122 



THE GENESEE PARMER 



April 23. 1831 



CULTURE OF iIL,K. 



MR. BRADLEY'S LETTER. 



;t. initialled from page 115.] 

 Having answered all your interrogatories, 1 

 ought, perhaps, to stop. If the subject did 

 not appear to present more than ordinary claims 

 to attention, certainly I would not trouble you 

 with any thing more. Tin question, Can the 

 culture "of silk be made a profitable business 

 in this country? recurs and seems to isquire 

 a more detailed answer. I submit the follow- 

 ing considerations ; they all have an anspi- 

 cious bearing upon the question, but the first 

 isentiiled to supreme regard. 



1st. It is ob-ious that something like the 

 culture of silk, f and we know ofnotbing that 

 can be its substitute) is extremely needed to 

 supply the means of industry to the children 

 and youth of our country, especially of the fe- 

 male sex. We all see, and doubtless deplore 

 the fact, that this por'ion of c immunity is, in 

 a great measure, thrown oui or business. I 

 need not stop lo inquiro after the causes that 

 have produced this state of things. They are 

 obvious. It is enough for my present pur- 

 pose to know the existing facts. What, sir, 

 shall be done, that employment may be found 

 for our youth? To tram ihein up in habits of 

 indolence, will contravene all the sound max 

 ims of morality, and politic.il economy. And 

 besides, a large majority of families absolute- 

 ly need tho available industry of their chil- 

 dren. The culture of silk, if generally intro- 

 duced, would nappily supply the desideratum. 

 2d. It being ascertained that the mulberry 

 tree tows well in our soil, and that our cli- 

 mate°is congenial with t!ie silk worm it seems 

 reasonable to conclude, that silk may be pro- 

 duced in this country to as good profit as in 

 3ny other. We are assured that, in countries 

 whee its culture prevails, it brings far greater 

 profits, than are derived from any other bran- 

 ches of industry ; that even in Italy, a coun- 

 try of fine soil, capable of producing the choi- 

 cest fruits of the earth, the produce of silk is 

 of twice the value of .IF the other products of 

 agriculture put together. Air. L). Homeigue, 

 whose name I have mentioned, tells u», that 

 Count Dandulio, a nobleman of Italy, does not 

 hesitate to affirm, thai there is no production 

 of the earth, in he markets of Europe, which, 

 compared to its natur.l value or prime cost, 

 offers to the producer a greater nett profit 

 than the article of silk. It is supposed the 

 noble Count meant to include those most fa. 

 vored climes, where grow the sugar cane, the 

 cotton plant, the vine, and the olive tree. If 

 this be truo. what encouragements are presen- 

 ted to the American silk cultunst ! Indeed, 

 so far as I have been able to learn, it is a con- 

 ceded fact, that wherever the culture of silk 

 has been vigorously prosccuied. il has never 

 failed to produce wealth. It ha* converted, 

 almost as by nrigic, barren district^ and dis- 

 tricts of poverty, into ilie abodes of affluence 

 and luxury. 



3J. It requires little effort, little skill, and 

 liltle capital, to commence and carry on the 

 culture of silk. Any .nan, who can avail 

 himself of one aero of ground for the growth 

 of mulberry trees, may go mto this business, 

 and pursue it, on a scale sufficiently large to 

 make linn rich. I have seen different em- 

 ulates of tin; quantity of land, necessary to bo 

 devoted to the growth of mulberry trees, with 

 1 view to a given quantity of produce. That 

 which seems to hive gained Ihe inns general 

 currency, is. that one acre of ground, set with 

 mulberry trees one and a halt rods apart, will, 

 when the trees arc live or six years old, afford 

 leaves enough to make 40 pounds of silk, 

 which, at a moderate estimate, will be worth 

 I But this is very vague, and in in opin- 

 ion, not at all to be relied upon. It brings in- 

 to requisition a greater quantity of land than 

 ,-j necessary, .Mr. Genet, of Albany, who 

 wrote four year.- ago on the subject, and ap- 

 pears to have written understandingly, says, 



that a small hodge of mulberry bushes, occu- 

 pying the 20ih part of an acre, will, when the 

 trees are three years old, produce leaves e- 

 nough to feed 100.GOO worms, and that the 

 produce will be 30 pounds of raw drawn silk. 

 He adds, that, if the whole acre be occupied 

 with bushes set in the same manner, the pro- 

 duce of silk will be 600 pounds. This seems 

 almost incredible. Many other estimates are 

 before me, varying from each other considera- 

 bly, but they concur to establish the fact, that 

 a very small quantity of land will be sufficient i 

 for extensive operations in tho culture of silk. 

 Writers differ also as to the best manner of 

 setting the trees. Some would have them 

 stand 1 1-2 rods apart, which I think would give 

 about 100 to an acre. Oihors would have them 

 stand at a less distance from each other, so 

 that an acre might contain 150, or more. As 

 now advised, if 1 were about to plant, I should 

 set in the latter form. Although it will be 

 necessary to have orchards of standard trees, 

 yet doubtless, an immense saving may be 

 made, by cultivating mulberry hedges. For 

 instance, the orchard may be surrounded with 

 a hedge, without any detriment to the stand 

 ard trees. Another mode of cultivating the 

 mulberry is recommended, that of so wing them 

 thick in the drill form, as we »ow onious, or 

 they may be sowed broad cast, as wheat is 

 sown. These, after the first year, are to be 

 cut annually with a scythe, as the leaves shall 

 be needed for the worms. It is likely, that a 

 small grove of a few rods, growing in this 

 form, might be a useful handmaid in the gener 

 al concern. 



To the man who seriously thinks of under- 

 taking the culture of silk, it will be satisfacto- 

 ry to know what buildings he must have foi 

 the accommodation of bis worms, and what 

 will be tho expense of them. 1 regret that, 

 in relation to this subjeet, my means of infor- 

 mation are scant. It does not appear, howev- 

 er, that any considerable expenditures will be 

 needed to provide house room for the worms. 

 It seems, they may be kept in any room, from 

 which cats, rats and mice can be excluded. — 

 An out-house, or the chamber of an out-house, 

 would answer the purpose. An upper room 

 is preferred to a lower one, on account of its 

 containing less humidity. 



Barn floors are sometimes used for this pur- 

 pose, and perhaps, the chief objection to them 

 is, their exposure to rats and mice, and such 

 other vermin, as would annoy the worms. A 

 room of cummon size will be sufficient for a 

 vast multitude of worms. They are kept upon 

 shelves, placed one above another, at suitable 

 distances apart ; anu as many maybe so pla- 

 ced, as the height of the room will admit. It 

 is estimated, that a squire foot will contain 110 

 worms, when arrived at their greatest size. A 

 shelf three feet wide, and twenty feet long, 

 will contain 6,500 worms. 



4th. It is understood that the labor of gath 

 tring leaves, and nursing the silk wo-ms, nod 

 indeed, the whole process of their culture, i . 

 simple, easy, and trifling in amount. It may 

 all be done by women, children, aged and dc 

 crepid people. Mr. Tufts of Massachusetts, 

 who has written ably upon this subject, says, 

 that an active child, fifteen years old, is sulli 

 cientto take care of sixty thousand worms, 1 1 1 1 

 within ten days of their- winding ; after that, 

 the help of one or two moie such children 

 will be needed. He adds, that one woman, 

 in the vicinity where he lives, performed all 

 the work of taking care of sixty thousand 

 worms, and did her days' work every day in 

 -pinning flax." 



With a lew remarks, which the subject seems 

 to havo suggested, I will close thin long com- 

 munication. In applying the subject to your 

 own case, permit me tn say, that, if you are 

 seriously intending to undertake the culture of 

 silk, it will be only necessary that you set, 

 next spring, a few hundred of mulberry trees, 

 ami, in the spring following, you may, on a 

 small scale, commence operations 



least, of the trees should be set in the orchard 

 form for standards, say, at the distance of 12 

 or 15 feet apart ; the rest may be set in rows, 

 and two or three feet apart on the rows, to 

 form hedges. It is said that, on any ground 

 where the apple tree will thrive, the mulberry 

 will thrive also. A sandy or gravelly soil is 

 recommended. Clay, probably, would not be 

 good. It is not material that the soil be rich, 

 for it is said, the mulberry grows well on thin 

 barren soils, and that leaves produced on such 

 soils, make the finest silk. i southern aspect 

 is preferred; a northern one should be rejec» 

 ted. 



I romark again that, for aught that can be 

 seen, thousands of our farmers might, by in- 

 troducing the culture of silk, greatly improve 

 their condition. To the farmer who operates 

 upon a small scale, and can scarcely avail him* 

 self of means to support his family, an extra 

 annual income of one, two, three or four hun- 

 dred dollars, wonld be a surprising help. It 

 is believed, almost any farmer might, in the 

 way here prescribed, secure to himself such 

 an income, without interfering with the ordi- 

 nary business of his farm. Mechanics too, 

 who can supply a very small piece of ground 

 for the growth of mulberry trees, may avail 

 themselves of the same advantages. Espe- 

 cially the man who finds himself master of a. 

 young and increasing family, should consider 

 himself as deeply interested in the subject of 

 this communication. 



My last remark is, that the culture of silk 

 might supply to the public houses of pauper- 

 ism an easy, healthful, and very profitable 

 branch of industry. 



I am, sir, very respectfully, yours. &c. 



DAN BKADLEY. 



) • It is estimated that, in Europe, three thousand 

 worms will produce one pound of raw silk : it is 

 believed they will produce more in America. We 

 •may suppose then, that the 60 thousand worms, 

 Ted by this woman, produced 20 pounds cf raw 

 | silk. This, estimated al $5 a pound, (a low est- 

 imate certainly) would amount to §100. It appears 

 I then, that the woman gained $1U0, and this was 

 'done by gathering up the fragments of tune, and 

 without interrupting her ordinary business. 



Author. 



SELECTIONS.. 



SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 



From the New England Farmer. 



Sir — I have somewhere met with the re- 

 mark that all useful discoveries in agriculture 

 should be considered common stock, and the 

 selfish principle which would laad us lo keep 

 such discoveries for cur own immediate u.e, 

 ought never to find a place in the bosom of the 

 farmer. 



Acting on this principle, I wish to commu- 

 nicate through your journal, some experiments 

 un the important subject of sheep husbandry, 

 ihan which no branch of agncuiruru is of more 

 importance, either as it regard- the interests of 

 the farmer, or in a national point of view. 



I shall, in tho first place, notice some facts 

 respecting the lexture of wool. About six 

 years ago. 1 placed a flock of sheop on one of 

 my farms under the care of a Scot-man, whom 

 I considered one of the best shepherds in this 

 section of the country. Besides being ex- 

 tremely careful, he was a very high feeder. — 

 A! the tune he took charge of these sheep, 

 they were about the average of my whole 

 flock. A iarge portion of them were perfect- 

 ly unmixed with common blood. At present 

 tliey are a full eigliih coarser than those on 

 my other farms that havo not been so highly 

 fed. They havo increased somewhat in size, 

 and I think not less ihau 25 per cent. The 

 (locks on my other farms remain stationary as 

 to weight of carcase and Hence ; but by strict 

 attention to the selection of the best pnmo 

 oucks, we havo been enabled to make great 

 improvement in the texture of the wool. I 

 I find, with all our care in ihe choice of rams, 

 A part, at | u o nru hardly ablo to prevent deterioration in. 



