116 SILK. 



SILK. 



Our readers will observe we have yet said IduI little 

 on the subject of silk, or of the mulberry. We think it 

 best not to hurry too fast into this branch of business 

 before our country can supply itself with bread and 

 potatoes, with milk and butter, with hay and beef. 



The silk business must be gradually introduced : 

 trees or shrubs must be reared before we can feed the 

 worms, and people who are acquainted with the busi- 

 ness of setting trees, and with the soils most suitable 

 for them, must be employed in the business. We have 

 already seen too much capital sunk in attempting to 

 introdoce this business on a large scale by persons and 

 corporations, who have not skill enough to set out an 

 apple-tree or a currant-bush ; and what else can we 

 expect but failure from such efforts ? 



In our humble opinion, the introduction of the Morus 

 Multicaulis has been injurious in the Northern States. 

 Since the wonderful accounts published concerning 

 that species, most of the Avhite mulberry-trees have 

 been abandoned as useless. But it now appears, from 

 a statement made by a silk grower, in Hampshire 

 county, that the white mulberry leaf is much to be 

 preferred for feeding to the Morus Multicaulis ; and 

 especially in the last stages of feeding, that these 

 leaves were not so watery, and contained more nutri- 

 ment than the large leaf. 



One standing argument in favor of the large leaf is 

 the ease and rapidity with which it is gathered from 

 the bush. Now these leaves should never be stripped 

 from the twigs: the small twigs should be cut off, and 

 new shoots will start out immediately, and these may 

 be cut off the same season. These twigs are laid on 

 the worm-shelf; and the worms seem much pleased 

 with the task of climbing on to them for their food out 

 of their nest below. 



