60 ON MULBERRY TREES. 



Your committee would add some observations relative to the 

 cultivation of mulberry trees, the rearing of silk worms and the 

 reeling of silk, but the very excellent article upon these sub- 

 jects, which is published in the last number of the transactions 

 of this Society, renders it unnecessary. They would recom- 

 mend a perusal of this article to those who are engaged in the 

 culture of silk. Ebenezer Moseley, per order. 



September 27, 1832. 



STEPHEN CURRIER'S STATEMENT. 



to the committee or the essex agricultural society on 

 the cultivation of mulberry trees, &;c. 



Gentlemen, — 



I submit to your examination my plantation 

 ofwhlte mulberry trees, situate in the town of Methuen. They 

 were planted in the following manner— 



In 1831, I set out my trees on an acre and a half of land. — 

 One acre of the land had been planted with corn, for two years 

 previous. The other half acre was grass land ploughed the fall 

 previous. In the spring I ploughed the ground twice, and har- 

 rowed it well. The rows were set eight feet apart ; and the 

 plants in the rows about four feet apart. Between the rows, I 

 planted corn, beans and potatoes. I raised on the ground 135 

 bushels of potatoes — 7 bushels of corn — 3 bushels of white 

 beans ; — and all the peas and beans needed for family use through 

 the season. 



From the leaves of the young trees, I have fed the present 

 season, 1832, fourteen thousand silk worms. They have pro- 

 duced seventy three pounds ten ounces of cocoons. The eggs 

 were hatched, without artificial heat, about the 20th of June, and 

 they came to maturity in about 35 days. The worms were fed 

 with the tender leaves at first, and as they grew, with the lar- 

 ger leaves. Their litters were cleaned once an age, until the 

 5th age, and during the 5th age, three times. The worms were 

 taken care of principally by Mrs. Currier, who required no as- 



