386 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JUNE 14, isir. 



tlie past season in ciillivating the tiiorus inulticau- 

 lis, and have lieon very siiccessfiil. They intenil 

 stocking; a large plantation ol" this variety of the 

 iniiibeny, and prosecuting the growth of silk, and 

 its inaniilacture into sewing silk and fabrics on an 

 extensive scale. Messrs Brown and Lee, of East 

 Granby, have also extensive grounds devoted to 

 the cnliivation of the tree. Tliey sowed, the last 

 season, 120 pounds of Italian mulberry seed, <»nd 

 have several millions of seedlings. Tbey are al- 

 so extensively engaged in the cultivation of the 

 morns multicaulis. Their ultimate object is to 

 unite the maiuilacture with the growth of silk.— 

 There arc, also, extensive nurseries at Hartford, 

 Suffield, Farmington, Litchfield, New London, 

 Stonington, Durham, New Haven, and many oth- 

 er towns, ftlr K|)liraim Cheesbrough, of New 

 London, has invented a simple plan for making 

 cocoons, which promises to be an improvement 

 on the old method. Mr Isaac G. hotsford, of 

 Roxbury, has invented a macliine for the manu- 

 facture of organzine, tram and sewing silk, which 

 is said to be an imjiortant impnvement in silk 

 machinery. The machine of Mr Adam Urooks, 

 of South Scituate, which has been some time in 

 use, proves to be a valuable invejilion. 



Middle Stales. 

 The subject of encouraging the culture of silk 

 has been under consideration in New York for 

 some time, ami it is expected it will be given at 

 the present session. Several silk companies have 

 been incorporated ; among which are, the Troy, 

 the Poughkeepsie, the New York and the Albany 

 Silk Growers Companies. These companies have 

 large capitals ; but of their present condition I 

 «m not advised. Though the business is engag- 

 ing the attention of gentlemen in most of the 

 counties, yet my information is limited principal- 

 ly to those of Steuben, Broome, Lewis, Orleans 

 Monroe, Onondaga and Suffolk. From these 

 counties communications have been received. In 

 the county of Steuben, there are about 20,000 

 Jtalian mulberry trees of five years growth and 

 under, and 1200 Chinese, one and two years old. 

 About twenty persons have commenced the busi- 

 ness ; one acre is devoted, and ten more in pre- 

 paration. 



In Broome coimty, little has as yet been do;-,e ; 

 ■but my correspondent says: " I have no doubt 

 that in three years, there will be 100,000 morus 

 muUicaulis trees in this county." In Lewis coun- 

 ty there are a few trees of both kinds, and one 

 gentleman has 8 or 9000 cuttings of the Chinese, 

 xeady for setting the coming;: sjiring. He says : 

 « peojjie are beginning to awake to the business, 

 and lielieve it will flourish here." In Orleans 

 county, there are about 600 of the Chinese, and 

 60,000 of the Italian, now growing. Seven pounds 

 of sewingsilk have been made, and seven or eight 

 persons engaged in th i business on a small scale. 

 It is i-upposed $200,C00 will be invested in the 

 business in five years, in Monroe county, there 

 i »re large nurseries at Rochester, Greece, and sev- 

 eral other |)laces. In the town of Sweilen, there 

 BIO 4,!2j Chinese mulberry trees of five years old 

 and under, ami about 100,000 Italian ; five acres 

 ol land are already planted, aiul fifteen more in a 

 state of preparation. In Onondaga county, there 

 are mnny of the Italian. On Shelter Island, there 

 are 6000 Chinese, and 100,000 Italian, and seven 

 acres of land arc in preparation. In Southamp- 

 lon, on Long Island, there are 50,000 Italian, and 



a few Chinese ; two acres of land are stocked, and 

 five preparing. A beginning has also been nia:le 

 in Montgomery county, and sonie beautiful sew- 

 ing silk made. 



The foregoing is a very imperfect view of the 

 [iresent state of the business in the great state of 

 New Yoik. in all parts of the state, iniliviiluals 

 are engaging with spirit, and there is no doubt 

 New York will become a great silk-growing dis- 

 trict. 



In New Jersey, several companies have been 

 incorporated ; among which are the New Jersey 

 silk Manufacturing Company, with a ca|iital not 

 exceeding $30,000, and the Monmouth silk Com- 

 pany. Several other companies are formed or 

 projected, and enterprising individuals in many 

 parts of the state are cultivating the mulberry, and 

 in .lomc towns, small quantities of silk have been 

 made. The soil and clijuate have been foimd well 

 adapted to the business. 



A nunjber of compatiies have been formed in 

 Pennsylvania, under a general law of the state for 

 the encomagement of the culture of silk. The 

 Beaver silk company, at Beaver Falls, in westerji 

 Pennsylvania, is about commencing operations 

 under very favorable circumstances, liiere is 

 also a company in Chester county, ami another 

 recently formed in Philadelphia. At Economy, 

 the Harmony society haveconjmenced the growth 

 and manufacture of silk. They have about 10,- 

 000 Italian trees, and 453 Chine.«e, of variims ages. 

 They have manufactured sewing silk, vestings, 

 cravats, &c., which are beautiful. Hundr-jds of 

 fiirmers, mechanics and professional men are also 

 engaging in the business. 



In Delaware and Maryland the subject is at- 

 tracting much attention. Several companies have 

 been formeil, and individuals are coum.enciiig 

 plantations. A company has been incorporated 

 in Queen Anne county, with a capital of $50,000 

 for the purpose of growing silk. The Talbot co. 

 silk Conjpany has also been incoriiorated. 



that the young, aged and infirm portion of their 

 sl.ives can be profitably employed in the cultuie 

 of silk ; and there is little doubt that in a short 

 lime many of them will make a silk as well as a 

 cotton srop. 



In Florida and Alabama, the tree grows luxu- 

 riantly, and produces an abundance of foliage. 



Expel ime:its in rearing the worm, bnve also been 

 attended with fiivorable results ; and a portion of 

 the inhabitants are convinced that silk will be the 

 most profitable crop they can make. At Pensa- 

 cola £nd Mobile are large numbers of mulberry 

 trees; and arrangements are making by several 

 gentlemen to commence the business. At the 

 latter place, Chester Root, Esq. is preparing for a 

 large plantation. The black mulberry is indige- 

 nous, and its foliage has been found to make as 

 good silk as that of the Italian or Chinese. It is 

 also supposeil that the sterile lands of West Flori- 

 da will become valuable on account of their adap- 

 tation to the production of silk. 



Southern States. 

 In the southern, as well as in the northern and 

 middle slctcs, much interest is felt in the subject, 

 and miiih is doing to introduce it to the attention 

 of planters. In Virginia, they are proposing to 

 devote their worn-out tobacco land to the culture 

 of silk, in the hope of checking the tide of emi- 

 gration, whii:li is setting west, and threatening to 

 depopulate the country. There are several silk 

 companies, and many patriotic individuals are 

 making experiments. The Virginia silk Compa- 

 ny has been incorporated with a capital of$10,- 

 000 — a very liberal charter. The Potomac silk 

 and Agricultural Company, with a cajiital of 

 $5000, and liberty to extend it to $50,000, has al- 

 so been incorporated. The company have pur- 

 chased four hundred acres of land, and pla.ited 

 about two thousand Chinese mulberry trees. Mr 

 J. B. Gray, near Fredericksburg, has also a laige 

 niiiiiber of Chinese trees in a very flourishing con- 

 dition. 



The accounts I have received from North Car- 

 olina, are of the most cheering character: they 

 represent the soil and climate to be remarkably 

 favorable to the growth of the tree and the rear- 

 ing of the worm, and the planters are disposed to 

 give the subject a fair trial. The same is sub- 

 stantially true as respects South Carolina and 

 Georgia. Experiments have been made, the re- 

 sults of which have satisfied many of the planters. 



Western States. 

 The soil and climate of the Western states has 

 also been found to be jjeculiarly adapted to the silk 

 culture ; and many farmers and others are turn- 

 ing their attention to it. In Ohio, there are a 

 number of companies incorporated, with lar^e 

 capitals, and under the direction of skilful mana- 

 gers. The Ohio silk Company, at Columbus, has 

 a large plantation on the rich bottoms of the Sci- 

 oto, which is fast stocking with both kinds of the 

 mulberry : thirty thousand Italian, fuiir years old, 

 and a large number of the Chinese, have been set. 

 The company propose to extend their plantation 

 of Italian, to at least one hundred acres, with one 

 thousand trees to the acre, and an equal number 

 ol acres with the Chinese. It is also their inten- 

 tion to add about fifty acres in hedges of both 

 kinds. 



A company has also been formed at iMount 

 Pleasant, in Jefierson county, with a capital of 

 $50,000. The Massillon Manufacturing (Company 

 have bad their cajiital extended to $600,000, and 

 are determined to engage largely in the culture of 

 silk. Several other companies liave been formed, 

 and many more have petitions before the Legis- 

 lature for acts of incorporation. In the vicinity 

 of Canton, in Stark coiii.ty, seventy families are 

 said to be engaged in making silk ; and in Knox, 

 ("uyaboga, Jefl^ersou, Belmont, Washington, Brown, 

 Hamilton, Montgomery, Highland, and several 

 other c(ninties, many individuals are beginning. 

 Several petitions are now before the Legislature 

 praying for public encouragement ; and it is ex- ' 

 pected something liberal will be done. 



In Kentucky, a company has been incorporated 

 under the name of the " Campbell county silk 

 culture and Manuf^icturing Coin|iany," and has 

 selected a favorable location opposite Cincinnati. 

 The subject is new in this state, but it is attracting 

 attention, as is apparent from the following ex- 

 tinct of a letter from a gentleman near Lexington: 

 " The first talk of silk-raising in this country, was 

 about a year and a half since, when a Iriend sent 

 me the first copy of the Silk Culturist. So great 

 has been the increase of public Benriment, that 

 there appear but lew of the rich farmers but who 

 are talking of it as a source of employment for 

 their weak force. There are a great many Italian 

 mulberries of one year's growth. 1 have near 

 one hundred thousand in a nursery of five acres ; 

 and there is the produce of four pounds and a 



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