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as should have been the case in such an important 

 culture. But all this had no influence on me. I had such 

 a firm confidence in our beautiful silk climate, that I 

 did not take any notice of all that, and still persisted. 

 And more, (I must confess it to you in secret) I could 

 not help having a certain contempt for all those that 

 had objections to it, as it appeared to me like refusing 

 to acknowledge that it is daylight at noon. 



As it will require a large volume for the history of 

 Silk in California, I do not intend to put it here ; but 

 I think that I must say a few words about it, being as 

 brief as possible. 



After I had spent the first summer here, in 1850, 

 I judged that it was a silk climate, and took occasion to 

 speak about it to different persons. In the fall of 1852, 

 I had a long conversation on that subject, for the whole 

 evening, with Henry Hentsch, Esq., of San Francisco. 

 He was, and had been, also of the same opinion ; but 

 there were no mulberry trees to be found in the State 

 to try that culture. It was then agreed that Mr. 

 Hentsch should import the seed from France. When 

 they came, in 1854, 1 sowed them, and they grew out 

 finely. After the trees were of sufficient size, I told 

 Mr. Hentsch that it would be good now to import silk- 

 worms' eggs. He procured some from China ; but the 

 eggs were bad, or had been spoiled on the voyage ; none 

 of that first importation hatched. The year after, some 

 more were procured, with the same result. For the 

 third time, Mr. Hentsch ordered some more, again from 

 China, and at the same time ordered some from France. 



