1840.] S ENATE— No. 36. 171 



among the most interesting and valuable of all pursuits to the 

 young mind. Every thing that brings the young more imme- 

 diately into connexion with other living beings, and especially 

 makes demands upon their prudence, providence and kindness 

 becomes at once an effectual teacher of the most practical, the 

 most valuable, and the highest virtues. 



XXXIII. Conclusion. — I have, as will be seen, mainly confin- 

 ed myself to the discussion of the silk culture in Massachusetts, 

 and with our present knowledge of the business, and our present 

 prices of labor. Under how much more favorable circumstan- 

 ces it may be pursued where slave labor abounds, where the 

 climate admits of obtaining three or four harvests a year, and 

 where the best trees require no care nor labor to protect them in 

 Avinter, I shall leave others to determine. How well adapted 

 this product must be to those farmers, whose situation is remote 

 from market, and with whom the common agricultural pro- 

 ducts are too heavy to be transported, but with great loss and 

 toil; how advantageously it might be substituted for that odi- 

 ous plant tobacco, which is an impoverisher of the earth as 

 well as a poisoner of man, and which holds the miserable pre- 

 eminence of standing next to that curse of curses, intoxicating 

 drinks, it is not necessary for me to say. How much more 

 productive it may hereafter prove than we have at present any 

 certain grounds for calculating, will presently be determined ; 

 and I entertain the sanguine hope, under an improved cultiva- 

 tion, of a greatly increased yield.* 



If under the circumstances which I have stated, and under 

 the qualifications named, it can be introduced and extended in 

 Massachusetts, not as a principal, but as a collateral and inci- 

 dental branch of husbandry and domestic industry, it must 

 prove a source of eminent comfort and wealth. That the ma- 

 chinery for reeling is simple and cheap, that the operation in- 

 volves no mystery, and may be learnt and performed by a 

 child, are other circumstances which commend it. Mas- 

 sachusetts, then, I cannot but hope, will see in this case both 

 her interest and duty. As she increases her productions 



* Appendix W. 



