32 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
ceeding crops of almost any description, this process is highly 
advantageous, and may, without hesitation, be always recom¬ 
mended. 
As the discussion of this subject at greater length, would 
lead your committee into minute details, although highly pro¬ 
fitable in its results, yet not required by their duties for this 
occasion, they beg leave to close their communication with 
the following suggestion to all who would cultivate grasses: 
Read attentively, and follow the experimental and practical 
rules laid down in the agricultural papers of the day, and no 
infelligoELL fixrxnai- ruaoh be nt nJ.oss to understand how to best 
cultivate his lands with grasses. 
L. F. ALLEN., Chairman. 
EXTRACTS. 
[From the Journal of the American Silk Society .] 
Address to tire People of the United States. 
Fellow Citizens —A convention of the friends of 
the silk culture assembled in Baltimore on the 11th ult. 
and remained in session for three days. Delegates were 
present from eleven states, and the District of Colum¬ 
bia, amounting in number to nearly three hundred; and, 
we believe, that for intelligence and respectability, this 
assembly would not sutler in comparison, with any body, 
of equal numbers, which any of the great interests of 
our country have brought together. Among those as¬ 
sembled were a number who have been practically en¬ 
gaged either in the culture or the manufacture of silk, 
and they exhibited various specimens of this beautiful 
and valuable article, which certainly gave fair promise 
of success to those who shall engage in the business. 
This convention, in the course of its transactions, ap¬ 
pointed the undersigned to address you on the impor¬ 
tance of the silk culture ; and we now ask your attention 
while we endeavor to show that you will promote both 
the interests of the country, and your own individual 
prosperity, by giving this business a fair trial. 
That it is desirable the United States should become 
a silk growing country, provided it can be done with a 
fair profit to those engaged in the business, is so evident 
that little need be said upon the subject. The consump¬ 
tion of this article has been rapidly increasing, particu¬ 
larly within the last few years. In 1821, the amount of 
the silks imported, as ascertained from the custom-house 
returns, was not quite $4,000,000. In 1825, the amount 
had arisen to nearly $10,500,000; and in 1837 to over 
$20,000,000. It should be borne in mind too, that we 
import other articles either of necessity or luxury, near¬ 
ly or quite equivalent in cost to the value of all our ex¬ 
ports ; and the consequence is, that we must either run 
in debt for the principal part of the silks we use, or be 
subject to a constant drain of the precious metals. A 
system like this cannot be long continued consistently 
with the prosperity of the country. We must curtail 
our imports of this article, or we must produce the raw 
materia] ourselves, and export it to pay for such of the 
silk fabrics as we cannot with profit manufacture for 
ourselves. 
We might extend our observations upon this branch 
of the subject, did we not believe that no further argu¬ 
ment is necessary to satisfy you, that we ought to be¬ 
come a silk growing country provided the business will 
yield a fair profit to those who undertake it. Let us 
proceed then to this inquiry. 
In the first place'it may be stated that the climate of 
our country, and much of the soil, are such that the 
silk we make is not excelled, either in beauty or strength 
by that of any country in the world. For the truth of 
this fact we may appeal to the testimony of every fo¬ 
reigner, capable of judging, who has had an opportunity 
of testing our silk. Shortly prior to the revolutionary 
war, no less than 10,000 lbs. of raw silk were sent Irom 
the colony of Georgia to London, and its quality was 
such that it commanded from two to three shilling ster¬ 
ling per pound, more than that of any other country. 
We are not aware that any considerable quantity has 
been sent to Europe from states farther north, but Eu¬ 
ropean manufacturers have frequently examined it, and 
they have uniformly given it the character stated above. 
We can produce then excellent silk, in the various parts 
of our country, and to any desirable amount. But we are 
frequently met with the argument, that although our 
soil and climate are both very favorable to this culture, 
still labor is so high that we cannot compete with the 
silk growing countries of Europe and Asia, where the- 
price of labor is extremely low. 
Many of you will no doubt recollect that prior to the 
war 1812, although we were growing large amounts of 
cotton, we received all our more common and substan¬ 
tial muslins from India. During the war, when our com¬ 
merce was greatly reduced and the prices of all import¬ 
ed articles became very high, cotton manufactories were 
commenced in some of the eastern states, and helped to 
supply the deficiency. When the times of peace again 
arrived and commerce revived, it was very generally pre¬ 
dicted that those manufacturing establishments must be 
broken up, as the principal articles they then made were 
such as to bring them into direct competition with those 
countries where the price of labor was at its lowest 
point. Was this prediction verified? Far from it. 
Those manufactories have been greatly extended, and 
they now give us muslins for less than half the price we 
formerly paid for those of India, and of a quality great¬ 
ly superior. In fact we now export such muslins to In¬ 
dia, and sell them at a good profit. The high price of 
labor, in this case, then, has not prevented a successful 
competition with those countries where the wages are 
such as scarcely to afford the most meagre subsistence 
to the population engaged in it. Why then should the 
high price of labor prevent our raising silk to a good 
profit? The fact is, and it may be applied to all cases, 
that those countries where labor is very low, business 
is carried on much more sluggishly than where it is 
high, and their implements are more rude and less adap¬ 
ted to the purpose ; so that the same amount expended 
will not produce more in the former case than in the 
latter. 
But we need not proceed further with general argu¬ 
ments, to prove that the silk culture will be a profitable 
branch of national industry; facts were elicited during 
the sittings of the convention, which are more to the 
purpose than any arguments we could use. The Rev, 
D. V. McLean, of Freehold, New-Jersey, stated that, 
in order to iry what amount of silk could be made from 
a given portion of ground, and that too by a person 
wlio had no practical knowledge of the business, he 
planted a small lot of known dimensions, with morus 
multicaulis, in the spring of the past year, and that he 
made during the summer, from this lot, at the rate of 
510 lbs. of cocoons or 51 lbs. of raw silk per acre. He 
further stated that, for want of a sufficiency of the silk 
worms’ eggs, he did not feed nearly so large a number 
as his foliage would have supported. But suppose we 
take this amount as the average per acre, and it is cer 
tairily not too high, and we shall presently find that the 
business will yield a large profit. The value of the raw 
silk is not less than $5 per pound, which will give us 
$255 as the gross produce per acre. The gentleman 
above named did not keep any account of the expense 
of collecting the leaves, attending to the worms, See ; but, 
a Mr. Smith, a very respectable farmer of Amherst, 
Massachusetts, who has been for several years engaged 
in the culture, stated that he knew from actual experi¬ 
ments, that when he paid the full price for labor it did 
not cost him more than $2 per pound for the raw silk he 
obtained. Other gentlemen present, who had consider¬ 
able experience in the business, corroborated his state¬ 
ment—suppose, however, that in order to he perfectly 
safe in our estimate, we add 25 per cent, to this amount 
making the expense of producing the pound of raw silk 
$2.50 or $127.50 for the 51 lbs. and we have a nett pro¬ 
fit of $127.50 per acre. Permit us now to ask you, what 
branch of your usual business yields a profit any thing 
like this ? 
We see then that if the silk culture is undertaken by 
the farmer as an exclusive business, it will yield him a 
rich return, even when he has to pay the full price for 
all the labor employed. But if ever the United States 
shall become extensively engaged in this branch of in¬ 
dustry, and that it will eventually become so engaged 
we have not the shadow of a doubt, by far the greater 
portion of the article will be produced by farmers or 
planters, who are at the same time raising their ordinary 
crops. Most of the labor can he as well, and as expe¬ 
ditiously, performed by children of from nine to twelve 
years of age as by robust men ; and thus a large propor¬ 
tion of our population, who are consumers but produce 
nothing, may be most profitably employed during a por¬ 
tion of the year. Every farmer who has a family of 
children about him, by planting a small portion of his 
ground with morus multicaulis, majr make from 50 to 
200 lbs. of raw silk per year, with very little interrup¬ 
tion to his other pursuits, and at a very trifling expense; 
and thus add largely to his yearly income. 
But suppose he has no family of children of his own 
and is obliged to hire those of his poorer neighbors; he 
is then increasing his own profits by this business, at j 
the same time that he is rescuing these children from 
the evils of an idle life, and giving them food to eat and 
raiment to wear. 
There is still another view of this subject which is of 
great importance, particularly to the citizens of many of 
the Atlantic states. In all of these we find large quan¬ 
tities of land, either naturally poor, or so reduced by 
culture as to yield no profit to the cultivator. The con¬ 
sequence is, that the people of these states are rapidly 
emigrating to the more fertile regions of the west to 
seek a subsistence for themselves and their families; 
giving cause for fear, that, unless some means can be 
found to remove this necessity, some of those states will 
soon be in a measure depopulated. Now it fortunately 
happens, that poor, sandy, and almost worn-out lands 
yield the very best of silk; and although the quantity 
will not be so large as from more fertile lands, the pro¬ 
fits will be such as to leave no inducement to the inha¬ 
bitants to leave the homes of their fathers, in order to 
raise wheat, corn, tobacco, or cotton, in the fertile valley 
of the Mississippi. 
We think we have, in the few remarks we have made, 
shown you sufficient inducements to make a fair trial 
of the silk culture. We might add many more facts if 
we thought it necessary, but these you will find staled 
more at large in the periodical publications which are 
devoted to this cause, and particularly in the “ Journal 
of the American Silk Society,” published in Baltimore, 
and to which we refer you, in the full confidence that 
you will there find all the directions necessary for pro¬ 
pagating the trees, feeding the worms, and reeling the 
silk, as well as full and authentic intelligence as to the 
state of the silk market and trade—to he procured by 
maintaining a regular correspondence with our public 
functionaries and others, at home and abroad, posses¬ 
sing most experience and having access tb the best 
sources of information. To commence the business up¬ 
on a moderate scale will involve but a small outlay of 
capital; and even this will yield as speedy a return,and 
a much larger one, than you could hope to receive from 
almost any other investment. GIDEON B. SMITH, 
WM. GIBBONS, 
January , 1839. S. R. GUMMERE. 
I 
O 3 Our Four First Volumes, 
Have been reprinted, and a quantity of them bound, some 
two volumes in one, and some four in one, have been forward¬ 
ed to our agents in Boston, New-York r Philadelphia, Balti¬ 
more, Washington,Richmond, Augusta, St. Louis and New- 
Orleans- and they will be forwarded to Hartford, and other 
places where they may be ordered, as soon as navigation will 
permit. They cannot be sent, bound, by mail; but will be 
sent to order in a stitched form. 
TFReceipts are often requested to be sent for moneys re 
ceived. The receipts of five dollars and over will be ac¬ 
knowledged in the Cultivator; and for less sums, the receipt 
of the papers for which money is sent, by the subscriber, is an 
acknowledgement that we have received it. This arrange¬ 
ment will save the writing of many letters and much postage. 
Mulberry seed, we are desired to advertise the public, is tor 
sale by W. Coleman, bookseller, Nevv-York, and by J.F.Cal- 
lan, bookseller, Washington City. 
Moneys received during the last month, in sums of five dollars 
and over. The total receipts are included from post-offices 
marked with an asterisk.* 
No. Vols. 
No. Vols. 
Augusta, 
Ga. 
12 Nassau, Renss. 
6 
Agawam, 
Mass. 
5 
New-York Mills, On. 
12 
Bristol, 
Ct. 
13 
New-Canaan, 
Ct. 
17 
Bull’s Bridge, 
Ct, 
6 
New-Haven, 
Ct. 
5 
Butternuts, Ots. 
11 
New-London, 
Ct. 
20 
Brownsville, Jeff. 
5 
North Brandford, 
Ct. 
6 
Bladensburgh, 
Md. 
G 
North Guilford, 
Ct. 
6 
Big Foot, 
W. T. 
5 
New-PIolland, 
Pa. 
17 
Benteroglio, 
Va. 
7\ Newton Square, 
Pa. 
6 
Bethlehem, 
la. 
6 New-Harmony, 
ia. 
6 
Bardstown, 
Ky. 
11 
Nashville, 
Tenn. 
12 
Bl id port, 
Vt. 
11 
New-Baltimore, 
Va. 
6 
Benton, Yates. 
5 
New-Store, 
Va. 
8 
Columbus Corners, 
Chen. 
6 
North Providence, 
R. I. 
7 
Coxsackie, Gr. 
1 ! 
New-Haven, 
Ky. 
6 
City, Dutch. 
6 
Northampton, 
Mass. 
12 
Cooperstown, Ot. 
6 
Norwich, 
Ct. 
11 
Caiskill, Gr. 
10 
New-Bedford, 
Mass. 
17 
Centreville, 
Md. 
11 
North Bridgewater, 
Mass. 
11 
Cincinnati, 
O. 
15, North Haven, 
Ct. 
22 
Christiansburgh, 
Va. 
5' Newbern, 
N. C. 
16 
Chelsea, 
Vt. 
5 
Newby’s Bridge, 
N. C. 
10 
Columbia, 
Ten. 
11 
Orford, 
N. H. 
11 
Clinton, 
Mich. 
5 
Oswego, Os. 
6 
Carlinvillle, 
Ill. 
6 
Orange C. H. 
Va. 
5 
Canaan Centre, Col. 
14 
Owing Mills, 
Md. 
5 
Charlottsville, 
Va. 
11 
Oxford, 
Ct. 
22 
Colchester, Del. 
11 
Pine Lake, 
Mich. 
5 
Duanesburgh, Schen. 
5 Peoria, 
Ill. 
5 
Detroit, 
Mich. 
ii 
Philadelphia, 
Pa. 
26 
Diiworthstown, 
Pa. 
li 
Port. Byron, Wayne, 
11 
De Wittsville, Chaut. 
5 
Petersburgh, Rens. 
15 
Elizabethtown l 
Ky 
6 
Plato, 
O. 
5 
Ellsworth, 
O. 
IGTlainfield, 
Ct. 
5 
Kdmund’s Store, 
Va. 
6 ; Portsmouth, 
N. H. 
19 
East Windsor Hill, 
Ct. 
11 -Pattonsburgli, 
Va. 
14 
East Haddam, 
Ct. 
12 Pittsburgh, 
Pa. 
33 
Flint Stone, 
Md. 
6 Rome, One. 
6 
Friendship, 
Md. 
10 
Russia, Herk. 
6 
Fredericksburgh, 
N. C. 
15 
Richmond, 
Ia. 
12 
Frederickstown, 
Mo. 
6 
Rapid Ann, 
Va. 
5 
Farmington, 
Ct. 
21 
Rockingham, 
N.C. 
12 
Fredericksburgh, 
Va. 
20 
Rehoboth, 
Md. 
7 
Grangerville, Sar. 
5 
Rip! on, 
Vt. 
5 
Great Bend, 
I'a. 
7 
Rhinebeck, Dutch. 
22 
Hamptonburgh, Or. 
12 
Rutland. 
Vt. 23 
Hillsdale, Col. 
5 
Schaghtieoke, Rens. 
5 
Hebron, Wash. 
5 
South Cairo, Gr. 
12 
Huntsville, 
Ala. 
18 
St, Johnsville, Mont. 
5 
Hamburgh, 
N. J. 
8 
Sing-Sing, West. 
17 
Hereford, 
Md. 
11 
Somers, West. 
5 
Hartford, 
Ky. 
6 
Southeast, Putnam, 
5 
Ives’ Store, 
Va. 
10 
Schenectady, Sche. 
6 
Jerusalem, 
Va. 
5 
Suffolk, 
Va. 
20 
Jersey Shore, 
Pa. 
0 Sioney Point Mills, 
Va. 
22 
Jackson, 
Ark. 
5 Sterling, 
Ct. 
12 
King George C H. 
Va. 
17 
Shawnee Run, 
Ky. 
6 
Kanawha C. H. 
Va. 5!Salisbury, 
Pa. 
12 
Knoxville, 
Tenn. 
11 Smyrna, 
Del 
22 
Kingston, Ulster, 
5 
Salisbu ry • 
Vt. 
5 
Kirtland Mills, 
O. 
6 'Soutlibridge, 
Mass. 
8 
Keeseville, Essex, 
25 1 Saco, 
Me. 
5 
Long Meadow, 
Va. 
5 Syracuse. Onon. 
8 
Lanstngburgh, Rens 
. 
14 
Troy, Rens. 
9 
La Grange, 
Geo. 
6 
Twyman’s Store, 
Va. 
6 
Long Meadow, 
Mass. 
11 
Uniontown, 
Md. 
14 
Loretto, 
Va. 
23 
Union Bridge, 
Md. 
5 
Lenox, 
Mass. 
22 
Westmoreland C. H. Va. 
6 
Louisville, 
Ky. 
6 
Washington, 
D. C. 
40- 
Lewisburgh, 
Pa. 
5 
Warwick, Or. 
6 
Lebanon, 
Va. 
5 
Waterloo, Sen. 
12 
Lew es. 
Del. 
11 
Warm Springs, 
Va. 
12 
MaUaville, Sar. 
11 
Weslborough, 
Blass. 
20 
M ishawaka, 
W. T. 
6 
Whitehall, Wash. 
5 
Mount Pleasant, 
Geo. 
5 
Warren. 
Ct. 
5 
Manchester, 
Ia. 
7 
Webbs,' 
Geo. 
5 
Mead vi lie, 
Pa. 
5 
Woonsocket, 
R. I. 
11 
Middlebury, 
Vt. 
5 
Wallingford, 
Ct. 
5 
Montpelier, 
Vt. 
8 
Williamsbury, 
Pa. 
5 
Mount Vernon, 
R. I. 
8 
Wal pole, 
N. H. 
11 
Mount Vernon, 
Ia. 
12 
Westmoreland, One. 
11 
Norwich, Chen. 
5 
Vienna, 
Md. 
11 
New-York city, 
18 
Virginia Mills, 
Va. 
17 
eearsci«&. 
PRICE CURRENT. 
ARTICLES. IN. York, Mar. 1 I Boston, Feb.27. 
Batter, fresh, lb.. 
0 18.. 0 25 
0 08.. 9 10 
0 13.. 0 18 
8 25.. 8 75 
I 80.. 1 821 
1 12. . 1 15 
0 45.. 0 50 
0 83.. 0 85 
0 13.. 0 14 
Grain—Wheat, bushel,. 
Corn, do . 
Hams, pork, lb... 
Red Clover Seed, bushel, . j 12 50.. 14 50 
1 
35.. 
2 
00 
7 
00.. 
8 
25 
0 
12.. 
0 
13 
0 
18.. 
0 
30 
0 
08. . 
0 
10 
8 
00 
9 
22 
1 
20.. 
1 
25 
0 
56.. 
0 
58 
0 
95. . 
0 
97 
0 
14.. 
0 
15 
10 
00. . 
n 
00 
13 
00.. 
14 
00 
