1840.] SENATE— No. 36. 127 



considerable extent, it is considered more profitable to employ- 

 some men for the last period of the worms." 



This account of Mr. Fitch, it will be seen, makes no al- 

 lowance for any capital invested in trees, land, or buildings ; 

 or for expenses which the care of the trees, land and buildings 

 may require ; and it refers only to the use of the white mulber- 

 ry as standard trees. 



6. The calculation of an intelligent silk-grower at Manchester, 

 Connecticut, and who is a cultivator of the Perottet mulberry, 

 is as follows. He estimates the value of the trees at 25 cents 

 each, and he requires three thousand to stock an acre. 



Cost 



Of trees for an acre, . . , $750 00 

 Value of Land, . . . . 100 00 



Capital invested, , , . {^850 00 



Interest on 850 . . . , 51 00 



Labor in picking leaves, . . 25 00 



Labor of feeding worms, and reeling silk, 50 00 

 Extra manure for land, . , . 20 00 



Return. 



#146 00 



50 lbs. of Silk at |5 per lb. . . 250 00 

 Deduct charges, . . , 146 00 



104 00 



The labor here is undoubtedly underrated. The number of 

 trees upon an acre, 3,000 is also underrated, unless upon the 

 presumption that these trees are counted before they are laid 

 down ; if laid down in a furrow they would be multiplied 

 many times. In Mr. McLean's case, there were 5,500 trees 

 upon a quarter of an acre, or, 22,000 upon an acre. The price 

 of silk, is in a considerable degree, capricious. The quantity pro- 

 duced upon an acre is matter of fair calculation. I do not rely 



