FARMERS' REGISTER— SILKWORM— GRAPE VINE— ORCHARD GRASS. 413 



ON THE REARING OF THE SILKWORM AND 

 CULTURE OF THE GRAPE VINE. 



" Winnshorough, June 23, 1833. 



Dear Sir, — A few years since, several persons 

 in tliis neighborhood paid some attention to the 

 rearinf^ of silkworms, and even to the manufac- 

 ture of silk on a small scale. I sometimes met 

 my friends with one or more garments of home- 

 made silk, that would compare well with the 

 imported article. Attention to this business seemed 

 likely, at one time, to become fashionable. Some 

 spoke of making extensive preparations for it, and 

 our Agricultural Society, by Avay of encourage- 

 ment, imported the Moras multicaulis, which was 

 pretty generally distributed, and grows with great 

 luxuriance in our soil. Such, however, is the 

 difficulty of overcoming inveterate habit, that the 

 rearing of silk could not obtain a permanent foot- 

 hold in a single family, although its practicability 

 were established by numerous successful attempts. 

 Many individuals on account of its very superior 

 quality compared with the imported, make an 

 abundant supply of sewing silk. This is some- 

 thing gained. I tiiink it is capable of demonstra- 

 tion, that with a good market for cocoons, which I 

 am told may be found in Charleston, at all events 

 in Baltimore, small capitalists, with convenient 

 preparations, by no means costly, would find it far 

 more profitable to raise a crop of them than cotton. 



I have for a good many years past attended to 

 the cultivation of the vine ; and I have good rea- 

 son, (founded on some experience) to believe, that 

 it may be reared here to advantage. The soil of 

 my vineyard is a stiff red clay, clecomposed trap, 

 I plant in large holes about two feet in dej^th, and 

 fill up with a mixture of loam and sand. In a few 

 instances I have used the scoriae from the black- 

 smith's shop, in setting out cuttings, according to 

 the suggestions of Mr. Clarke of Florida. The 

 vines run upon arbors about eight feet high, made 

 of hewn timber or scantling, covered over with 

 long slender pine poles, with the rough bark care- 

 fully pealed off. The vines are trimmed close, in 

 the winter months, after the usual method, and so 

 confined to the frames on which they run, as not to 

 be affected by the severest winds. I have never 

 watered nor manured them since they were plant- 

 ed. The hoe is never used except for the removal 

 of grass and weeds. Suckers from the old wood 

 are carefully removed, but the fruit-bearing shoots 

 are never topped, nor a leaf intentionally taken off. 

 I have not failed to raise a good crop of Herbe- 

 mont's Madeira for twelve years. In some seasons 

 I have had them in great abundance, and in the 

 highest perfection. Bland's Madeira has generally 

 succeeded well, but I think a soil of decomposed 

 sand-stone or granite, the proper home of this spe- 

 cies. The admirable Lenoir overpays me every 

 year for the attention liestowed upon it. It never 

 rots, and always fulfils its promise to the letter. I 

 cultivate several other kinds which answer tolera- 

 bly, and which are suffered to remain as members 

 of the vineyard dimi bene se gesserint. I have ex- 

 tirpated the black Hamburgh as a cumberer of the 

 ground. This variety, whose origin is uncertain, 

 and which has been so generally reared in the 

 country as the English grape, has done more l)y 

 its numerous frauds upon the vigneron, to call in 

 question the capability of the State lor the produc- 

 tion of the vine, than all others. The cuttings. 



however, live without difficulty, and afford excel- 

 lent stocks to graft on. I have found by experi- 

 ence, that old vines bear more plentifully, and 

 perfect their fruits more certainly than the younger 

 ones. Those who intend to rear the vine," should, 

 therefore, begin early, and exercise patience. The 

 traveller in passing through this part of the coun- 

 try will find here and there some attention paid to 

 the cultivation of tlie vine, principally for its fruit: 

 not a few are extending their views ilirther. Cut- 

 tings are in good demand every spring. The 

 planting of vineyards, and the making of wine are 

 becoming ordinary subjects of conversation. A 

 half dozen successful examples would wake up our 

 people to the enterprlze in good earnest. I am 

 somewhat advanced in j-ears, but I entertain hopes 

 of yet living to see tlie greater part of my neigh- 

 bors manufacturing an abundance of good wine for 

 family use, and the bad habit of drinking ardent 

 spirits as a common beverage entirely given up. 

 Very respectfully, dear sir, 



P . 



ORCHARD GRASS. 



From tlie Buck's Couniy Intclliseiicerof 1931. 



The most eligible time for sowing the seed of 

 Orchard Grass, I am induced to believe, is as ear- 

 ly in the spring as the state of the ground will ad- 

 mit ; and as clover is the best adapted to the growth 

 of this grass of any with which I am acquainted, 

 they may be advantageously sown together. I have 

 usually sown clover seed at the rate of about four 

 quarts per acre, and afterwards followed with orch- 

 ard grass witii one bushel on the same quantity of 

 ground. This plan has been preferred from a 

 knowledge of the fact, that the latter grass does not 

 generally advance as rapidly as clover, (it not 

 seeding the next season after sowing,) but there is 

 always sufficient of the blades, if the seed takes 

 well, to improve very much the quality of the 

 clover hay. The succeeding season the orchard 

 grass occupies much more space, gradually in- 

 creasing as the clover declines. The experience 

 of the growers of this grass has shown that the 

 crop imi)rovcs for at least seven years. Unlike 

 Timothy and Herd, the bulk of this grass consists 

 in the blades ; and of course, when the top is cut 

 for seed, the value of the crop for hay is not much 

 lessened, the part usually cradled being of com- 

 paratively small value ; but after the seed is gath- 

 ed, it does not, like the grasses just mentioned, be- 

 come dead and dry, but continues green and in a 

 suitable state for cutting during several weeks. I 

 have this season mown the stubble which had been 

 standing more than four weeks, and the larger part 

 of it furnished hay of a very good quality ; on the 

 other hand I have observed several patches of 

 Timothy and Herd that have been cut for seed, the 

 stubble of which would not be worth gathering for 

 any thing but manure. 



In sowing the seed of this grass, especial care 

 should be taken to distribute it evenly over the 

 ground, it being light, (weighing but about 15 lbs. 

 per bushel,) and easily acted upon by the winds. 

 On an eight pace land four casts should be sown, 

 the sower scattering seed with every step. But it 

 sliould not be mixed with clover or any other 

 heavy seed, as the difference in weight will vary 

 the extent to which a cast will reach. With re- 

 spect to the quantity of seed per acre, those who 



