VOL. XV. NO. 41^. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL 



379 



articles o/'lntliing. It is true, while our iiniica- 

 l)le relations with foreifrn countries conliniip, we 

 shall be .sii| |ilie(l ; the sulviintnge they derive from 

 tliis item oFonr coniniercia! detilinfr will ever ai'- 

 forii us a guaranty ngainst want in time of peace ; 

 yet our intercourse may he interrupted by war, 

 and we be tlirown upon our own resources fur 

 the production of this staple article of consump- 

 tion. But if this state of things cannot he reason- 

 nhly nntici, ated, our love of independence, anil, 

 aliove all, a ])ru(lent national economy, should 

 prompt us to prosecute a branch of imltistry which 

 promises such important results, and the practica 

 bility or feasibility of which is no longer a jnob- 

 lem. 



The importance of this branch of rural econo- 

 my is also much increased, by tlie faciliiirs it af 

 lords to all to attain competence and wealth. 

 There is probably no other business, in wliich 

 the same amount of ca|!ital will yield an equal 

 amount of income. It will not be expected that 

 I shall go into an accurate calculation of the pro- 

 duct and profit of a plantation and cocoonery ; 

 j'et, )jerhaps, I oiigfit to say, that, within the 

 ran^e of my own observation, there can be no 

 belter investment ol capital. The small amount 

 of capital necessary to a commiMicement of the 

 business is also a facility which no other branch 

 of l)usiness, within my knowleflfte, holds out to 

 the enterprising. A few acres of land of ordinary 

 fertility, and a few dollars in money for the pur- 

 chase of seed and plants, will imable a silk grow- 

 er to lay the foundation for a plantation on a con- 

 siderable scale. 



Another facility peculiar to the business is the 

 care with which opL'rations are extended, without 

 a corresponding extension of capital. The ratio 

 in which the morns multicnutis iii»y be: nntltiplied, 

 by means of cuttings and layers, is truly astonish- 

 ing. Experiments have proved that, with a little 

 labor and attention, they may be ni'.re than <piad- 

 rujded every year. This will enable the farmer 

 in moderate circumstances to compete with the 

 capitalist, and prevejit monopolizers from en- 

 grossing the whole of the business and its jirofits. 

 To the indiviilual of limilcil means, and a large 

 fandly of childrcMi dependent on him for support 

 and education, the culture of silk holds out en- 

 couragement of extraordinary promise ; while at 

 the same time, it affords am|d8 0|i|iortunity for 

 the ca| italistor the incorporatcid com|)any to make 

 large investments with the moral certainty of 

 success. 



The culture and manufacture of silk must also 

 for a long time at least, be free from the depres- 

 sions and embarrassments which, at times, are 

 thrown upon other sjiecies of manufacture by en- 

 terprise and competition. Before the present pri- 

 ces can be materially reduced, an amount of do- 

 mestic silk equal to the large amount annually 

 imported must he pioduced ; and this cannot be 

 expected, wliile enterprise and labor have so many 

 objects on which to expend themselves, as the va- 

 rious sections, climates, interests and pursuits of 

 this extensive country present. The dispropor- 

 tion also which has existed for the last twenty or 

 thirty years, between the increase in the consump- 

 tion of silk, ami the increase of population, and 

 which is becoming greater every year, will, it is 

 believed, prevent the American si.k growers, with 

 all the aid and encouragement which may be ex- 

 tended to them by the National and State Legis- 

 latures, from producing the raw material in suffi- 



cietit quanities to supply the demand, lor at least 

 another century. 



A good beginning, however, has been made, 

 and t';o l)usine,ss comnn'nced innler the most fa- 

 vorable auspices. In the month of Septeniber, 1 

 caned a circular to be prepared, propounding 

 iwentysix interrogatories to silk growers, maiiii- 

 fai-turers, and other gentlemen interested in the 

 s\jbji'ct. Several hnmlred were circulated ; and 

 many have h'en returned with answers to the in- 

 quiries. It is, however, to be regretted they were 

 not Ibrwanled at ati earlier day, as a more punc- 

 tual and general return would have been the con- 

 sequence, and a greater amount of information 

 collected. The facts, however, as far as they 

 have been collected, (and they are as numerous 

 and circunjstantial as under the circumstances 

 <-onld b(5 exjiocled,) are of the most flattering 

 character. From the answers to the interrogato- 

 ries, the communications of gentlemen in different 

 parts of the country, and such other m ans of in- 

 formation as I have been favored with, f am ena- 

 bled to give the following exhibition of the pro- 

 gress and prospect of both l)ranches of the busi- 

 ness. The statements being iri.-.iie from coriect 

 data, may be relied on, as ap|)roximating to accu- 

 rai'v, so far as they go ; but it is reasonabli! to 

 suppose that the view is imperfect, as the hLisiuess 

 ha ■ fu'obably been couunenced in many i)arts ol 

 the country, from which no information has been 

 received. These, of course, are nut endiraced : 

 and the business is, no doubt, further advanced, 

 and in a more prosjierous condition than will be 

 exhibited. 



(To be cnntinued.) 



Be ye kind one to another. — Care, anxiety, 

 disappointment and moriilication, are ap; to sour 

 the human tem|)er and create ill nature. Against 

 the indulgence of this feeling, however, we would 

 caution otar readers. Tiiere is no use in getting 

 angry or becoming petulant and disobliging ; on 

 the contrary be who does so makes hijnself and 

 ad around him miserable. Besides good nature 

 lightens every man's bm-den, and a company of 

 travellers composed only of those who are willmg 

 to lend a helping hand to those who are more 

 heavily laden than themstlves, can always get 

 along with greater ease and rxpedilion, that one 

 in which an opposite fei'ling prevails. " 



Again, we would exhort our friends to "be of 

 good cheer." VV'e never yet saw a storm that 

 was not succeeded by sui:shine. The desponding 

 man sees mountains, where the man of courage 

 and resolution only meets with njole hills. We 

 never knew a whining, groaning, melancholy sigh- 

 away die-away, go ahead. Let every man there- 

 lore, cheer up his neighbor, and encourage him 

 to persevere. 



'J hings are not half as bad as they might be ; 

 nobody will starve, and but few there are who 

 cannot pay all they owe. Jf neighbors and friends 

 would help c:'.ch other occasion;Jly, even with 

 small sums, they might do an indefiuite deal of 

 good. A small sum of money may be so used as to 

 pay a large amoimt of debts — only kee[) it mov- 

 ing from hand to hand, and not hoard it up like a 

 miser. Our banks are sound to the core, and so 

 are most of our inerchatJls ; no new arrangements 

 are making, while the old one's are diminishing; 

 of course they must get through after a while. — 

 Where's the use then, of sighing like an old bel- 

 lows, wearing long faces, and looking as melan- 



choly as Palience on a monument? We move 

 that every nan wliose face hereafter measmes 

 more than two feet and a half in length, shall be • 

 ex|)elled from good society, and " pt't i" the mid- 

 dle of next month." All in fiivor of this motion, 

 say aye — contiary no — the ayes have it I — Clear 

 out yon long faced gentry — Presto ! be gone ! — 

 Phil. Herald. 



Speculation. — .1 Ficct. — A day or two since, 

 a friend of ours, a rnercdiant in this city, was hail- 

 ed iu the street by a tall, lougli-looking fellow, 

 very jilaiiily attired in linsey-woolsey, cow hide 

 boots, ;uul sloughed bat, who accosted bim with — 



' Hallo, there, mist«;i- — ! say ; aint your name 

 , ?' 



'That's my name sir,' replied the iiierchant. 



'VVc II, hov/ d'ye do.' 'Spose you doivt kuow 

 me though.' 



'I do not recollect having seen you before.' 



'Well, *!pose not ; but what 1 was going to say- 

 was, hain't you got an eighty acre lot in Wiscon- 

 sin, county, eh ?' 



'Ye.s, 1 believe 1 do own a lot there.' 



'Well new, i)erliaps you'd like to sell that are; 

 lot.' 



'Well sir, I am in a hurry, do you wish to bu'j; 

 it?' 



'Well nn« , I dont knowi=»-Vvhat do. yOW ask for 

 that are lot ?' 



'Two ihoi'sand dollar?, Jdr.' 



'Two thoiLS— ten tbousand dolJars? ro, yi'"'''*^ 

 joking.' 



'If yon wis.h to purchase, sir, you know i "y 

 price.' 



'Well now, wouhl'nt yotf like to take nineteeUi 

 hundred, if you couM get i(, eh?' 



'Why sir, who will give it ?' asked the merehiint 

 eagerly, (for he had bougiit it only a few months- 

 sincc at government price.) 



'Well, will you take it? that's what I want to 

 know.' 



'Yes sir, 1 will take nineteen hundred.' 



'Make out your papers then,' said the stranger^ 

 'I've got the money — here's witnesses to the bar- 

 gain,' and so saying, he drew from his capacious 

 po<'ket a large bng, labelled ' shot,' from whi(di he 

 caunted up the rhino, and took his deed, evident- 

 ly well pleased wiih his bargain. 



'You seem pleased with the trade, sir,' said the 

 merchant. 



'Well, I guess I might as well,' said the stran- 

 ger. 



'Why,' returned the merchant, 'have you seen 

 the lot.' 



Well, I guess I have.' 



'Is the land remarkably good ?' continued the 

 merchant — snpjiosing he had been trading with a 

 green 'un. 



'it'll do,' said the buyer. 



'What is it worth ?' said the seller. 



'Well, I don't know what it's worth — but I've 

 dug about ten thousand dollars worth of lead ore 

 out on't already — I can't tell how much mure I'll 

 get,' and with a broad laugh, he stufied the deed 

 into his pocket, and left our cho|i-fallcn friend to 

 consider how much lead ore the balance of his 

 ' eighty acre lots in Wisconsin,' iriight possibly 

 contain. — Detroit Spectator. 



Gen. Jackson has entirely recovered his liealtli 

 anil is now deeply engaged in agricultural pur, 

 suits. 



