380 



FAUMERS' REGISTER— DESTROYING ANTS. 



fering, in the least, with the ordinary resources of 

 their farms. And let it be considered that, as a 

 gentleman of the south has recently remarked, 

 " Silk always was, is now, and always Avill be a 

 cash article." 



The families of many poor widows and orphan 

 children, might be relieved from the sufferings of 

 poverty, if they could have employment, in the 

 simple, easy, and healthy business of making silk. 

 Ought not farmers, who have land enough to be 

 spared for the growth of Mulberry trees, to consi- 

 der this, and plant freely, that the poor of the land 

 may have the means of profitable employment.'' 



We are informed that in one of the eastern 

 states, a young lady not long since, took a Mulberry 

 plantation to be managed by herself on shares, and 

 that, at the expense only of her own labor six or 

 seven weeks, she realised to herself .$108, render- 

 ing the like sum to the owner. This was done by 

 an exchange of work, so that when her pressure 

 came on, she had help enough provided and paid 

 for. Is not this simple tale, the trutli of which, 1 

 suppose, is not to be questioned, full of instruction 

 to the famers of this country.'' How much good 

 they might do, by multiplying Mulberry planta- 

 tions ! Let them destroy half the apple trees, which 

 now grow to no useful purpose, in their orchards, 

 and supply their places with Mulberry trees. 



The culture of silk will apply, with peculiar feli- 

 city, to such families as contain manj^ children. A 

 southern planter of experience in the business of 

 silk-making, in a late communication on the sub- 

 ject, remarks that "for every child of a family, 

 aged from twelve to thirteen years, and employed 

 a few weeks only, in gathering leaves, and taking 

 care of silk-worms, $(300 may be realized." If 

 so, how many families that are now poor, might 

 become affluent. 



If manual labor, in any form, can be successful- 

 ly connected with seminaries, and schools of learn- 

 ing, it appears to me, the culture of silk, including 

 the reeling process, and perhaps, some other 

 branches of its manufacture, offers a business the 

 best of all adapted to such purposes. No other 

 can be thought of, so happily suited to the strength, 

 capacities, and amusementsof pupils in such insti- 

 tutions. There is no other, in which they can be 

 employed to equal advantage. This business is 

 adapted to both sexes alike; and it may be so 

 planned as to afford a pleasant and profitable em- 

 ployment for the pupils, during the whole year. 



To all public houses of pauperism also, the cul- 

 ture of silk is most happily adapted. Such institu- 

 tions, of which there are many in this state, might, 

 in a short time, support themselves, and perhaps do 

 more, if this branch of industry were properly in- 

 troduced, and prosecuted with courage and ability. 

 It is, beyond dispute, the indispensable duty of all 

 superintendents of county poor houses, to institute 

 Avithout delay, Mulberry plantations for their use. 

 Capitalists need not the profits that may be de- 

 rived from the growth and manufacture "of silk ; 

 neither, at present, is their capital needed for that 

 use. Hereafter, it may be otherwise. It is a pe- 

 culiar excellence of the business which tbrms the 

 subject of this discourse, that it requires very little 

 capital to gain access to it. To families of mode- 

 rate fortune, and especially those whose means of 

 support are too limited, this business offers relief; 

 and thousands there are, who should bid it a hearty 

 welcome. 



I have, dear sir, already gone far beyond the 

 bounds which I had prescribed to myself when I 

 commenced writing; and certain it is, I have tax- 

 ed my feeble strength too severely. And yet, I 

 have arrived only at the middle of my subject. I 

 find myself compelled to pass over many interest- 

 ing considerations which I intended to introduce. 



It has been supposed that there was something 

 quite mystical in the silk making business, and 

 that it required more than ordinary ingenuity to 

 become capable of managing its complicated de- 

 tails. We are now assured that it is not so; that 

 the liusiness, in most of its details, is remarkably 

 simple and easy ; that even the art of reeling, 

 which has been supposed very difficult, is easily 

 attained, and may be practiced, with perfect suc- 

 cess, in any of our families. We are informed, 

 that reels, after the models of those used in Eu- 

 rope, have been constructed and improved, by our 

 own artists, and are now for sale in this country, at 

 the low price of ^12- Indeed, we are informed, 

 that a gentleman of the name of Brooks, a citizen 

 of Massachusetts, has recently invented a reel for 

 silk, on a plan entirely new ; that this reel is found 

 to possess much greater excellence than any ever 

 used in Europe, and is happily adapted to the use 

 of private families. You see every thing conspires 

 to encourage the Mulberry planter, and the silk 

 grower. 



You will permit me, sir, in closing this letter, 

 to reiterate my advice to you and your household, 

 to introduce the reading of the Genesee Farmer. 

 This paper is abroad, in nearly all the land, and 

 doing an immense deal of good. I have not been 

 informed, however, that it circulates in the county 

 of Oneida. Sure I am, that every Mulberry plan- 

 ter, every practical husbandman, and every horti- 

 culturist, wlio will read it attentively, will de- 

 rive from it a tenfold remuneration of its cost. 

 It is printed at Rochester, and published by L. 

 Tucker & Co. proprietors. Judge Buel conducts 

 its editorial department. With great respect. 

 Yours, &c. 



Samuel Boyce, Esq. 



DAN BRADLEY. 



TO DESTROY ANTS. 



From the Horticultural Register. 



Having read in pages 278 and 279, two com- 

 plaints against ants, I am induced to send you the 

 following : Some time ago, a drawer in which I 

 kept sugar was so much infested with ants, that 

 we were obliged to remove the sugar from it. It 

 happened from some cause or other, a small piece 

 of camphor was laid in the drawer, and on opening 

 it a tew days afterwards, we were agreeably sur- 

 prised to find the bottom literally covered with 

 dead ants. This induced us to repeat the experi- 

 ment, and from that time we have found no diffi- 

 culty in keeping the sugar free from their depre- 

 dations, by allowing a small piece of camphor to 

 be in one corner of the drawer. Where trees 

 upon walls, or plants are infested, I should recom- 

 mend small pieces of camphor to be thrown on the 

 ground round their stems, and in some cases, to 

 dissolve a little alchohol, and sprinkle it over the 

 leaves in a diluted state with a common syringe. 



JOHN J. GODFREY. 



Albany, March 3, 1832. 



