PRACTICAL FARMER 



]33 



For the Silk Manual. 

 S»HIt.ADEI.PHIA SIL.K. REPORT, 



A friend lias favorer! us with a y)atnf)lilet con- 

 taining a Report of the Philadelphia Silk Manufac- 

 turing Company. This details the procedings at 

 a meeting of the friends of the manufacture and 

 culruro' of sill<, held on the 15t!i day «f November 

 1S36. Our limits will not permit ua to give the 

 entire contents of the pamphlet, and we must 

 confine ourselves to the follo"wing extracts. — Ed- 

 itor of the Manual. 



The Commitiee has, as extensively as the 

 time and opportunities have permitted, examined 

 the subject confided to them. That it would be a 

 great national benefit, if Silk should become an 

 jwticle of general production in the United States, 

 and that if it can be profitably manufactured in 

 our country, it will give employment to a great 

 number of persons, are truths universally admitted. 

 The culture of Silk by raising the Mulberry Tree, 

 and feeding the worms, which produce that beau- 

 tiful article of luxury and comfort, will not seri- 

 ously interfere with the general business of the 

 agriculturist ; or require such a portion of the 

 farm labor as will, to any material extent, dimin- 

 ish its usual productions. 'J ho Mulberry Tree 

 flourishes best in cultivated fields; and one of the 

 most approved methods of obtaining the leaves 

 for the food of the bilk worm, is from mulberry 

 liedges, wliicii may be made, and securely used 

 Jbr the divisions of a farm into fields, instead of 

 the usual fences, much more costly, and always 

 exposed to injury and decay. 



The periods of the year in which the Silk worm 

 is fed, and when only the attention of the farmer 

 and his family is required for their care and man- 

 agement, are those iu which the usual labors of 

 a fa^m arc, for a great portion of thote periods, 

 not very gre:it ; and a large amouni of t'le atten- 

 tion and industry which are required by the Silk 

 worm when feeding, and making the cocoon, are 

 most [)roperly furnished by females and by chil- 

 dren from 12 to 16 years. In the winer season, 

 the family fireside of the fanner, now compari- 

 tlvely without employinent, may be engaged in 

 reeling the Silk from the cocoons ; a most agre ;- 

 able and profitable occupation for th^t part of the 

 year. 



Within the last two or three years the p'aiting 

 and raising of Mulberry Trees, and the produc- 

 tion of cocoons, have become objects of much in- 

 terest in almost every state in the Union. In 

 Pennsylvania there are now hundreds of acres 

 planted with iMul berry Trees, from which cocoons 

 will be obtained in the coming year, — These plan- 

 tations will be increased, when it shall be known 

 that a certain market exists for the cocoons, and 

 for reeled Silk at a fair price. Stnall lots are of- 



fered daily ; and the Committee entertain the be- 

 lief that in 1837, oni' foiu-th of the supply for a 

 manufactory of a moderate extent, can be obtain- 

 ed from American cocoons. — In three or four 

 years, a manufactory with machinery and build- 

 ings, requiring a capital of $100,000, may be sup- 

 plied with American Silk. The favorable situa- 

 tion of Philadelphia, communicating by her inter- 

 nal improvements with vast fertile regions of the 

 west and southwest, increases the confidence of 

 the Committee in these anticipations. The cli- 

 mate of Pennsylvania, and of much of the coun- 

 tries to the west and south of our state, areas well 

 adapted to the culture of Silk, as any iu the 

 world. . 



The quality of Silk ol)tained from cocoons of 

 American production, is equal to that of Italy, 

 and the abundance and low price of lands, assure 

 us that its production will cost no more than in 

 Europe ; and the Committee believe it will cost 

 much less. At present a large profit is obtained 

 by the production of Silk at $4 per pound. — 

 Hereafter it may become more profitable to pur- 

 chase the cocoons, or the reeled Silk, thus prepar- 

 ed iu the family of the farmer ; than to purchase 

 cocoons at 25 cents per pound, as they now sell. 

 Three hundred and ten good cocoons make one 

 pound, and eight pounds of cocoons will give one 

 pound of reeled Silk. — At that rate, the reeling 

 being done at the manufactory — the cost of the 

 Silk will be about $3 per pound. When cocoons 

 are produced in abundance, the Committee are 

 disposed to believe that at twelve cents per pound, 

 the raising cf them will be as profitable as grow- 

 ing cotton at fifteen cents per pound. 



For two or three years after the establishment 

 of a Silk .Manufactory, it must be in part supplied 

 by foreign raw Silk. This can always be readi- 

 ly obtained. Large quantities of raw Silk are 

 imported into the United States, ])rlncipally in- 

 tended to be exported to Mexico, where It is man- 

 ufactured. Any portion of this can be arrested 

 on its way, and used here ; and the constant and 

 rnpid intercourse with England and Italy, wiH 

 always secure its import, as it may be required, 

 in a short period of time. 



The present prices of foreign raw Silk, are 

 Bengal, $4,25 to $8,00 per pound. China, $5,50 

 to $6,00. Italian, $'6,00 to .$7,00 pf^r pound. 



The amoutjt of manufactured silks imported 

 into the United States, in the year ending on the 

 30th of September, 1835, was $] 7,497,900. 



Silk is manufactured in France principally by 

 adult labor, but the introductif)n of maGhinery in 

 the manufacture of silk, whif;h is in the ratio at 

 90 per cent, in the himdre d, which reduces the 

 cost of manufacture from 50 to 80 per cent. Eng- 

 laud, by the use of wif hinery, has become the 



