injure none 

 but your httn>We petitionej-s, Confpanic-! for the 

 growth and niaimfactnre of silk have lately been 

 fornred, and have gone, er are going into opera- 

 tion in Providence, Concord, N. W.^ Hartford, 

 Con., Poughkeepsie, N. Y., Warren county^ N. 

 Jersey, several parts of Penn., Columbus, Ohio, 

 &c. Some, of these, I a^^ well assured, and all^ 

 I believe, have lands, and the privilege &f growing^ 

 as well as of nvunufHcturing silk. 



There are some advantages which silk ciiltur- 

 ists of the pres(!nt day enjoy, aud wiiich give them 

 superior means to attain tbeir objects, to those 

 ■within the knowledge and reach of their prede- 

 cessors. The facility of diffusing information by 

 means of the spirit of investigation and the power 

 of the press have been adverted to. To these we 

 may add the introduction of the Chinese Mulberry, 

 the invention or improvement of the j>ower loom, 

 and the native characteristic ingenuity and inven- 

 tive faculties of the people of New England. \^ 

 the Chinese mulberry can be acclimated, made to 

 endure our New England winters, as we have 

 many reasons for believing, it will give a new and 

 improved character to silk culture by increasing 

 the quantity and facility of raising food for silk 

 worms. And the quality of the silk which is 

 formed from leaves of this, is said to be superior 

 to that which is obtained from any other plant, 

 and the cocoons of a larger size. The Chinese 



