3RESS acts 14:; 



the culture oi Bilk. This .Manual was prepared under 

 the direction of Secretary Richard Rush, and submitted 

 to the Speaker <>n the 5th of February, 1828. It com- 

 prises an illustrated volume of 220 pages. 



Silk culture was now agitated everywhere. Cong 

 took it up time and again. The Senate published a 

 treatise on the Bubjecl in August, 1828, by l>e Bazzi, 

 Counsellor of State, Germany, who had been attracted 

 l>y the resolutions of the Bouse of Representatives, 

 legislatures considered the culture «»t' silk. Public 

 meetings of all Borts t • >« »k ap the refrain, and it was 

 echoed from housetop to housetop from Maine to the 

 Gulf. The Bouse of Representatives of Massachusetts 

 had the question up in L831, and it passed a resolution 

 that "his Excellency the Governor be requested t<> 

 cause t<> be compiled a concise Manual. to contain the 

 best information respecting tin- growth of the Mulberry 

 with Buitable directions for tin- culture of Silk, — 

 ami that this manual !»•• distributed in Buitable numbers 

 in the city of Boston, and to every town in the Com- 

 monwealth. — That to defray the expense thus incurred, 

 1m- be authorized to draw his warrant on the treasury 

 for a sum not exceeding six hundred dollars." Jonathan 



II. Cobb, of Dedham, who had had considerable su iss 



in making Bilk, was chosen to writ.- the manual. 

 Tin- book quickly went to second and third editions. 

 In th<- Becond edition, 1833, tin- author makes this 

 explanation: "Since the publication of the former 

 edition of this little work, the Legislature of Massa- 

 ehusets having further noticed it by ordering an addi- 

 tional number of copies to be purchased for further 

 distribution in the different town- of this Common- 

 wealth; ami the Congress of the United States hav- 



