128 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. [March, 



with much confidence upon this statement ; but I give this ex- 

 ample for the sake of showing liow difficult it is, even with 

 observing men, to arrive at any certain result. 



7. T. W. Shepard, of Northampton, fed worms to an amount 

 not known, but supposed from 75,000 to 100,000. Commenced 

 feeding about the middle of August ; and the worms wound in 

 about five weeks. The worms were of the two crop kind. About 

 2,150 lbs. of leaves were picked from small Alpine and white mul- 

 berry trees ; all the leaves were stripped off with many of the 

 small branches ; and owing to the lateness of the season, many 

 leaves were very rusty. All the labor of picking leaves, tend- 

 ing the worms, and preparing bushes for winding, was per- 

 formed by one man in five weeks, except paying a boy three 

 dollars for picking leaves ; and the first two weeks, the man 

 was not engaged more than half the time. The cocoons mea- 

 sured twelve bushels ; one bushel was saved for seed ; and the 

 remainder reeled by a young girl, totally ignorant of the busi- 

 ness, having never reeled an ounce before. The amount of 

 silk reeled was eight pounds. Under the most favorable aspect, 

 the cost in this case, cannot be considered less than three dol- 

 lars per lb. for labor only. 



VII. Product of an Acre. — Of the yield to an acre, the most 

 various calculations have been made. I should deem myself 

 poorly occupied to go into the extravagances of some persons 

 whose brains on this subject seem to have been turned, if in 

 truth they had any brains to be turned ; and should, in the 

 present condition of the silk culture, deem it safe to rely only 

 upon what has actually been accomplished. 



Joseph Conant, of Mansfield, Connecticut, trained to the 

 culture of silk from his childhood, and upon whose intelligent 

 and calm judgment, 1 should place much reliance, says, that 

 an acre of land may be expected to produce from thirty to fifty 

 pounds of silk. D. V. McLean obtained at the rate of 48 lbs. ; 

 or, allowing for waste and accident, at the rate of 50 lbs. to 

 the acre. He adds, that he should utterly despair of obtaining 

 104 or 128 lbs. to an acre. Mr. McLean's product, under the 

 circumstances of the case, may be regarded as a medium pro- 



