106 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



OCTOBEK la. 183f.. 



and consequent decoiniiosition, takes place with 

 greater certainty and more rapidity in green juicy 

 and succulent vpgetaliles, tliaii upon those whicli 

 have been deprived of moisture either naturally or 

 artificially. Thus grass, if heaped up in a recent 

 state, decomposes, and if but partially dried, is 

 heated, and may even take fire;, by the chemical 

 action of its elements ; while, if dried by ex|osure 

 to the sun and air, and then laid up in a dry place 

 in the form of hay, it is almost indestructible. A 

 moderate degree of heat and access to air are also 

 necessary to promote the chemical action by which 

 decomposition is effected. This decomposition is 

 often attended with motion among the parts ; and 

 always, if the mass has a liquiil form, as in the 

 expressed juice of vegetables, or in the steeps em- 

 I>loyed by distillers and brewers ; t goesin gener- 

 al terms by the name of fermentation. When the 

 vegetable matterabounds in starch, the first change 

 is the conversion of this principle into sugar. Su- 

 gar, if thus formed, is next converted into alcohol, 

 as it is, if it previously existed in the plant. The 

 presence of alcohol gives the liquid in which it 

 exists the character of vinous liquors, and if these 

 arc permitted to remain in a turbid state, a farther 

 fermentationjconvertsthem into vinej.'irsand finally 

 vinegar is farther decomposed, and the vegetable 

 matter, giving out avi oflfensive smell, is said to pu- 

 trify. If the substance be not an expressed juice or 

 liquid steep, these several stages of fermentation en- 

 sue with rapidity, may be going on at the same time, 

 and are sometimes so speedy in their course that no 

 other action but the putrefactive fermentation can 

 be detected. Animal bodies are subject to the 

 same laws, and go through the same stages offer- 

 mentation, but the rapidity which they run into 

 jjulrefaction is even greater ; still there are some 

 cases, as in that of milk, where the vinous stage 

 can be occasionally, and the acetic distinctly, ob- 

 served. Thus, a vinous liquor is prepared in some 

 countries from milk, and the sour taste which a|)- 

 pears in it when kept, arises from the presence of 

 vinegar. 



In the several stages of fermentation, parts of 

 the vegetable assume the form of gas or vapor, and 

 are given out to the air. The gases which have 

 been detected, are carbonic acid, a gaseous com- 

 pound of carbon and hydrogen, and in some in- 

 stances anmionia. The vapor is that of water, 

 which escapes in greater quantities than it would 

 under ordinary circumstances, in consequence of 

 the heat with which the process is attended. If 

 exposed to rain, soluble salts, with earthy and alka- 

 line bases, are washeil from the mass. Finally, a 

 mass of earthy consistence alone remains, which 

 on e.xamination is found to be made up of earths, 

 insoluble salts, and carbon, being, in fact, identical 

 with vegetable mould. 



We may hence infer that the following elements 

 exist in vegetable bodies : 



1. Oxygen, developed in the carbonic acid and 

 water. 



2. Hydrogen is in the water and carburets of 

 hydrogen. 



3. Carbon. 



4. Earths. 



5. Alkalis. 



6. Nitrogen, occasionally developed in the form 

 of ammona. 



7. Acids, remaining in the insoluble, or washed 

 away in the soluble salts. 



The chemical examination of vegetable bodies 

 0U"ht of course lead to similar results. This ex- 



has been conducted in three difl^i^rcnt 



(1) 



animation 

 ways. 



1. With the vi.'W of discovering the nature of 

 the compounds, called vegetable principles, 

 which exist ready formed in plants. 



2. For the purpose of discovering the chemical 

 elements contained in these principles. 



3. By the destructive action of heat, under 

 which some of the elements are wholly sep- 

 arated, and others enter into new combina- 

 tions. 



In the first of these methods there have been 

 detects 1 : 



I. Certain peculiar acids, of which we may 

 cite 



Acetic acid, which, mixed with water, 

 forms common vinegar ; 



(2) Citric acid, which is found in the lemon 

 and orange. 



(3) Malic acid, which exists in the apple ; 



(4) Tartaric acid, in the juice of the grape ; 



(5) Oxalic acid in the wild sorrel. 



II. Certain substances of alkaline character, 

 found principally in medicinal plants, to 

 which they give their peculiar virtues. 



III. Gum, resin, oils, sugar, starch, and two sub- 

 stances approaching to animal matter in 

 their characters, namely, albumen and glut- 

 en ; the former of these has a resemblance 

 to the white of eggs, the latter to animal 

 jelly or glue. 



iMany other principles are sejiarated by the same 

 method in different plants, but need not be enu- 

 merated by us. 



The basis of this method consists in acting upon 

 vegetables by water, ether, or rectified spirits (al- 

 cohol,) aiul the principles above enumerated are 

 either simplp, or in the state of combination in 

 which they exist in |,lants, soluble in at least one 

 of the liquids we have named. 



In all cases some insoluble matter is left, and 

 this is known by the name of the woody fibre. 



Extract of a Letter from Gen. Tallmadge to the 

 American Institute, dated 



» Naples, 5th March, 1836. 

 " Since I arrived in this land of fame and fa- 

 ble, I have not been unmindful of the culture of 

 Silk, so justly a subject of great and growing in- 

 terest of our country. I have visited several man- 

 ufactories of silk. It is not the season for seeing 

 the silk worm, but most of its progress in other 

 rsepects I have been able to see. I have made 

 many inquiries in hopes of obtaining useful in- 

 formation. Finizio is an extensive manufacturer 

 of sewing silk ; he makes about 3000 lbs. a week, 

 which is mostly sent to the New York market. 

 He is an intelligent man, and i found him willing 

 to answer my inquiries ; as also were several oth- 

 er establishment^ and which mostly confirmed 

 his statement. The sewing silks of Naples are 

 mostly made from the silk grown in Calabria, 

 where the worm is fed princi[)ally upon the black 

 mulberry, and which makes the strongest and 

 best sewing silk. Finizio stated that the worm 

 fed on the black mulberry, made the strongest 

 thread ; that on the ichite midberry, finer and bet- 

 ter for fabrics; that on the Chinese mulberry, still 

 finer and more delicate. When asked if the co- 

 coon from the Chinese mulberry required more 

 skilful and delicate work to wind and work it, he 



-aid it did, and immediately |iroduced two skeins, 

 one of which, he said, was from the black mul- 

 berry, (from a bush, perhaps, eight or ten feet in 

 circumference,) the other from a bush about four 

 feet. The lesser bush, he said, was less liable to 

 break the thread in winding from tha cocoon, and 

 was used in finer silks for fabrics. The black 

 tnulberry produced a stronger thread, and would 

 bear the largest reel, and was princii>ally used in 

 that bnsines.-i. The silk here is mostly made in 

 the country by families in detail, and much of it 

 reeled there, and in this condition it is brought to 

 market. For sewing silk it is doubled as often 

 as required, and twisted as much. This process 

 is wholly in a dark room. The silk is worked wet, 

 and for this purjose, to preserve a uniformity, the 

 atmosphere is kept damp, the day light excluded, 

 and the work carried ou with small hand lamps. 

 The machine was turned by men harnessed like 

 mules. I have since been out about twenty miles 

 to the silk factory of the king, which is worked 

 by water power, and by which the cocoons are 

 aiso reeled. I stated to Finizio, as well as at the 

 king's factory, that the Italian silk was sold in the 

 American markets by its weight, while the Amer- 

 ican sewing silk was sold by the skein : and that 

 one pound of the Italian would have perhaps two 

 hundred and fifty skeins, while one of the Amer- 

 ican silk would have about three hundred and fif- 

 ty skeins. The cause of this difference of weight, 

 or why the American sewing silk has a tendency 

 to curl or knot, they could not exj.lain without a 

 sanqde ; but said the weight of sewing silk could 

 be diminished or very considerably augmented in 

 the dyeing, and th;it good dyeing requireil the silk 

 to be well boiled in soap, after which it was jjut 

 into an acid, and was there prepared for the pro- 

 cess of the dye, according to the color, as de- 

 scribed. The gloss, or dressing, seems to be pro- 

 duced by beating or twisting on a post, which, 

 with the manual labor put upon its finish, it is 

 supposed, prevents its tendency to knot. 



I asked if the color of the cocoon, yellow or 

 white, gave any difference of value, or indicate<l 

 a sickly worm, and the answer was, that the color 

 was casual, and the value the same; that a selec- 

 tion of white or yellow cocoons from which to get 

 eggs, would probably produce a like color ; and 

 Mr Finizio said he had some customers who 

 had so selected and brought him cocoons entirely 

 ivhite ; and that for white ribbons or labrics, they 

 commanded a greater price of from three to five 

 per cent., thoui'h otherwise of equal value. 



I have made many other inquiries and observa- 

 tions on this subject, but vrhich in the limits of 

 a letter cannot be detailed. The eggs are here in 

 market during most of tke year, ami by being 

 kei)t in a grotto, or cold, damp place, the worm 

 can be produced as required. The sirqcco, or 

 hot south wind, is here the greatest enemy of the 

 silk worm, and sometimes suddenly destroys so 

 many of the worms as to require the reproduction 

 of another class, from eggs in reserve. They 

 should be sheltered from this wind, and ventila- 

 tion should be given them above or by back win- 

 dows. I think we have sometimes a like south, 

 or south-west wind, which shouhl be guarded 

 ao-ainst, and which our gardeners call a red wind, 

 from a rust produced by it on peach, and apricot 

 trees, which curls up and burns the young leaves, 

 and often kills the trees, and is said to eflect the 

 mulberry trees in like manner ' 



