162 



SILK MANUAL, AND 



and its matuifacture as already firmly engrafted in- 

 to our system of domestic economy, and ere long 

 it must become one of its most important and vita- 

 features. Silk is destined to be a staple of New 

 England, its manufacture giving employment to 

 thousands of our citizens, and its fabric an article 

 of great mercantile and commercial importance. 



Neither have we fione publishing. In the New 

 England Farmer is given every important item that 

 comes to light in the progress of experience and ex- 

 periments; and its readers are informed of every 

 advancement and success that is realized. Its 

 colmmis are always open to discuss this subject. 



Can we induce our subscribers to transfer their 

 names to the sniiscription list of tne New England 

 Farmer ? Matter relative to Silk, as much as is 

 given in the Manual, will be discussed. Its ten- 

 dency is to induce enquiry ^^ experiment, erad- 

 icate false niodes of oilture^md improve where 

 improvement is necessary. 



Agriculture is the life-blood of a nation : witliont 

 it decay and ruin are the consequences. Then of 

 course the more perfect our Agriculture, the more 

 stable is our country and its institutions. A limp- 

 ing, miserable, ijnperfi?ct mode of husbandry is an 

 evil, so far as it is removed fr*n what it can be 

 made to be. And nothing can transcend the im- 

 portance of those labors, which strive to place Ag- 

 riculture upon its ])ro])er footing, and give it its 

 due in»iortance. These axioms need no argument. 

 But strange as it is, the art so important to civiliza- 

 tion, to our country's existence and happiness, the 

 oldest art, is yet in an incif)ient state. And to ask 

 many to read an agricultural book, to subscribe to 

 an agricultural paper, and to cultivate their farms 

 on scientific and natural |)rinciples is httle short of 

 direct and premediated insult. Such are wise in 

 the knowliMlge of their fathers only. " It can learn 

 us nothing," cry these possessors of hereditary 

 practice. Indeed ! And so they are sure that no 

 possibility of circumstances can ev6i- fix a new 

 idea in their head. 1'liey can never learn any 

 more. Is not this a fair inference ? Objections to 

 Agricultural reading are often urged, as often re- 

 futed, and we are proud to believe that prejudice is 

 breaking awav before the tide of knowledge, which 

 is irrigating and fertilizing the minds of tJiis coun- 

 try and the world. Knowledge ever does and nmst 

 distinguish the scientific from tiie ignorant agricul- 

 turist. Agriculture was heid in high esteem by 

 the ancients. Warlike as ihey were, an<l knowing 

 as we are ajit to tiiink but liule of tlie pleasant oc- 

 cu[)atioi!S of j)e;!ce, still agriculture and its im- 

 provement were olijiicts of supreme regard. The 

 wisest princes and the most ai>!e ministt rs, encour- 

 aged husliandry and the breeding of c.Utle. Their 

 conquests were nothiug, TIh; strength of a coun- 

 try is unt to lie consiiierc^! by the extent of its terri- 

 tory, but by the utility of its labor. 



To show that they set a full value upon agricul- 

 tural n-ading, wc vviil cite the fact that tliero, Mon- 

 arch of Syracuse, wrote a book in whieli he g?|ve 

 wise and excellent rules for augmenting tfic icrtilit}' 

 of the country. Many others beside have not con- 

 sidered it beneath their rank to write agrieuitural 

 precepts lor the people, Plato, Xcnophoii and 

 Aristotle are amuig the number. They were also 

 jiractical men. M.igo, a Carthageninn Gef.ci'al. 

 wrote tweiityeight Volumes u[ioa agriculture, an d 



so high a value was set upon it, the Roman senate 

 ordered them to be translated for the benefit of 

 tlieir country. The good effects of this systematic 

 culture were every where visible. 



One reason of the small produce of land is, be- 

 cause Agriculture is not looked upon as an art that 

 requires rules, reflection and study. Wliere every 

 one abandons himself to his own taste or prejudice, 

 system is outraged, and the process must be very 

 much retarded, 



A prospectus of tlie Farmer is given in another 

 column, and we shall be glad to receive additions 

 to its lAst, and contributors to its coluums. 



By THE Editor. — The preceding elaborate ex- 

 position of the views and motives of the Publishers 

 of the Silk Manual, in discontinuing this periodical, 

 renders it superfluous for its Conductor to enlarge, 

 in taking leave of those who had given it their pat- 

 ronage. Besides, we intend not to discontinue to 

 jtrotnote, as far as our feeble eflbrtg will avad, the 

 great object of this little monthly. We shall mere- 

 ly transfer our labors to introduce and foster the 

 Silk culture from tlie Silk Manual to the JVew Eng" 

 land Fanner, on which last mentioned ground we 

 should be happy to meet all who are friendly to the 

 growth and njanufacture of Silk, which we hope 

 will eventually give to our prosj)erons and enter- 

 prising countrymen a new and staple article of con- 

 sumption and commerce. 



Potash from the Beet, — M, Dubunfaut, a 

 French chemist, has discovered that the beet after 

 extracting the sugar and molasses, will yield good 

 potash, but whether from the residium of the mo- 

 lasses, after distillation, or from the poinice we do 

 not understand. The |)roduce is about one pound 

 from a hundred pounds of the beet root. At this 

 rate of yield, the beet annually manufiictured into 

 sugar in France would afford about 15,000,000 

 pounds ])otash, worth from eight to nine millions of 

 francs, or from one and a half to one and three 

 quarters millions of dollars. So say the prints. 



Extract from Gov. Everett's RIessagk. — 

 A law was passed at the last session of the Legis- 

 lature, to encourage the manufacture of silk. The 

 bounty provided lias been paid to several apfjli- 

 cants. Facts which have been developed in the 

 course of the year, appear to strengthen the ho[)e, 

 expressed at the commencement of the last ses- 

 sion, that this branch of industry is destined to 

 prove of immense importance to the conunon- 

 wealth. I'he dillicnhies in reeling, which were 

 su[)posed to constitute the great obstacle to the 

 introduction of the matuifiicture, have been over- 

 coiue, and macidnery for spinning and weaving 

 of admirable efficiency has been contrived. Sjiec- 

 imnis of silk fabrics from power Iooids at work 

 in Massachusetts, have been exhibited to toe, whiclt 

 waiTani sanguine expectations of entire success iu 

 establishing llie manufacture. 



Did you make root crops for your stock last 

 year? If you did not, do so this, and next year 

 you will thank us for reminding you of what you. 

 OHj;ht to do. 



