120 



SILK MANUAL, ANB 



MANUFACTURE OP SILK IN CHINA. 



Mr Atwill, — In your last number was a de- 

 scription of silk-growing in China, preparatory to 

 the manufacture, into a great variety of beautiful 

 fabrics which are so extensively used and worn in 

 this and other countries. It is presumed that 

 some description, detailing the mode of manufac- 

 ture, and how they do the thing in China, would be 

 acceptable to those who take an interest in the 

 subject of silk culture. It is known that the Chi- 

 nese exercise the most patient and laborious in- 

 dustry, with the most simple and rude instruments, 

 to prepare the soil, cultivate the mulberry, feed- 

 ing the worms and reeling the silk, wholly by 

 hand labor ; and yet they manufacture the most 

 elegant and delicate fabrics, in a way equally sim- 

 ple, clumsy, and inapplicable, — and is thus de- 

 .scribed in the excellent and valuable " Practical 

 Treatise on the Culture of Silk, by T. G. Conj- 

 stock, Esq., Hartford, editor of the Silk Cultu- 

 rist," who, on the manufacture of silk, says, — 

 "In India the weaver weaves his web in the open 

 air. He first selects a station for his operation, 

 generally under a tree, that its foliage may pro- 

 tect him from the scorching rays of the sun. He 

 then extends the threads, which compose the warp 

 of his intended fabric, lengthwise, between two 

 bamboo rollers, which are fastened to the ground 

 by means of wooden pins. He then digs a hole 

 in the earth large and deep enough to contain iiis 

 legs in a sitting posture. He next attaches to a 

 limb of the tree the cords by which his harn(;ss 

 is to be operated, and the lower shafts of the har- 

 ness, eords with loops of sufficient size to admit 

 the insertion of his great toes. With his web thus 

 arranged he is prepared to commence weaving. 

 This he does by putting his toe into the loo{> of 

 the cord attached to that part of the harness which 

 he wishes to tread down, and then with the shut- 

 tle introduces the woof and beats up by striking 

 the threads of the woof with the shuttle instead 

 of a battese. The shuttle is in the fonn of a net- 

 ting needle and longer than the breadth of the 

 web. With this rude apparatus he manufactures 

 a fabric, of which an Italian silk-weaver would 

 be proud. 



If the silk manufacture in China is so simple 

 and so easily performed, can it not be successfully 

 and profitably prosecuted in a country already 

 abounding in machinists, with ingenuity to invent 

 and skill to execute, the Rjost perfect machinery 

 in the world ? — JVorthampton Courier^ 



(From the Maine Farmer.) 

 BUTTER, 



Mr Holmes: — 1 saw in your paper of the 

 18tli ult., a piece on Butter, in which the writer 

 observes that as "she considers the butter which 

 is offei-ed for a premium, to be in a measure pubi- 



lic property, the public have a right to express 

 their opinion upon it." She wishes also to in- 

 quire ''how their butter was made." This in- 

 quiry we will cbeerfuHy answer, so far as our own 

 experience will enable us to. We can assure you 

 that there is no mystery about it, and we do be- 

 lieve that there is no necessity of having such poor 

 butter as we often see. It is easy and simi)le, but 

 needs care and perseverance. Our experience 

 teaches us that there is nothing so good for cows 

 as a full supply of good grass and water — then, 

 care should be taken to have them milked regu- 

 larly, at stated hours night and morning, and the 

 milk should not be allowed to remain fifteen or 

 twenty minutes in the pail when milked, butshoidd 

 be strained as soon as possible into a perfectly 

 clean, sweet and dry vessel, and should not be dis- 

 turbed until skimmed for butter — but care should 

 be taken that it docs not stand too long, for if the 

 milk or cream l>e allowed to become sour before 

 it is ciiurned, it cannot make pure butter. After 

 it is churned it should be taken from the churn 

 immediately, and salted with pure salt — (we are 

 not particular what kind, if it is made fine and 

 clean) and as much of the milk worked out as can 

 be at that time — then it may stand about four 

 and twenty hours, when it should be worked again 

 and a little more saltaddeil. It will be necessary 

 to repeat thi.-^ operation three or four times in or- 

 der to separate the milk from it, which if allowed 

 to remain will I'ender it inipure and give to it an 

 impleasant taste. We have been thus particular 

 because this is the way we manage, and we be- 

 lieve it to Ik! the best and easiest method for mn- 

 kiiig good butter, and should be glad to have 

 the friends of good butter give them a fair trial, 

 and no longer conclude that there is any secret 

 about it. 



The writer also observes that 'premiums have 

 been awarded year after year, to the same indi- 

 viduals, or those connected with some of them." 

 We know thai all butter which we have carried 

 to the Cattle Show, has taken a premium, and are 

 we to be found fault with for it? I have not been 

 a stranger to such observations as these, before 

 this time, and therefore withheld my butter one 

 year from the Show, and was then complained to, 

 and now think that I shall offer my butter for a 

 premium whenever it is convenient, believing that 

 others have an equal chance with myself. 



This writer also inquires if " otter, carrot-juice 

 or the yolk of hens-eggs add to the flavor or qual- 

 ity of liutter." We can give no information on 

 that point, having never ex[)erienced the effect 

 produced by using those articles. She also says 

 that she " saw the first premium butter last year, 

 and presumes to say that no cow ever made euch 

 butter without the aid of coloring matter." \Vg 

 can here inform her of her mistake, for we made 



