178 



N E W E N G L A N D FARMER, 



KOV. SO, lS39i 



and horitcultural rkgrster. 



Boston, Wednesday, Novembeb 2u, 1339. 



OBITUARY. 



Died at PittsfieUl, Mass., on ihe Stii iii«t., Theoiiokk 

 Skdgwick, Esq., ol Stockbndge, .Ma.-;s. 



It is our painful duty ui record ih.' dealli of this cali- 

 mablR and exrellent nian ; and it is a delu dn» as much' 

 to pulilic morals as to private virtue, to liold up tliis 

 bright e.X!jn]|)le of integrity, lionor, trutli ami patrioiisui, 

 to tl]e encouiaj;ement and emulation of tlio friends of 

 virtue, wherever he has been linovvn. 



Ifit should be aslted wh;it claims have his life and 

 character to notice in such a publication as ours, we an- 

 swer that IVlr Sedgwick was eminently the friend ol' llij 

 laboring man, the admirer of rural and agricultural life, 

 and the most ardent advocate for tlie education and im- 

 provement of the industrious classes of society ; and for 

 everv public enterprise, and vvorkwiiich had ill view 

 particularly iheir elevation and coaiforl. It is delight- 

 ful, and amidst the selfishness and meanness which ev- 

 ery where |iervade society, it is a precious consolation 

 to be able to recall the memory of so excellent a man. 



Mr Sedgwick was endowed by nature, with superior 

 talents, and these were cultivateil and improved by am- 

 ple advantages of education and a wide and familiar in- 

 tercourse with society in all its various departments. 

 His perceptions were extremely rapid ; and he arrived 

 at his conclusions with a quicUnesa and certainty, which 

 are rarely seen, even among the highly cultivated, and 

 which always evince a comprehensive and powerful in- 

 tellect. He was a man of much originality of mind and 

 distinguished by an extraordinary energy ol thought and 

 feeling. If his opinions 'and cimclusions were not al- 

 ways deemed sound and true, (and where on earth are 

 perfect consistency and wisdom to be found ?j yet no one, 

 much as they might in any ease diff'i:r from his own, 

 could for a moment doubt that they were the liojicst 

 coii\iction8 of a perfectly true and incorruptible mind ; 

 a mind incapable of being biassed in its decisions by any 

 little, low, or mean purposes or interests He was in- 

 deed a true man ; and in that purity and elevation of 

 character which rendered him as utterly incapable of a 

 mean purpose or thought as of a mean actios, he might 

 justly be pronounced one of the noblest of men. 



His conversation was full of instruction and informa- 

 tion ; his-'rnanners kind and courteous, and in every con- 

 dition of life in which he was placed or was called to 

 act, he displayed an excmplarinesa of good conduct, 

 which ctmciliated universal affecticm and regard. His 

 manners were unostentatious, and of 'i transparent sim- 

 plicity and frankness. In the private and domestic rela- 

 tions of life no one was ever more t>eloved; and as a 

 citizen and in the official services of public life, let the 

 rancor of party be as bitter as bitter can be, no one ever 

 distrusted and no one ever presumed to cast a s.uspicioii 

 or reproach upon his sincerity, integrity, honor and dis- 

 interestedness. 



He was at home at once upon evtry suhjccl which 

 concerns imiiianity. A few yciirs since lie made a visit 

 to Europe: and his observations on the condition of tho 

 poorer classes, show a heart deeply wounded by the in- 

 juries a#id oppressions under which they were often 

 crushed to the earlh ; and in which a benevolent desire 

 for their relief and ainelioralion of theeo evils wherever 

 they might be founil, predominrited over every other 

 sentiment. Such men as he are rare in the community. 

 It becomes every poor man and every working man, 

 woman and child in the community, to cherish the 



meuioiy and chtiracier of such a man, lot his rcjigious 

 denomination or his party altachments be what they 

 may, with the strongest affection and respect. We be- 

 lieve tliiu in puri'y of purpose niid kindness of heart, 

 and in peifect honor and uprightness, he has not h-/t his 

 superior behind liioi. II. C 



SILK CULTURE. 



Wet have now become entirely satisfied that the pro- 

 duction ol'stik must advance and hecome n great iniit- 

 resloflhe county. In this matter we have ceased to 

 trust to Ijitaisay or mere fepcit; feut we have conic to 

 lite knowledge of various experiments made in dift'ereiit 

 places, and mad« with perfect fairness and the greatest 

 ctire ;ind exactness, which demonstrate, that even wfth 

 the high prices of labor current among us, raw silk can 

 be produced at an expense not to exceed two dollars and 

 filly cents a pound. We shall presently have the plea- 

 siite of laying these reports belirire the airiicultural pub- 

 lic in such a form ihat they cannot be distrusted or dis- 

 dained. The silk likewise produced in New England is 

 in point of strength, weight, and lustre not iiifeiior to 

 any grown in any country. We know very well that 

 miiny persons pronounce it very much superior In that 

 grown ill warmer climates; but this may be so or may 

 be otherwise. This opinion may result mainly fioin the 

 habitual self conceit, which we must confess, is a some- 

 wliat stroiigly-raarked feature in Iha organization of a 

 Yankee. It is enough for us however, to say, that the 

 silk produced among us is as good as any that is to b.e 

 found any where; and this circumstance is in itself a. 

 great encouragement to the cultivation. 



We have given the last three weeks almost exclusive- 

 ly to the investigation of this particular subject, and at 

 the fountain head. Tli« inhabitants of Manchester, in 

 Connecticut, have been in the practice of producing 

 silk fur nearly seventy years. They have found it a 

 source of considerable piofit even on the limited scule 

 U|ion which it has been pursued among them, 'i'he 

 work has been- principally perft'imed hy females, and it 

 baa not unfre quently happened, wifcre a mulberry plan- 

 tation has been taken as it is termed to the halves, the 

 young woman taking it gets thirty to fifty doiijrs and 

 her. board f.ir her six or eight weeks labor. In this case 

 the owner of lite land furn.sheseggs, trees, and room to 

 work ill, besides boarding the woman while tho opera- 

 tion is going on. The woman tends the worms, picks 

 the leaves and reels the silk ; the jiroduco is thoii divi- 

 ded equally. 



The tree hitherto used in Mansfield has been the 

 while mulberry. In 1835, two thirds of all the trees in 

 the town were killed by the severity of the cold. They 

 have not as yet been replacod ; hut they soon will be, 

 either by some of the same kind, or by the imported 

 and improved vari«n'es,i In other jilaccs experiments 

 have been made with the foi>oign kinds — the Mullicaii- 

 lis, the Canton, and the Alpine; and these experiments 

 have hei'n perfectly successful ; the foliage has proved 

 abundant ; the silk made from them of fine quality ; and 

 the worms have proved healthy under this feed./ This 

 IS a great result ; and puts it in the power of any ime so 

 disposed, to ascertain the practicability and the profits of 

 thusilk culture!. The question is soon settled ; and the 

 determination of it requires a small ex|icnse of money or 

 time. 



The prosecution of the silkcullure will prove of im- 

 mense importance to the country. For half a century to 

 coinu there can be no danger ol its being overdone. — 

 The demand will, as matter of course, increase with the 

 supply. To meet the present wants of the country, is 

 no small matter ; and years are likely to elapse before 

 we can reach this point. Why it may not hereafter be 



made matter of export from the country, no good re»i; 

 ran he given : at least no better reason than couldh' 

 been given forty years ago, why cotton should uotV 

 come on article of export from the country. 



We look forward to the production of silk with 

 highest .satisfaction and interest, as afiording a most 

 sirable resource for aged persons, who, incapable of 

 during severe toil, have not yet passed the periia 

 useful labor ; for young persons, whose services co 

 be made useful only in some such light cmploynjp 

 and for indigent persims, decayed widows and feiua 

 who often find it extremely difficult to obtain or inv- 

 the means of support. 



It will have some prejudices to encounter from f 

 sons who are habitually dislrustful of every new proji 

 and the extravagant calculatiims and nioft exaggt.ra 

 estimates of profits to be e*pei'ted Irom it, which 

 constantly made and put forth by the ignorant or 

 signing, must operate much to its hindrance and disi 

 vantage, 'j'he public mind will pn^sently be disabu- 

 in all these matters ; and results, resting upon the mi 

 care'ul and decisive experimewts, and such an arcuii 

 lation of settled liacts as leaves no room for doubt, \' 

 set every thing \;ight. The culture of silk will go 

 and prove a source of profit to industry and good m 

 agement sufficient to satisfy every reasonable desire i 

 to compensate most amply the labor bestowed upon 

 We forbear further statements on the subject at 1 

 lime, as we shall make it matter of full examination! 

 discussion in our next reportto the '.lovcrninent,-- -H, I 



BRINGING CATTLE TO THE BARN. 



The 20th of Novembcf is universally ur.dcrsl 

 throughout New Ep^gland as the close of the seasoi 

 pasturage, and the time far bringing o!ir cattle and I 

 stock to the barn. Sheep may bn> left out as lon<» as 

 ground remains, bare ; but it is uelievcd to be bad m 

 agement to leave cattle out afier severe frosts come : i 

 especially in storms of sleet and snow. Fat rattle 

 the fatting districts are tied up to he fed and turned i 

 the yards at night. In this case the yards are well 

 teted and a dry place is always furnisiied for the cat 

 to rest upon. For young rattle, well protected ya 

 and open sheds with a southern aspect, are lo be p 

 ferred to close and waim barns. For milch cows, ho 

 ever, stables which are dr) , warm but well venlilal 

 and well littered, and kept thoroughly clean, should 

 provided, and these animals should never be exposed 

 cold rains or storms, or winds, which make them shiv 

 and become restless; and of course'caniiot fail to dimi 

 ish their milk. They should lie well fed, and careful 

 curried, and treated always with gentleness and unvar 

 ing kindness It is impossible to reconcile the caielef 

 slovenly, neglectful, and we may i.dd inhuman mann 

 with which these useful and beneficent animals a 

 commonly tieatcd, with any just regard to the larinei 

 own interest or even with the principles of common ju 

 ti''e. H.C. 



WhE4T.— The Cleveland Herald of the 5th states Ih, 

 the receipts of wheat at that port during the precedin 

 nionth, were 377,115 bushels, and of flour 46,488 ba 

 rels; and in the past seven month., ],380,G20 bushels « 

 wheat and "30,550 barrels of flour. The amount c 

 wheat trebles that received two years ago. 



The Chicago American states that winter wheat of tb 

 first quality, is now selling at Chicago at 75 cents. Th 

 quantity of wheat coming in from the country ei 

 ceeds all expectations. 



W. B."s communication on Forest Trees »hall appea 

 in our next. 



