1840.] SENATE— No. 36. 123 



will yield foliage for fifty pounds of silk ; and presume to say 

 that an acre of Multicaulis (Perottet,) will yield double the 

 quantity to an acre of white. I consider that reeled silk cost 

 me about two dollars per pound, not over ; although it was a 

 year of experiments ; but feel confident that in two or three 

 years, by using the best kinds of mulberry and the better econ- 

 omy, that silk can be made for one and a half dollar per 

 pound." 



In a subsequent letter, Mr. Smith remarks, " I consider the 

 Multicaulis the most tender variety of any that I have cultiva- 

 ted. I consider the Canton as my best mulberry tree for rais- 

 ing silk, taking into consideration the hardihood of the tree, 

 and the quantity of foliage it yields. I like the Italian white ; 

 and think it best to cultivate some of each variety." 



I understand Mr. Smith here to estimate, in the cost of the 

 silk, the value of the labor only ; and to charge nothing for 

 the use of the land and the cost and care of the trees ; nor any 

 rent for his cocoonery. These items would add something to 

 the cost of the silk, but it is not easy to calculate them, from 

 the imperfect elements which are given. It will be seen in 

 this case, that although Mr. Smith has had some experience in 

 the production of silk, yet that his statements are somewhat 

 conjectural. In his supposition, likewise, that he could obtain 

 one hundred pounds of silk from an acre, planted with the 

 Perottet mulberry, and that he hoped to reduce the cost of the 

 production of reeled silk to one dollar and a half per lb., a little 

 allowance is perhaps to be made for the quickness of pulse, 

 which in that time of excitement was felt by every cultivator 

 of mulberry trees in his visions of the profits of the Multicaulis. 



2. The next approach to the actual cost of the production, is 

 presented by James Deane, M. D. of Greenfield, Mass. His admi- 

 rable letter to me on the subject, I shall give in the appendix.* 

 He estimates the cost of producing reeled silk at from two to 

 two dollars and a quarter per pound. He produced the last 

 year several pounds of silk of as fine a description as could be 



* Appendix Q. 



