246 APPENDIX. [March, 



Letter II. 



Charlemoni, April, 1840. 

 Rev. Mr. Colman, 



Ml/ Dear Sir : — My last letter enclosed samples of four varieties of 

 mulberry leaves, White, Multicaulis, Canton and Broussa — all produced 

 last season on the same patch of ground ; by inspecting which I 

 think one would come to the conclusion, that the more modern 

 fashionable leaves, after all, have little or no pre-eminence to the white, 

 beinfT little larger in size, and, as to compactness and firmness of tex- 

 ture, manifestly inferior. I have formed no judgment, from my own 

 experience, whether there would be economy in substituting other 

 kinds for the Italian white mulberry; for I have not had sufficient 

 opportunity for a test. There is one consideration not to be over- 

 looked. According to the proposed modern plan of silk production^ 

 viz., by taking up the trees in the autumn and housing them, and re- 

 setting them in the spring, their foliage will be later, and require that 

 the latter rather than the former part of summer be the season for 

 rearin-T the worm. Now experience has established us in the opinion 

 that the earlier months are incomparably preicrable to the later for 

 rearing healthy worms, and, consequently, for producing good cocoons. 

 Trees, which will not endure the winter, must be waited on for their 

 harvest, until those of a more hardy race have matured their crop and 

 given it into the hand of the gatherer. If the importance of early 

 fecdino- he not a prejudice, every one must see, that trees which stand 

 the winter, must, other things being equal, be entitled to the prefer- 

 ence. When acclimation shall remove the objection which lies 

 against the larger leafed species, they may command respect, and even 

 pre-eminence ; but, to continue their triumph by acclamation, is not to 

 be expected. If the leaves I forwarded to you are minutely examined, 

 it will be judged, I believe, that the cultivators of the mulberry tree 

 have good encouragement, even if their preferences cling to the Multi- 

 caulis, still to regard the white with favor, so much as to allow it 

 crenerous fare ; not to be turned off with a seat at the second or third 

 table ; or, still worse, to be denied every indulgence and kindness. A 

 rich soil is alone able to clothe the mulberry with a rich foliage, and, 

 for a liberal allowance of sustenance, even the common sort, so de- 

 graded and scorned, of late, will yield a noble and satisfactory return. 



Most sincerely yours, 



JOSEPH FIELD. 



