18 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
is not a mask hiding the features of vice and wo. A 
demon scowls not forth on him from beneath every flow¬ 
er that throws beauty and perfume over the path of 
life. He rejoices that he is a man—he feels a fraternal 
love for the great brotherhood of man. 
And shall the agriculturist “ look up” to men, who, 
if not his inferiors, are in no respect his superiors ? 
Shall his sons flee away into other occupations that 
they “ may be gentlemen?” A better day, I trust, is 
dawning. The time will soon come, if it has not now 
come, when no talents however great, and no education 
however finished, will be supposed to be ‘ ‘ thrown away” 
when devoted to the improvement of agriculture. Let 
our agriculturists assert the dignity of their calling, and 
who dare gainsay it ? They are, and ever must be, the 
most numerous and powerful caste in this great Repub¬ 
lic. They can make that power felt whenever an occa¬ 
sion demands it. And has every one who reads this, 
contributed his individual efforts during the past year, 
to assert that dignity—to effect “ the moral and social 
elevation of his calling?” If not, the “ balance” of 
1840 is against him ! Let 1841 “ retrieve” the “ error.” 
Cortlandville, N. Y. Dec. 1840. H. S. R. 
THE S iLK CUL TURE. 
ii Shall we give it up V’ 
Give it up! Why ? What reason or cause is there 
that we should abandon it ? “ Why, the morus multi- 
caulis is down—the trees will not bring any thing—we 
can hardly give them away—our prospects of getting 
rich from the raising and sale of the trees are at an end 
—our golden dreams are vanished !” 
Thus absurdly, Messrs. Editors, many in our country 
probably reason! but none, I trust, who are the true 
friends of the silk culture—who sec'* no just cause why 
we should abandon it, or any serious difficulty in the 
way to discourage them. I am happy to find that your 
interest in it, and your sense of its importance to our 
country as a branch of domestic industry, is not dimi¬ 
nished j and that you are disposed to place the subject 
occasionally before your readers, among other topics of 
interest to our agricultural community. I am willing to 
contribute my feeble efforts as I have done, to further 
its interests, though far abler pens than mine, it may 
find to advocate its cause. My confidence in it, as a 
source of individual and national wealth, and in its ul¬ 
timate success, remains unshaken ; though untoward 
events the past year have thrown a cloud over it, and 
obscured in a measure its prospects discouraged and 
disheartened some who had turned their attention to it, 
and operated to retard its progress. These events were 
the general depression in the money market, and con¬ 
sequent. embarrassment in almost every branch of busi¬ 
ness, and the bursting of the bubble of the mulberry 
speculation. Many had embarked in what was termed 
“ the silk culture,” solely with a view to the sale of 
the trees, without the least idea or intention of raising 
silk, and hoped thereby suddenly to reap that golden 
harvest which others had reaped ; these may justly con¬ 
clude to “to give it up;” that is, give up the raising 
and sale of the trees for speculation. Others had im¬ 
prudently invested large sums or contracted liabilities 
to a considerable amount in the purchase of trees at a 
high price, for the purpose of raising silk with the hope 
of reimbursing themselves by the sale of a part of the 
trees • but by the sudden fall of the price and destruc¬ 
tion of the market, have sustained embarrassments and 
loss. Some of them, not realizing their expectations, 
will probably abandon the pursuit. While those who 
have cautiously, prudently and understanlingly gone 
into it, with the legitimate object of raising silk, will 
hold on their way ; and others, encouraged by their 
success, now that the trees can be purchased so low, 
will probably embark in it, not for the purpose of spe¬ 
culation in the trees, but for the sure profits to be de¬ 
rived from the culture of silk. So that altnough the 
failure in the mulberry speculation has^ thrown a tem¬ 
porary cloud over the prospects of the silx culture, and 
retarded somewhat its progress, ultimate good I think 
will grow out of it. It has seen its darkest day ; that 
cloud will ere long be dispersed and a brighter sun shine 
out upon it. I can see nothing in the past or in the pre¬ 
sent to discourage the true friends of the silk culture ; 
no reason why they should abandon it, but many rea¬ 
sons why they should persevere. Our soil and climate 
are propitious, the morus multicaulis is as valuable now 
for feeding worms as it ever was, (and I consider it the 
most valuable, on many accounts, of all the varieties 
of mulberry which have been introduced into our coun¬ 
try ■) silk of a most excellent quality, fully equaling the 
best Italian, has been made, at a handsome profit ; a 
demand exists for the raw material, both in the cocoon 
and reeled, in our own market, far beyond what can be 
supplied, at a price which will amply remunerate the 
grower ; and Europe would purchase of us millions of 
dollars worth for her manufactures annually if we could 
supply it and become our debtor, instead of we being 
a debtor to her for silks annually to the amount of 
many millions of dollars. 
Shame for us, my countrymen ! _ My blood warms in 
my veins when I think of it. It is a disgrace and re¬ 
proach to us, which every true American should desire 
to wipe away, that possessing as we do a country as 
favorable to the culture of silk as any .on which the sun 
ever shone, with that intelligence and ingenuity and. en¬ 
terprise characterestic of our people, and eveiy facility 
which we would desire for entering into the silk culture 
extensively, we will still run in debt to Europe more 
than the amount of all our exported bread-stuffs, &c. 
for the single article of silk. If the blush of shame 
mantle not on the cheek of the patriot citizen, at the 
thought of this, I shame for him. What is it that has 
caused this present distress to our country, in its mone¬ 
tary affairs, and the paralyzing almost of every branch 
of industry, but our prodigal running in debt to Europe. 
I pretend not to say how much of our distress may 
be ascribed to other causes ; but I can see enough in 
this ; a course which will ruin any country. Look over 
our account with Europe ■, here is one item of twenty 
millions of dollars a year for silks! which our own people 
can just as well raise themselves and keep this amount 
of money in the country ; and if they do not see fit to 
manufacture it, or feel a foolish pride in decorating 
their persons with the fabrics of foreign work-shops, 
rather than with those of our own manufactures, then 
send it to Europe for them to manufacture for us. But 
in the infancy of their existence our silk manufactories 
have shown that they can produce an article which our 
wives and daughters need not be ashamed, but proud 
to wear ; and these manufactories only want a supply 
of the American raw material, to rival those of Europe ; 
for the want of which they are obliged to use princi¬ 
pally the inferior imported raw silk of China. Let 
us then go to work and raise our own silk. There is 
many a family among our farmers that might raise from 
one to ten pounds of silk or more a year by employing 
the children and a portion of the female labor without 
abstracting from the other products of the farm or hin¬ 
dering its necessary labors, which would be so much 
clear gain ; and what female is there in our country, 
whether maid or matron, that would not be proud in 
saying that the silk dress she wore was the product of 
her own labor, formed from the material raised with 
her own hands ? 
So far as I have been able to learn, success has at¬ 
tended the efforts in raising the silk worm the past sea¬ 
son, where there has been proper care and attention be¬ 
stowed in keeping the eggs, hatching them and tending 
the worms. Most of the failures of which I have heard, 
resulted from the eggs being spoiled, not having been 
properly kept, but exposed to too warm a temperature 
before they were brought out to be hatched. If thus ex¬ 
posed in the spring and then put into a cold tempera¬ 
ture, as in an ice-house, to keep till they are wanted in 
the summer, when the multicaulis is in full foliage, they 
are sure to be injured ; either their vitality is destroyed, 
or the worms on hatching come out feeble and sickly, 
and most of them die, as I can attest from my own ex¬ 
perience. Where the eggs have been properly prepared 
and deposited in an ice-house early in the spring, before 
exposure to the warmth, and kept till wanted, they have 
hatched well, and the worms been perfectly healthy. 
Of the amount of silk that has been made the past 
season I have no means of judging ; but I appre¬ 
hend it will be found to be considerable. My informa¬ 
tion does not extend to distant parts of our country. In 
the county of Steuben, several individuals have fed 
more or less worms with success, from two or three to ten 
thousand or more ; and are much gratified with their 
experiments. In the fore part of August, I visited several 
cocooneries in Cayuga and Tompkins counties, where 
they were feeding several hundred thousand worms 
which did well; and their proprietors spoke in encourag¬ 
ing terms of the business. I saw most beautiful speci¬ 
mens of cocoons at the house of J. H. Bostwick, Esq. 
in Auburn, which were fed in his parlor ; and at the 
cocooneries of Messrs. Hamblin & Fitch ; also at the 
cocoonery of Mr. Woodworth, in Ithaca, which for the 
simplicity, order and convenience of its arrangements, 
cleanliness and healthiness of the worms, exceeded any 
I had seen. A considerable crop of the large French 
pea-nut variety, (which the proprietor told me were far 
the best of all the varieties he had tried, and the only kind 
he meant to cultivate,) had finished their winding, and 
a beautiful sight they were ; and he had then feeding, a 
second crop of several hundred thousand of the same 
variety, attended by two ladies, members of his family. 
A large bunch of beautiful raw silk was shown me, 
reeled by Mr. Woodworth himself, as his first attempt 
upon the Piedmontese Reel, who informed me that there 
was no difficulty in reeling silk, which with practice he 
could not easily overcome. He was about introducing an 
important improvement in feeding, by which nearly the 
whole labor in cleaning after the worms is saved. Mr. 
W. would confer a favor upon the public by publishing 
the result of his experiments the past season ; and not 
he only but others who have fed worms ; and I doubt 
not these results would afford satisfactory evidence that 
silk may be raised to advantage by our citizens ; and. that 
it should engage, as it merits, more of their attention. 
The southern and southwestern states will .find it for 
their interest to engage in it; for besides having the ad¬ 
vantage over the north of a climate better adapted to the 
growth of the morus multicaulis, and a longer season for 
feeding the worms, they are urged to it by another consi¬ 
deration which must come home to them, viz: the pros¬ 
pect of a material diminution in the foreign market of a 
demand for their great staple product, cotton, by the pre¬ 
sent efforts of the British Government to introduce the 
culture of cotton into their East India possessions for 
the supply of their manufactures. Whenever this takes 
place, (and it is not improbable it will in the course of 
a fevv years,) it is plain the south will be under the ne¬ 
cessity of introducing some new staple for the profita¬ 
ble employment of their labor and capital : And what, 
I ask, could they engage in so advantageously as the 
culture of silk? Besides, large portions of their land 
in the older states, have become or are becoming ex¬ 
hausted, worn out and worthless by their system of 
cropping, which may profitably be devoted to the culture 
of silk, and even resuscitated by its ameliorating ef¬ 
fects upon the soil. 
But the northern and middle states too, have a deep 
interest in the silk culture. There is scarcely any por¬ 
tion of our country where the mulberry in some of its 
varieties will not flourish and the silk worm thrive. 
Even in the coldest parts, the morus multicaulis, treated 
as an annual crop, dug up in the fall and buried or put 
in the cellar, and replanted in the spring like a crop of 
potatoes, it is confidently believed may be used with 
great profit in the culture of silk. Where it is desired 
to have a more hardy t ee it may easily be obtained, 
several excellent varieties of which have of late years 
been introduced, as the Expansa, the Dandolo, the 
Brussa, the Alpine, and another which promises to be 
of extraordinary value, which originated in this coun¬ 
try, called “ Sharp’s New Variety.” This mulberry I 
am convinced is very hardy, is of rapid and luxuriant 
growth, soon forming a large standard tree, and the 
foliage is sple?idid, very little inferior in size to the leaves 
of the morus multicaulis, but thicker and heavier, and 
said to be superior as food for silk worms. Two scions 
set by the writer this last season as late as the month of 
June, grew to the height of 6 to 8 feet. As an ornamental 
tree as well as for raising silk, I think it will be valuable. 
With so many facilities, with thousands of trees in 
the country, which may now be purchased at a trifling 
expense, so many inducements to engage us in the cul¬ 
tivation of silk, what is to prevent? “ Shall we give 
it up ?” Shall we lose the advantage already gained ? 
No —persevere my fellow countrymen —“ Onward, right 
on !” be your motto ; and true to it, success will ulti¬ 
mately crown your efforts. Form not, however, too 
sanguine expectations of getting rich all at once, that 
“ the golden stream will be quick and violent.” The 
culture of silk, pursued with intelligence, judgment, 
economy, patience and perseverance, will, I am con¬ 
vinced, yield a sure and ample remuneration to those 
who engage in it; and will gradually, but certainly, 
swell the stream of individual and national wealth. 
Hammondsport , N. Y. Dec. 16. W. W. B. 
&>mX&LATXVR AXB TO A@mCUX.TURE. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —Now that the excite¬ 
ment of politics is over for a long season, would it not 
be well for the people of the State, and especially the 
farmers, to turn their attention to their own interests. 
The season of speculations has gone by, and an increa¬ 
sed attention is awakened towards agriculture. Is there 
not sufficient feeling on the subject to warrant its friends 
in a general rising in favor of legislative aid ? I appre¬ 
hend we shall have no difficulty in procuring assistance, 
if we can only be agreed upon what we wish done. 
Heretofore there has been a vagueness and disagree¬ 
ment among the warmest friends as to the measures 
proposed, that has prevented any decisive action. Let 
us ask for but little this year, and in the mean time 
through your paper, compare notes, and by another 
year we can have digested some plan which would meet 
the views of all, to be brought before the legislature at 
its next session in 1842. 
One important object to be gained, is a concert of ac¬ 
tion over the State, and this can be arrived at no way 
so well as through county societies. Some course then 
should be taken, that will have a tendency to bring 
about the organization of a society in every county in 
the State. To ensure this, the State must grant us some 
assistance. 
I would suggest that we ask for an appropriation of 
sixty dollars for each member of Assembly from the 
county, to the Agricultural Society of the county, 
as soon as the same is properly organized. Let the 
treasurer of the Society give a bond to be approved of 
and lodged with the county treasurer. 
From my own experience, I am satisfied we do not 
require large sums in the commencement. It takes 
time to get the societies properly organized, and besides, 
as large sums are not required at first as after two or 
three years successful operations. We must have a 
small fund to serve as a nucleus. And the sum named, 
with what would be received from friends, as well as 
competitors for premiums, would make a very fair be¬ 
ginning for any society. Let us ask then for that and 
nothing more, and there can be no doubt but we shall 
receive it from the legislature without any trouble. 
I have seen it suggested that we have a commission¬ 
er appointed to travel over the State, &c. With due 
deference, I would suggest whether we are in a suffi¬ 
ciently forward state to require one at present. Should 
not a thorough organization be effected before the ser¬ 
vices of commissioners (for we must have more than 
one,) could be of much service. Besides, in asking too 
much, we should lose the whole. 
Permit me to make a suggestion to the different soci¬ 
eties through the State, which if acted upon, will mate¬ 
rially facilitate intercourse among the different officers ; 
Whenever a society is organized, send the names of the 
principal officers to you, and with the names, their pla¬ 
ces of residence. Your paper then would become, with¬ 
out any extra trouble, an excellent directory. I assure 
you such a thing is very much needed, and would be of 
great benefit. 
I hope petitions will be freely circulated, and the far¬ 
mers with one united voice, ask for aid this winter. 
And if our demands are reasonable, I feel that we must 
I succeed. Darien , Dec. 12, 1840. T. C. PETERS. 
