146 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



THE SILK CULTURE. 

 The foWowing are the Resolutions adopted by 

 the late National Silk Convention, at New York : 



1. Resolved, That the full establialitnent of the 

 silk business, as an integral part of the ordinary 

 industry of this country, is an object clninjin? the 

 early and high regard of every patriot and philan- 

 tlirop.pt. 



2. liesolved, That in the history of past experi- 

 ments in prowin? silk in the early settlements of 

 Georgia, South Carolinn, and Viroinia ; in Penn- 

 sylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts, inimedi- 

 Btely preceding the Revolution, and subsequently 

 and especially, in the larger, more general, and 

 more successful efforts of the past few years, we 

 have ample grounds for increased confidence in 

 all the great principles on which the business is 

 based. 



.i. Resolved, That in regard to all agricultural 

 products, there is a broad and well defined distinc- 

 tion to be observed between transient and perma- 

 nent causes of failure or success — that tlie perma- 

 nent causes are soil and climate ; and that wher. 

 ever these are knovvn to be favorable to any such 

 product, we should never be discouraged by tran- 

 sient causes, operating against success knowintr 



that these causes operate in like manner in regard 

 to all such products. 



4. Resolved, That as American silk, in the state 

 in which the worm leaves it, has long been known 

 to be of first-rate quality, it is adequate proof, that 

 the soil and climate of our country are eminently 

 congenial to its culture, inasmuch as these two 

 things are the permanent causes that control the 

 quality of every agricultural product. 



5. Resolved, That the silk culture demands for 

 its successful prosecution, essentially the same 

 climate, and the same kind of seasons, and the 

 same kinds of upland soils as are required for In- 

 dian corn : and, as this crop is successfully culti- 

 vated in all the States and Territories of the Union, 

 there is nothing to forbid, but every thing to en- 

 courage, the co-extensive cultivation of the silk 

 crop. 



6. Resolved, That inasmuch as in America and 

 China, the mulberry tree is found in the native 

 forest, it is a manifest indication of Divine Provi- 

 dence, that this country, as well as China, was de- 

 signed to be a great silk-growing country. 



7. Resolved, That in view of the experiments 

 made in different parts of the country, as reported 

 to this Convention, from most of the States of the 

 Union, in feeding worms in a natural state of the 

 atmosphere, we are happy to regard the question 

 as /n'um/)/ianHj/ settled, that, in our superior cli- 

 mate, the open shed, or tent, securing to our worms 

 ampli! shade, and heaven's pure air essentially un- 

 obstructed, is, except in very early or very late 

 feeding, not only all that is needed in the way of 

 building, but intrinsically better than enclosed 

 rooms : Therefore, 



8. Resolved, That 1843 will form a new era in 

 the history of the silk culture of the United Slates. 



9. Resolved, That the introduction of the foreign 

 varieties of the Mulberry tree, and the facility wTih 

 which they have become acclimated, and the rea- 

 sonable rale at which they may now be procured 

 and propagated, give to the American people every 

 advantage for the vigorous prosecution of the silk 

 culture. 



Mherens, In the feverish excitements of the 

 years W.iH and '31), many exaggerated statements 



KOV.S, 1843. 



were put forth by persons solely interested in the 

 tree as an article of speculation, in regard to the 

 profits to be expected from the growing silk, and 

 in regard to the intrinsic value of the Mulberrv 

 tree ; and whereas, in the prostration that came 

 subsequently over this business, the public mind 

 was thrown into a state of complete revulsion, the 

 great body of our people, for a time, regarding ihe 

 whole business as a delusion, and mulberry trees 

 as utterly worthless — fit only for the flames and 

 the floods — therefore, 



10. Resohed, That we deem it due to ourselves 

 and to the public, in all candor to say, that the 

 silk culture is, in our judgment, entirely feasible, 

 and may easily become second to no other busi- 

 ness in the country ; that when conducted with 

 appropriate practical knowledge and skill, and with 

 appropriate facilities, it is more profitable than oth- 

 er ordinary agricultural pursuits ; and that mulber- 

 ry trees, for the purpose for which they were de- 

 signed, are intrinsically valuable. 



U. Rcso'v'd, That Ihe Convention deeply re- 

 gret the loss which the country has sustained in 

 ihe wanton and inconsiderate destruction of mul- 

 berry trees consequent upon the revulsion above 

 referred to ; and they earnestly recommend to the 

 present owners of trees to preserve and multiply 

 them with all due care, knowing that their value 

 for making silk will, in due time, be appreciated. 



12. Resolved, That we aro much gratified in he- 

 holding the manifestations of a growing public con- 

 fidence in the essentml merits of the silk business ; 

 and we are herein decidedly encouraged to go for- 

 ward in the business our.^elves, using, at the same 

 time, all appropriate means to enlighten the public 

 mind, and confirm the public confidence still more 

 fully. For this purpose, we will freely communi- 

 cate to individuals and to the conductors of the 

 newspaper press, the results of our own experi- 

 ence, and such other information as may be in our 

 power to give ; exercising all due care to keep 

 within the limits of rigid truth. 



13. Resolved, That we rejoice in the liberal pro- 

 tection designed to be given to the silk business 

 in the new tariff; and in the fact, that this section 

 of the bill excited no opposition from any quarter 

 of the country, we have a pledge that the policy 

 now establislied will remain undisturbed, and that 

 such amendments as experience has already shown, 

 or shall hereafter show, to be necessary, will be 

 icadily secured ; and farther, inasmuch as our Con- 

 gress has never imposed discriminating duties, ex- 

 cept in favor of such products as may be brought 

 forth from our own fields and workshops, this act 

 is only the expressed opinion of the intelligent 

 body that possed it, that our country can as well 

 make its own silks, as its cottons and woollens, its 

 hats and its shoes, its plows, its nails, and its axes. 



Whereas, the present tariff prescribes a duty of 

 fifty cents on the pound of raw silk, or silk in the 

 gum, and a higher duty on sewings and other man- 

 ufactured silks; and whereas we are fully inform- 

 ed that sewings and other silks can be and are iin- 

 ported nearly ready for the market, and yet re- 

 taining the gum, coming in under this low duty 



therefore, 



14. Resolved, That we consider this a manifest 

 and gross evasion of the law designed to aid the 

 American manufacturer. 



15. Resohed, That Gen. James Tallmadge, I. R. 

 Barbour, John VV. Gill, Gideon B. Smith, Horace 

 Pitkin, and J. Danforth, be a committee to claim of 

 the Secretary of the Treasury the prompt correc- 



tion of this abuse; and, in case it should becom 

 necessary, that they lay the subject before Cor 

 gress at the early part of its approaching sessioi 

 Whereas, from the returns made to the Convei 

 tion, it appears that there has been a large increas 

 in the quantity of cocoons raised in the countr 

 the present season, especially at the West an 

 South-West, so large as to give ju>t grounds t 

 fear that many will be lost for the want of bein 

 timely and suitably reeled — therefore, 



16. Resolved, That the early and earnest attei 

 tion of the friends of the silk cause, be directed I 

 family reeling, and to the establishment of filatnr( 

 for purchasing and reeling cocoons, in different h 

 calities where they are now urgently needeil • ar 

 that the Legislatures of the several States be ri 

 quested to grant liberal bounties to encourage th 

 important and essential part of the general businei 

 — reeling silk in a manner suitable for all the v: 

 rieties of silk goods. 



17. Resolved, That this Convention are exceei 

 ingly gratified, in witnessing, as they do on th 

 occasion, such a rich variety of cocoons, raw silk 

 sOHings, twists, braids, gimps, cords, riliands, ban 

 kerchiefs, cravats, hosiery, laces, flowered tissui 

 and brocades, in great variety for vestings, pla 

 and flowered lustrings and many other kinds 

 dress sillis, velvets, satins, surges, armozines, ai 

 other silk goods, grown upon our own soils, ai 

 under our own brilliant skies, and manufaclured I 

 the skill of our own citizens. 



18. Resolved, That our manufacturers, and oth 

 business men, have now every reasonable encou 

 agcment to invest, in a wise and careful manns 

 their funds in this form of domestic labor — groi 

 ing and manufacturing silk. 



19. Resolved, That this Convention learns, wi 

 deep regret, that, as in other kinds of Anierict- 

 manufactures, it has hitherto been deemed nece 

 sary to attach the foreign titles, English, Frenc 

 and Italian, to the excellent sewings and fabrics 

 our own silk manufactures, in order to coinmai 

 a ready sale in our city markets, superior as the 

 sewings and fabrics are known to be in strengt 

 texture and durability to the foreign articles ; ai 

 that we earnestly recommend to our silk manufa 

 tures, now in the infancy of our enterprize, to s 

 a pood example to their brethren in other man 

 factures, by attaching their own name to their ov 

 goods. 



20. Resolved, That we recommend to our felloi' 

 citizens to cherish, by their patronage, our infa 

 silk establishments. In this, we appeal to thoi 

 patriotic feelings which ever glow in the hearts I 

 Americans, asking of them all a mutual pledg; 

 each to sustain the efforts of the other, in the pr 

 gressive developement of our mighty resource 

 ind the attainment of a perfect national indepe 

 dence. 



21. Resolved, That the thanks of this Conve 

 tion be presented to the American Institute, for tl 

 appropriate and vigorous measures lliev are no 

 taking to promote the inlerests of the silk businesi 

 for the ample accommodations they have providt 

 for the sessions of this Convention ; and that thi 

 bo respectfully requested to call another conve 

 tion similar to the present, during the next Annu 

 Fair of the Institute. 



[The remaining resolutions recommend the pu 

 lishing of the letters received, the holding of loc 

 conventions throughout the country in Septemb' 

 next, &c.] 



