1840.] SENATE.— No. 36. 125 



ment of the feeding, the time of one woman would not be oc- 

 cupied entirely by an amount of worms, which at the close of 

 the feeding season would require her whole and exclusive at- 

 tention. Various circumstances, likewise, must come into the 

 account ; such, for example, as the facilities for feeding the 

 worms ; whether the leaves are to be gathered from high stand- 

 ard trees or from shrubs ; and whether they are to be plucked 

 from the white mulberry or the improved varieties. In the 

 improved cocooneries small cars fixed upon a rail-road are used 

 to convey the leaves from one end of the room to the other ; 

 and at a great saving of labor and time. The use of hurdles, 

 likewise, so as to facilitate the cleaning of the worms, will serve 

 to lessen the labor. Practice and experience, as in all other 

 cases, may be expected to bring with them their usual advan- 

 tages. Under these circumstances, it is not easy to determine 

 how large a family of these industrious and hungry operatives 

 may be placed under the stewardship of one person. In Mr. 

 Smith's operations, two women were occupied about five weeks 

 in feeding the worms for the production of about twenty pounds 

 of silk ; but how long was required for the reeling is not stated. 

 They received three dollars each per week, and board, which 

 must be rated at one dollar and a half each per week. In Mr. 

 McLean's experience, the labor of two women and a man 

 twelve weeks each, would be required to attend upon one acre 

 or 160,000 worms ; and he estimates their expenses, including 

 board, at three dollars per week each. These wages might be 

 deemed ample for a woman's labor, but it is not more than half 

 of the cost of man's labor in Massachusetts. Mr. McLean's 

 cocoonery, which I had the pleasure of visiting, combines 

 many advantages of construction ; and his foliage was gathered 

 from the Perottet mulberry, planted the same spring, and grow- 

 ing luxuriantly directly in the vicinity. His experiment, how- 

 ever, though conducted in a manner creditable to his remarka- 

 ble intelHgence and public spirit, cannot be said to determine 

 in a satisfactory manner the cost of production ; though I think 

 it fully decides the question at the present prices of raw silk 



