306 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 18, 1828. 



sng wholly to our rows of seedlings, as the only 

 food, we can offer to the worms. But when the 

 trees planted out come to maturity, we shall adopt 

 the more systematic way of feeding, wliicb expe- 

 rience has pointed out as most favorable. Al- 

 though with us, the despatch of cutting down the 

 .seedlings for food, instead of the slow process of 

 gathering leaves, will always remain an object of 

 serious consideration. 



The white mulberry thrives in all soils and sit- 

 uations, and will grow very rank and full of leaves 

 upon low moist ground ; biU the food it affords in 

 such situations, is very inferior and apt to disor- 

 der the worms. A warm loam, even if gravelly, 

 will give leaves of the best quality; and a shelter- 

 ed, warm situation will produce leaves many days 

 sooner than one wliich is exposed to cold, and is 

 desirable on that account. 



The mulberry tree may be raised from suckers, 

 and sometimes slips stuck in a moist soil, will 

 take root ; if the low branches of a tree can be 

 bent so as to be fastened, and covered in the ground 

 they will take root. The trees may be planted 

 near buildings, for shade, or in a yard ; the fowls 

 are very fond of the fruit when it falls. A variety 

 of situations will increase tlie means of early and 

 late feeding which is very desirable. 



We shall conclude these remarks on thecultiva- 

 tion of the mulberry, by observing, that the most 

 ^^|csteemed seed of tliat tree in Europe, is that rais-i 

 ^*ed in Piedmont. Ihe seed from Spain is also ex- ' 

 oellent. But the bpst quality of seed is large, 

 bright, and heavy ; and when bruised it will ap- 

 pear oily, and when thrown on ignited co<ils it 

 will crackle. 



The next object to consider, is the seed from 

 which the tcnrms ai-e to he hatched; and fifire it will 

 be proper to observe, that one ounce of seed will 

 produce about forty thousand worms, who will 

 consume about one thousand lbs. weight of leaves, 

 and produce from eighty to one handred pounds 

 of cocoons ; and twelve pounds of cocoons will 

 give about one pound of silk. It is important to 

 procure the best seed, because that which is in- 

 ferior, will produce sickly worms, who will be 

 much more exposed to the various disorders to 

 which these insects are snbject ; a greater pro- 

 portion will die, and those which survive, will not 

 make good cocoons. The best seed is of a dark 

 grey color, almost as dark as slats, looks bright, 

 and if thrown into wine ,vill sink. Those which 

 are light, of a white or yellow color, and look 

 dull, are barren and good for nothing. The seed 

 should be kept in a cool, dry situation, until the 

 mulberry trees have their leaves opened ; when 

 the food is thus in readiness then is the timeto get I 

 it hatched. In Italy and France, at that appoint- 1 

 ed time, the women put the seed in small bags of 

 worsted stuff, and place them in their bosoms, 

 (Juring the day, and at night under their pillows, 

 far about forty-eight hours ; at the expiration of 

 ■.vhich, the seed is transferred into boxes, over 

 ^vliich a paper cover is fastened with many small 

 ^loles. through which the little worms will creep. 

 Somemnlberryleavesshould be placed on the paper 

 so that they may feed, which they will do, as soon 

 as they come to life. These bo.xes are placed on 

 feather beds with pillows around them, in order to 

 keep a uniform heat whilst the v/orms are hatch- 

 ing. Those v^hich come to life in the course of 

 ihe same day, should be collected and kept to- 

 gether ; they will shed their skins, and asccml 

 to make their cocoons, at the same period. The 



1 hatching of each successive day should be kept 

 I separate ; this order will render the manage- 

 I nient and care easier, and more profitable. When 

 1 the hatching has been well conducted, the heat 

 ! proper and regular, most of the worms will make 

 their appearance on the third or fourth day ; and 

 such seed as has not come to life on the 5th or 6th 

 day, is not worth preserving ; for if it should hatch 

 1 the worms will be weakly, and not likely to do 

 well. If on the second day, the seed that has 

 been set to hatco should change color, and appear 

 red, it proves that the heat has been too great, 

 and that the seed is spoiled. 



In the middle provinces of France, where the 

 climate is variable, and subject sudden returns 

 of cold, the cultivators . " very cautious occa- 

 sionally to exclude th • outward air, by shutting 

 the doors and windows, always, in the night and 

 early part of the morning. Sudden cold, damp- 

 ness, and especially, foggy weather, are sure to 

 injure the worms by bringing disease upon them, 

 which will often prove fatal, and always reduce 

 the quantity and injure the quality of the silk. A 

 uniform temperature, not too warm, is considered 

 as very desirable for the success of the silk crop ; 

 and about seventy-three degrees of the thermo- 

 meter of Fahrenheit is the most suitable. 



The silkworms shed the skin four times, which 

 is for them a period of sickness .; and, during 

 which, they do not eat, but appear drowsy, and 

 are more particularly affected by sudden changes 

 of the weather to cold or dry. The first shedding 

 takes place the Cth or 7th day after their birth ; the 

 head appears to increase in size. This time of 

 trial, will last three or four days, if the weather 

 is warm and genial ; but if otherwise, much lon- 

 ger. As soon as the skin is cast off, they appear 

 active again, oat with a good appetite, and will 

 continue so, for six or eight days longer, when 

 the second shedding comes on under the sams 

 circumstances, and is succeeded by a third ard 

 fourth -shedding. The second shedding is the eva- 

 iest for them, and fewer die under the operation 

 than during the first, third, and fourth. Eifht 

 days after the worms have got through the fouth 

 shedding ; and at the end of about six weeks from 

 the commencement of their existence, they have 

 arrived nearly to maturity, and are going to make 

 their cocoons and reward the care that has been 

 taken of them. They want then to go up to spin 

 their cocoons, but it is necessary not to encour- 

 age this natural disposition, until it is evident that 

 they are fully ripe. If they go up too soon, their 

 cocoons will be light and flimsy. The signs of 

 their full matutity, are some change in their color, 

 which until then is white ; the head appears wilt- 

 ed, the tail larger, the green circles round the 

 body become a bright gold color, and they keep 

 moving about among the others, but witiiout eat- 

 ing, and seem as if stretching their heads for the 

 purpose of spinning. When the worms exhibit 

 these indications, they should be separated from 

 the rest, and put into a place where small dry 

 branches of o;ik, hazel, white birch, or any other 

 wood, have been prepared for them to ascend and 

 spin their cocoons. When they have ascended, it 

 will be some days before they begin to spin. The 

 first day, they lay out threads for a foundation — 

 the second, they form the shape of the cocoons — 

 the third, the worm is entombed and out of sight ; 

 but continues to spin, (inside) until he has expend- 

 ed the whole of his stock of liquor, which in gen- 

 eral, is the seventh or eighth dav. The thread 



of a good cocoon is about nine hundred and fifty- 

 feet. (Concluded next week.) 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Mr. Fessendeji, — Finding a leisure moment, 

 this afternoon, I took up the yesterday's number 

 of your tri:ly useful paper. The first article which 

 met my eye was one, " On the Effects of the Pro- 

 tecting System upon the Agricultural Interest," 

 t.-^ken by you from the American Farmer. This 

 article appears to have been written by '• Samuel 

 Wyllis Pomeroy," of "Brighton, near Boston." — 

 Having read through what the writer has chosen 

 to say of himself and his own affairs, with which I 

 have nothing to do, I come to what was intended 

 for the substantial part of the performance ; viz. 

 a statement of the history of the " Protecting sys- 

 tem," and an argument, founded on that statement. 

 It is here that I shall begin ray observations on 

 the treatise. 



Mr. Pomeroy says the first impost on cheese, 

 "of four cents a pound, was laid in September, 

 1790. Foreign cheese was considered a luxury, 

 and was taxed as a fair object of revenue. The 

 preamble to the act which contains this item re- 

 cites " To make provision for the payment of the 

 debts of the United Stales." " Revenue," he fur- 

 ther observes, "was the only object — no one ever 

 dreamed that it was for Ihe protction of a partic- 

 ular class of citizens. The discovery that Con- 

 press possessed the powerof imposing prohibitory 

 tariffs was reserved for more evil times. This is 

 an excrescence that has attached to the constitution 

 since that period. Had it appeared then, every 

 hand of those illustrious patriots who organized 

 the government would have been put forth to 

 pluck out the constructive tumour by tbe roots. — 

 They would have pron'iunced, most emphatically, 

 that ' the state legislatures were the only legiti- 

 mate almoners of the people's money.' " 



The shortest and most effectual mode of cor- 

 recting the above mis-statement of the early 

 history of the protective system in this country, is 

 to quote, verbatim, the titles and declaratory parts 

 of the first acts of Congress on that subject; which 

 I shall here do, for the information of Mr. Pome- 

 roy and your otlier readers. 



The first act on the subject, and the first busi- 

 ness law made by Congress under the present 

 constitution, was " An Act for laying a duty on 

 goods, wares and merchandizes, imported into the 

 United States," which says, "Whereas it is ne- 

 cessary for the support of government, for tha dis- 

 charge of the debts of the United States, and the 

 encouragement and protection of manufactures. 

 that duties be laid on goods, wares and merchan- 

 dizes imported." Approved by Washington, July 

 4,1789. This act imposed a duty of four cents a 

 pound on imported cheese. 



The second act on this subject was that for 

 " making further provision for the payment of the 

 debts of the United States." Approved by Wash- 

 ington, August 10, 1790. This act recites, that, 

 " Wliereas by an act for laying a duty on goods, 

 wares and merchandizes, imported into the Uni- 

 ted S:ates, divers duties were laid on goods, wares 

 and merchandises, so importeif, for the discharge 

 of the debts of the United States, and the encour- 

 ageir.tnt and protection of manufactures: And 

 whereas the support of governtrtent and the dis- 

 charge of the said debts render it necessary to in- 

 crease the said duties." By this act the duty of 



