Vol.1.— No. 15. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



115 



such information, as might be expected to 

 throw light upon the sub'ject. This was done, 

 and tho items of intelligence so collected were 

 published and spread before the American 

 people, in u very usoful Manual, published bj 

 authority, Hud at the expense of the nation.— 

 Some of the State legislatures have acteil upon 

 the same subject, under the same convictions 

 of ihs importance. We are informed, that laws 

 nave been passed, exempting lands thbt bear 

 mulberry trees from taxation, and granting 

 bounties on nurseries at:d orchards of mulber- 

 ry trees, and on specimens of raw silk. It is 

 known that the most wealthy, and most res- 

 j»ecta61e Agricultural Societies, now opera- 

 ting in the United States, are, at the pre>- 

 cnt time, offering great bounties on nurseries 

 and orchards of mulberry trees. In all quar- 

 ters, individuals have been prosecuting experi- 

 ments. Indeed, the culture of silk, on a mod- 

 erate, but increasing scale, has been going on 

 in nearly, or quite, all the states in the Union, 

 producing results the most satisfactory, by 

 which all questions of practicability and profit, 

 have been settled to the entire satisfaction of 

 oven the most incredulous. And yet, so far as 

 I know, the great body of people in this sec- 

 tion of the country, areignarant of these facts. 

 Scarcely has the subject been presented to 

 their view. It woold seem that blamo must be 

 somewhere. The Legislative authorities of the 

 State should have been prompted to act on this 

 subject. Should the legislature pas« a law, 

 granting bounties for the encouragement of the 

 culture of silk, this would bring the subject be- 

 fore the penple, and no doubt produce respilts 

 of great value. 



I ought perhaps, before I proceed, to pre- 

 monish you, that in relation to most of the 

 subject, before me, I bave uo knowledge that 

 has been derived from my own experience; it 

 is chieiv to the periodicals of the day, and 

 -most of all, the New England Farmer, printed 

 at Boston, that I am iudebted for what I shall 

 be able to communicate on this interesting 

 subject. 



You inquire 1st, is thoro any market for co- 

 coons I and ifso what are they probably worth? 

 My answer to this interrogatory is, that I l^e 

 no information on the subject. I bave no 

 doubt, however, that any quantity of cocoons 

 might be marketed at their full value. We 

 .are informed, that there are seveial silk facto- 

 ries, now operating on a small scale, in differ 

 enl parts of the United States. There is one 

 at Philadelphia, at which was wrought that 

 splendid specimen of American silk manufac- 

 ture, very recently presented to the house of 

 representatives. I believe there is a silk fac- 

 tory iu Massachusetts, and one in Connecticut. 

 Peihops there are more. It may hi- presumed 

 that, at any of these factories a market may be 

 found for cocoons. But I feel very little in- 

 terest in the subject of this interrogatory. I 

 do not expect that either you or myself shall 

 ever desire to sell cocoons. Bui if this should 

 happen, I have no doubt that, as soon as the 

 produce of cocoons shall be sufficient to sus 

 tain markets, therf will be markets provided 

 for them. The si& culturist will find no diffi- 

 culty in marketing his produce in such form us 

 sjiall best suit him. 



You inquire, Sd, Is there any market for silk 

 reeled, and in a raw state 7 To this my an- 

 swer is, that if there is not now a market for 

 raw silk it is because there is not enough of 

 the article in existence among us to sustain a 

 market. There can bo no doubt, however, 

 that silk, in that state of preparation, might be 

 marketed at any of the silk factories. But, 

 sir, it almost seems to me, that this question, 

 as well as the preceding one, is premature. — 

 We are not to expect eslablishe-d markets for 

 • .omruodities that are not yet in existence, or 

 that ha?o but just commenced their existence. 

 t'ic. it. can be no doabt that, whenever the 

 country shall produce raw silk sufficient to 

 make tt an object of commercial enterprise, 

 the markets for it will bo abundant We are 

 ToW that tire United State-s annually import 



silk goods to tho value of 8 or 10 millions of 

 dollars, ana that tho cost of imported silks far 

 surpasses the value of all the bread 6Uiffs that 

 we export. With these facts before us, can 

 we doubt the future existence of home mark- 

 ets for as much raw silk as American industry 

 can produce 1 But if more be needed, we 

 have more, to sustain the expectation of an 

 abundant and perpetual market for silk. We 

 are informed that a few samples of American 

 raw silk have been recently tested by the 

 Chamber of Commerce at Lyons, one of the 

 great commercial towns of France, and that 

 these samples were found to be of a quality 

 superior to that of the silks of any other coun- 

 try, those of Italy not excepted. The jodg 

 meut, as expressed by that commercial tribu- 

 nal, was, that American raw silks, comparing 

 with those samples, would be preferred in the 

 markets of Europe, to those of any other 

 country. We may be sure then, that if the 

 time should come, when this country will pro- 

 duce more silk than will be needed for home 

 consumption, all that we can spare will be ea- 

 gerly sought for in Europe. It is indeed sat- 

 isfactory to understand that in all respects in 

 quanity as well as quality, American silks are 

 found to be superior to those produced iu any 

 other part of the world. In Europe as we are 

 told, it lakes 12 pounds of cocoons to make 

 one of raw silk. It is found that in America 8 

 pounds of cocoons will make one of raw silk. 

 It will be seen here is the difference of one 

 th'nd in favor of American silk. For these 

 and many other interesting facts, we are in- 

 debted to the experiments of Mr. D. Homer- 

 gue, a distinguished silk manufacturer from 

 France, now operating at Philadelphia. You 

 sue, sir, that in relation to the culture of silk I 

 derive no uneasiness from considerations of 

 market. I have no fear that iu my day or my 

 children's day, enough of this article will be 

 produced to glut the markets and depress its 

 value. 



You inquire, 3d, Which would bo most like- 

 ly to find a ready market, the raw material or 

 silk thread ? 1 have no doubt, that silk pre- 

 pared in either of those forms, might be read 

 ily marketed. So far as I know, it has hither- 

 to been the general practice at the small es- 

 tablishments (lor there have been but few that 

 were not small) to work the material into silk 

 thread and for this it does not appear that there 

 has been any difficulty in finding good mark- 

 ets. It is known, however, that considerable 

 quantities of American silk have been wrought 

 into divers fabrics, such as stockings, ribbands, 

 vest patterns, iSrc. But to those who are about 

 to undertake the culture of silk, it is of little 

 consequence to know what may be, in its pres- 

 ent incipient state, the best mode of prepaiing 

 the article. The practi»es now prevailing 

 must not be expected to continue. Whenever 

 the culture of silk shall become general in this 

 country, os in a few years it doubtless will, it 

 will be prepared and marketed in all manner 

 of foini-s It is reasonable to conjecture, that 

 many of those who shall conduct the business 

 on a small scale, will ohooso to dispose of their 

 produce in the form of cocoons. These will 

 always find gnod cash markets uear home ; for 

 there will be fillatures, or reeling establish- 

 ments, in all pans of the country, where the 

 culture of silk shall pievail. 



Other- who shall be engaged in the business' 

 on a more extended scale, will perform tiie 

 reeling process, and whatever more may need 

 to be done to prepare their produce for mark- 

 et «s an article of raw silk. And we know 

 enough of the enterprise and skill of our citi- 

 zens te be sure, that whenever the culture of 

 silk shall prevail to any considerable extent, 

 the artiole will be wrought into all the forms 

 of manufacture which tue or fancy may re- 

 quire. 



You inquire 4th, Whether I have Mulborry 

 trees o'" suitable size for setting, and what will 

 be their prices 1 I have a Mulberry nursery, 

 supposed to contain about ten thousand trees 

 The trees have now had the growth of two 



seasons. Tboy arc very thrifty. Many of 

 them ari 5 feet high, some G feet, but on air 

 average they are, perhaps, not more than foot 

 feet high. To bring them to tho size general-' 

 !y thought suitable for setting in an orchard, 

 the growth of another seasun will be necessa- 

 ry. Yet, they will do very well to set next 

 spring I am hardly prepared to answer that 

 part of jour inquiry which relates to price. — 

 It is mv intention, however, to sell at mode- 

 rate prices, and if some of my trees should be 

 called for next spring, I think the price if they 

 are taken on an average, will not exceed |T<1 

 a hundred —it may be pot at something less. 



Your last inquiry is, Whether I have the 

 eggs of silk worms, or can inform you where 

 they can be obtained 1 I have a few thousand 

 of eggs, which were lately given me by a lady 

 in this vicinity, who has for several years con- 

 ducted a small silk establishment. With these 

 I intend to commence experiments next spring. 

 After that, if successful in my experiments, I 

 may be able to supply any quantity sf eggs 

 *.ha: may be wanted. 1 do not know where 

 any considerable quantity can now be obtain- 

 ed, otherwise than by sending to a distance. 

 Silk worms being once obtained, their propa- 

 gation will be easy, for it is estimated that one 

 m iller will lay about 300 eggs. 



[Concluded next week.] 



GREEN BRESSING. 



That is ploughing a green crop in tho ground 

 in the summer to insure a good crop of some 

 other kini — clover, lucerne, buckwheat, peas, 

 or oats, millet, or any rich esculent plant, 

 sowed in the spring, may be turned in the lat- 

 tei end of June, or whenever it is fullest of 

 sap and juices. After being under grouud two 

 or three weeks, it is sufficiently rotted; then 

 plough for veur winter grain. This is a very 

 great improvement in agriculture, and getting 

 much in practice. 



There are various means of improving land; 

 in fact lands may be kept continually progress- 

 ing in stre, h by a proper rotation of crop6 : 

 and grass ploughing. But in tho execu- 



tion of tbt much judgment is required of the' 

 farmer, for '• ithout some knowledge on his' 

 part, some fixed undeviating rule, the best far- 

 mer may be ruined. 



The first means of improving land in point 

 of importance is that of ploughing under grass 

 or any kind of vegetables. When land is 

 poor it should never remain long without til- 

 ling, hut the fewer the crops are before seed-' 

 ing the better, and at every breaking up, a 

 thick sward "f grass should be Invariably turn- 

 ed under. It is generally thought that it mat-' 

 ters not how close a field is pastured when it' 

 is about to be ploughed up ; and this is true if. 

 we wish to make a rich field poor, for this is t 

 the most certain method of effecting that end. 

 When old gra-s or corn yard manure is left an 

 the surface it is nearly lost, for the most nutrt- 

 cious parts are evaporated by the heat of the 

 sun and fly off, but when they are turned un- 

 der the surfaoe, they mingle with the earth 

 and are retained many years. So that the of- 

 toner we plough under a c»at of grass, the 

 faster our land will improve in richness. 



Many good farmers are in the habit of turn 

 ing up the land they intend for a fallow in the . 

 spring.ithen Bowing on a crop of buokwheaf^, 

 when this is in full blossom it is all plowed »n 

 der,harrowed down smoothly, and winter grain 

 is sown on over the whole. T hebuckwheat 

 ferments and sends up its nourishment and> 

 warmth to tho roots of the winter grain. Con- 

 sidering that buckwheat is much less expen ; 

 sivo than clover seed, this plan appears to de- 

 serve the preference over that of seeding. 



The most judicious course, however, would be 

 to let then: succeed eaoh other in the follow-, 

 ing order : buckwheat in the summer, timothj- 

 in the fall, and clover in the spring following, , 

 and immediately a good coat of plaster shoQla ' 

 follow. 



V. T.'s notice of M. Floy's communication, 1 

 will appear nrxtweei.. 



