NEW ENCJI^ANB FARMER. 



Published hy Jou.v B. Russell, at JVo. 5'j JVorth Market SlrcH, (over the Agricultural IVarehoust). — Thomas (J. Pessenukn, Editor. 



VOL. VI. 



BOSTO>, FRIDvVY, APRIL 18, 1828. 



No. 39. 



AGRICULTURE. , 



FOR I'HU BEW EKOLAND FARMKK. 



SILK. 



ITbe following article on a suhjecl of great and increasing in- 

 terest in tlie United- Slates, from tlie |>cu of an able and pa- 

 triotic correspondftnl, composes a p<irl«f the cvntenU of a 

 volume now in press, (in Roslon) enliiled ilie " New Ameiu- 

 CAN Gardener ;" which will compose, not only directions 

 for the culture of all the vegctahlc-s usually raised in gardens, 

 but remarks on Kruit Trees, Flowers. Ornamental Gardening, 

 and some of the most prominent productions of Field Husband- 

 ry. It is principally compiled by die Editor of the New Eng- 

 land Farmer. Some parts pf the work, however, are from 

 the pens of some of the most experienced and scienli6c boni- 

 cullurists in Roslon and its vicinity. It will be published by 

 John B. Russell, (proprietor of the New Kiigland Farmer) 

 and be reafy for delivery in the course of six weeks.] 



Tlie cultiviition of the soil is a duty which wa.<) 

 imposed on mi n. almost coeval with the creation. 

 It boars with it the sanctity of a primeval nrdin 

 anco, and is irresistibly endearinsr, in as much as 

 it admirably suits our nature, so as to pioinote in 

 a singular degree, health and comfort, vii;or and 

 clearneas of mind ; the blessing' on a ready com- 

 pliance, with this i'vine law, is evident, from t!ie 

 happiness which flows therefrom, and which wonli". 

 wake of the ctjltivators of the land, under some 

 better advantages of education the greatly favor 

 od order of sot'iety. It is at the table of their 

 own providing, that the nation is entertained — it 

 i.s! to the vigor, and to the faithfulness of their 

 arm, that it tnnts for its security 



All huil, .'\griciilti.re and its noble bands! On the 

 fragrant earth their iippoaited labor is performed ; 

 their dome is the pure vault of heaven, and their 

 employ is thnt. by .Mercy assigned, for the reno 

 vation of our rare. There, since the diiys of old, 

 has been the firm foundation of national greatness 

 and prosperity ; and there it must remain until 

 the end of time. It is to those purposes, that 

 com rehensive and active minds would 6nil de- 

 light in directing their powers, because of the 

 vastne.-is of the field to explore, and of tlie great- 

 ness of the results to be expected. 



Much has been said of the roughness of the Nov 

 England soil and climate, and much more than 

 ever was true. Since the time of the pilgrims, 

 however, what harshness there was has been sof^ 

 ened, and the climate in our days, is hasteninir to 

 lake its rank among the most favored for tempef- 

 ature and healthfulness. When the eye roaras 

 among our hills and vale,^, where can we meet 

 with a more delishtful variety? or a choice of as- 

 pects, and situations, so valuable for agricuUiiral 

 purposes ? Some of our land is hard to work, be- 

 cause it wants a more thorough cultivation ; and 

 some abounds with rocks, that we may find there 

 the best materials for our dwellings. Whst is 

 there wanting, then, to make of New England a 

 vast garden ? Nothing, but contented labor, and 

 intelligence to direct it — and that we have. Let 

 all awake then, and try to improve to the bes". ad- 

 vantage, the natural advantages of the country — 

 and we shall find, that far from any cause of dis- 

 couragement, we are greatly favored. 



To the cnltiv.Ttinn nt' rrnin and Dotatos, we liave 



discovered (in late years) that'tlie soil and climate 

 are well adapted to the raising of wool, ovon of 

 Merino ; and in a wouilerfully short lime, all over 

 the land, there are great .-iliei'p-folds. There are 

 also miitiufactures that employ all that wool, and 

 iniu h more ; and provide us with coiufurlublo ami 

 handsome clothing. 



There are other mir.es yet unexplored. To thi' 

 indii.strioue and active, the pri.-.e must belong; an i 

 to them, we wish to point out the article of silk, 

 as one most deserving their attention. What is 

 there, that the soil can yield, so rich as silk, that 

 can be obtnined with so easy a labor? Excepting 

 the first raising and planting of the mulberry 

 irt<es, all the work can be pfrformed by wonjen, 

 children, and aged people. We are fi;lly and suf- 

 ficiently satisfied, that this noble article, may be 

 made a staple of our country ; and the advantages 

 that would result IVoni it, in a private and nation 

 ill point of view, are so important, that we cannot 

 deny ourselves the satisfaction of devoting a few 

 pages of this volume to that interesting subject — 

 hoping that they may prove acceptable, and event- 

 iKillv, useful to many of our readers. 



The raising of silk i? not altogether novel in 

 our land ; many individuals in Massachusetts and 

 Connecticut have attended to it for a number of 

 years, with much adv'ntnge : and it is a fact fully 

 established, thai the soil and climate are congen- 

 ial to the flourishing growth of the mulberry; and 

 thnt the silk worms will thrive in New England, 

 under proper management, hs well as they do in 

 most parts of Europe, where the raising of silk is 

 tve vital sinew of the community. Without any 

 tivther remarks, we shall enter upon the subject, 

 ami set down, first, such practical information as 

 rehtes to the raising of mulberry trees. 



'I'ho mulberry and the silk-worm are natives of 

 Asia. They were both unknown in Europe until 

 the year 5.55 — when the emperor Justinian sen 

 two monks to Serinda, in India, from whence they 

 brought to Constantinople, the seed of those pre 

 Clous insects, and the necessary information for 

 their management. Thus they laid the founda 

 tion of those superb silk manufactures, which for 

 near seven hundred years, flourished in Greece, 

 at Athens, at Thebes, and Corinth. Before that 

 time, the great of the earth, alone, could afford to 

 clothe themselves with silk ; the price of which 

 was weight for \;ijeight in gold. About six hun- 

 dred years after, the culture of silk was introduc- 

 ed from Greece, into Italy ; and from thence into 

 France, i;t the year 1494. Since those days, it 

 has spread over all the southern and midland parts 

 of Europe, and is now cultivated with success, as 

 far north as Prussia, where the mulberry tree re- 

 sists the most rigorous winters without injury. 



There are two different species of inulberry, the 

 black, which is cultivated for its excellent fruit, of 

 a dark crimson color, almost black ; and is a tree 

 of slower growth than the white ; the leaves are 

 larger, of a darker green, thicker and stronger 

 The silk-worms will eat them for the want of bet 

 ter, but they do not thrive upon them, and the silk 

 is coarse and inferior. The white mulberry tree 

 bears a white, or light pinTt fruit ; and its leaves 

 are the most congenial food for these precious in- 

 sects ; is of a quicker growth, and does not come 



to so large a size as the black. The white mu'.. 

 berry is a very hardy tree, and bears our severesl 

 winters without any apparent injury ; will Inst t» 

 great many years. If it be cut down close to the 

 ground, will send up many suckers all around, and 

 resist ilestruclion for ninny years. There are 

 umny kiP- s of white mulberry, the leaves of which 

 differ in point of moril as a food for the silk-worm 

 Koine are of n small si/.e, earlier, and more ten- 

 der ; and, or that account, are cultivated as tho 

 most proper for the worms when first born ; the 

 others are large, of a peculiar quality, which suita 

 the taste of tho worms, upon which they thrive 

 best, and m.ike the handsomest silk. In France 

 and Italy, they universally graft the wild stocks, 

 with those sorts which experience has taught 

 them to be the most valuable. 



At this parly stage of the business with us, it 

 would be (lifScult to attain at once, the nicety, 

 which a lotiir practice has introduced in the old 

 conntries. Wh:it we have to do for the present, 

 i^ to sow mulberry seed, raise the young plants at- 

 in (i niirKery, reject those vvhereon thorns appear, 

 as being f'e wildest, and benring the smallesl|| 

 leaves ; also those that have thick, coarse, hairy 

 leaves. Save those that iiave the largest and 

 handsomest .smooth leaves ; the worins eat them 

 more readily, and experience has shewn that they 

 t rive best upon them, make more silk, and of a 

 bettei qni'Iity. The best plants for earliness anil 

 superioril,.,of leaves, should be set out and noted; 

 as they may hereafter furnish L-rions for grafting. 

 Uoon dry soil, the mulberry trees do not - row 

 much taller than our largest peach trees : but 

 they are stouter and thicker set. Their roots, 

 which are of a remarkable bright color, (that oi 

 silk) extend to a considerable distance ; and they 

 ought not to be planted, on that account, nearer 

 than thirty feet frt.m tree to tree. 



As the gathering of leaves, too soon, would in- 

 jure I heir growth and constitution, we would re- 

 coiTiinend that no leaves should be gathered nntil 

 after the fifth year. In the mean time plantations 

 niav bo made for immediate use, by sowing the 

 seed in drills, at a convenient distance ; planting 

 beans or potatos between, to keep the ground 

 clear of weeds. The second year after sowing, 

 these seedlings might be cut down with a shar^/ 

 instrument, three or four inches from the ground, 

 and would g-ive a second crop the same season. 

 In the silk countries, they raise seedlings ih rowfc 

 for the first feeding of worms These young planti 

 putting out their leaves earlier than the old trees, 

 and being more tender, are belter adapted for tjie 

 worms in the first stage of their existence. They 

 also plant the mulberry trees, and suffer them to 

 grow according to unrestrainod- nature, branch 

 ing out from the ground. This is fo" the conven- 

 ience of gathering the leaves more easily, and 

 making a food stronger than the seedling. They 

 consider the leaves from trees regularly trained, 

 with a single butt, and of several years' growth, 

 to give the most substantial food ; upon which the 

 worms should he kept during the last period oi 

 their life, previous to their ascending, in order tc 

 obtain an abundant crop of silk of the best quality. 

 At our first entering on this new, and profitable, 

 business, we shall be under the necessity of trust 



