53 
Silk Culture in tl)e Hniteb States. 
UNITED STATES AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Washington, 1st Jan., 1842. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker—I have to request, in 
the name of the Board of Control of the United States 
Agricultural Society, that you would, at your convenience, 
should you deem it to he a matter of sufficiently general 
interest, publish the accompanying correspondence on 
the subject of silk. Very respectfully, 
Your ob’t servd, J. S. Skinner. 
LETTER TO DR. WHITE. 
Board of Control, U. S. Ag. Soc., 22d Dee. 1841. 
Sir —I am instructed by the Board of Control of the 
United States Agricultural Society, to acknowledge the 
receipt of your letter of this date, in reference to the cul¬ 
ture and manufacture of silk in our country. The Board 
sees the importance into which this branch of industry 
may grow, if suitably fostered, and appreciates according¬ 
ly the motives and the value of your remarks as connect¬ 
ed with it—but this Society has been so recently organ¬ 
ized, and its means and prospects are as yet so imperfectly 
developed, that it is not yet perceptible, in what way it 
can best contribute to obviate the difficulties disclosed in 
your communication. All that can be said now is, that 
your further suggestions on that head will command re¬ 
spectful attention, and I am instructed to solicit them as 
much in detail, as your leisure will permit you to draw 
them out. 
It is in contemplation, if circumstances will permit, to 
have an exhibition in Washington, in May next, where 
inventors and manufacturers of agricultural and labor sav¬ 
ing machinery, will be invited to exhibit the fruits of 
their ingenuity, and their contrivances to economize la¬ 
bor and material. Few things would attract more inte¬ 
rest, or be regarded as of more value, than any machinery 
or information which promises to promote the growth 
and manufacture of another, and a most important article 
of agriculture and of domestic use and consumption—one 
which is procured too, as silk is from a nation whose 
government imposes the most onerous duties on some of 
the most important products of American husbandry. 
The Board directs me to express their wish that your in¬ 
vention may be exhibited on the occasion referred to, 
and will gladly assist in spreading the knowledge of its 
peculiar advantages. 
In the mean time, if you can indicate any particular 
means within their reach to further our independence of 
foreign countries, for our supplies of this costly commo¬ 
dity, the favor will be duly esteemed. 
(Signed.) J. S. Skinner, 
Cor. Sec’y V. S. Ag. Society. 
To Dr. Thomas White. 
DR. WHITE’S ANSWER. 
Washington, Dec. 27, 1S41. 
To J. S. Skinner, Esq., Cor. Scc'y of the U. S. Ag. Soc'y. 
Sir- 1 — Your communication of the 22d inst. is received, 
and contents noted. It gives me much pleasure to learn 
that the Board of Control feel disposed to entertain the 
subject of my last communication, and to give it a favo¬ 
rable consideration. The project of growing and manu¬ 
facturing silk in this country, is one that has claimed the 
attention of the patriot and the philantlirophist from the 
earliest period of our history to the present day, many of 
whom have made heavy sacrifices in order to get the bu¬ 
siness introduced and established on a firm basis. The re¬ 
sult of their labors it is presumed is known to you all. 
It is only left for me to present a statement of the facts as 
they now exist in relation to the business; and suggest 
a plan or mode of operation which in my opinion will 
enable us to overcome all the impediments that have ex¬ 
isted, or that do exist, in the way not only of our sup¬ 
plying ourselves with the article of silk, but of our soon 
becoming exporters of this valuable commodity to a 
large extent. In presenting my views in detail for your 
consideration, if I should draw loo heavily upon your 
patience, by being over prolix, you will please accept 
the only apology I am able to oiler, (viz.) the great anxi¬ 
ety I feel for the success of the business, and the gene¬ 
ral prosperity of our common country has induced me to 
do so. 
It is unnecessary to consume time in order to establish 
the fact, that we are susceptible of becoming a silk grow¬ 
ing nation; that fact is fully established—nevertheless as 
there are some misgivings and doubts in the public mind 
as to whether it can be made a profitable business, it may 
be proper to present you with a few items on that bead. 
Within the last half year I have traveled extensively 
through the States of Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, 
Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New 
Jersey, and New-York, and do not recollect passing 
through a county in any one of those states without 
meeting with one or more successful silk growers, who 
were fully satisfied with the result of their experiments. 
I Will not trouble you with a detail of all the particulars, 
but simply cite a few cases as demonstrative of the gene¬ 
ral result. The following is the statement of Wm. P. 
Campbell, of Franklin, Williamson county, (Tenn.) pub¬ 
lished in the Tenn. Agriculturist: 
“My worms were healthy throughout, but from their 
crowded situation, many of them were small, and con¬ 
sequently made imperfect cocoons. I am of the opinion 
I would have made more silk with half the number of 
worms; and I am fully persuaded, from the experiment 
I have made, that silk is destined to be one of our best 
staples; provided however, that we can find a market for 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
our cocoons near our doors. I do not believe the peo¬ 
ple will go at it generally, until filatures are established 
through the country —reeling will scare them. Give us a 
market for cocoons, and I believe that in less than five 
years our people will make them for $2.00 per bushel, 
rather than make cotton at six or seven cents per lb.” 
The Hon. H. P. Murray of the same county, informed 
me a few days before I left Tenn., that his cocoons did 
not cost him one dollar per bushel to raise them; that he 
intended giving up raising cotton and extend his mulberry 
grounds so as to employ his whole force at raising silk, 
provided he could find a market for it. In Frederick 
city, (M’d.) Dr. Jenks and a gentleman associated with 
him in the business, whose name I have lost, raised the 
past season 134 bushels, fed from a lot of Italian or com¬ 
mon white mulberry trees, at an expense of about $80. 
In this case there were two of them interested in the 
crop, which made it necessary to keep a strict account 
of the expense, a statement of which they exhibited to 
me amounting to about 60 cts a bushel. The most ex¬ 
pensive crop I met with in my tour, was a lot of 11 bush¬ 
els, raised by Mr. Mat. Price of Newark, (N. J.) which 
cost him $85. It is always attended with more expense 
in proportion, to raise small lots than it is to raise larger 
ones. Throughout Pennsylvania, the silk growers have 
been able to draw as much from the state treasury, in the 
character of premiums as paid the expense of raising the 
cocoons. Nevertheless I find them almost every where 
discouraged, not only in that state, but elsewhere, be¬ 
cause they can neither sell their cocoons or reel it so as 
to make it avail them any thing of consequence when 
done. The greater portion of them adopt the language 
of Mr. Campbell, and say we must have a market for 
our cocoons. We must have filatures established or we 
must decline the business. This appears to be the great 
and perhaps only difficulty in the way of our triumphant 
success. From the best information I have been able to 
obtain, I am induced to believe, that much the larger 
portion of the silk raised the past season, is now lying 
in a perishing state in the hands of the producer, in con¬ 
sequence of the great difficulty that exists in obtaining 
the aid of skillful reelers, throwsters and tramers. 
To remedy this, I propose that your society adopt 
measures as soon as convenient, to establish a filature 
for the purpose of instructing the youth of our country 
in the art of preparing silk for the loom. I cannot 
entertain a doubt, if congress was addressed from so 
so respectable a source, having the facts connected with 
the business collected and laid before them, that they 
would hesitate a moment in extending the fostering hand 
of government to aid an establishment of the kind. I 
know of no source better calculated to produce the effect 
th^in through the medium of your society. You can 
add this branch of industry as an appendage to the other 
great objects you have in view, and then apply to have 
the whole connected as an appendage to or a part of, 
the Smithsonian Institution. It cannot be doubted that 
congress would act on the most liberal principle in aid 
of such an establishment, if there is nothing in the will 
to bar against it. The institution can be established upon 
true national principles, giving each section of the Un¬ 
ion an equal participation in its benefits in proportion to 
their representation in congress. The members from 
each district, could bring with them, one, two, or three 
of the youth of their respective neighborhoods annually, 
and by the time the session would be over they may 
return fully instructed in the art of preparing silk suit¬ 
able for the finest fabrics. The price of instruction 
should be fixed by law, and be in proportion to the 
amount appropriated, and the number instructed. By 
instructing two or three individuals from each congres¬ 
sional district annually for five or six years, we will 
furnish the country with a supply of efficient and skillful 
hands, that will be able to take the silk from the cocoon 
and put it in the best condition for any market, either 
American or European. While we are appropriating so 
many millions annually in aid of our commerce, that 
very commerce too that is draining the precious metals 
out of our country, to pay for an article, that with a little 
aid from government we could produce oui-selves at an 
expense far below what it now costs us, I am unable to 
see any reason Avhy a few thousands might not be appro¬ 
priated to establish our real independence, so far as the 
article of silk is concerned at least. 
In the common mode of preparing silk for the loom, 
we have to pass it through four distinct processes, (viz.) 
reeling, winding, throsting (or twisting,) and training 
(or doubling and twisting.) In the first state it is call¬ 
ed raw silk, and is seldom worth more than five dollars 
a pound when done in the best manner. There is but a 
small portion of what is reeled in the United States that 
could be sold for that price; most of it will not bring 
more than half that sum, consequently is not worth as 
much as it was in the cocoons. Mrs. Everson and Mrs. 
H. Lee, of Ithaca, Tompkins county, New-York, pro¬ 
duced fifty pounds of this kind of silk the past season, 
and exhibited it at the fair of the American Institute, for 
which they obtained the highest premium, (a gold me¬ 
dal,) yet there was not a pound in the whole lot that 
could be made into organzine, consequently it was only 
suited for making sewings. In the third state it is called 
singles, and is worth from six to eight dollars a pound. 
In this state it would bear exporting if we fail of a home 
market. In the fourth state it is called organzine, and is 
commonly worth from eight to ten dollars a pound; 
sometimes from twelve to fourteen dollars in the Euro¬ 
pean market, the price always being governed accord¬ 
ing to the manner it has been reeled in the first instance. 
If the two ladies above referred to had reeled their silk 
at from eight to ten of the worms’ threads to the strand, 
and throwed and tramed it, it would have been worth at 
least four hundred dollars, and would have made one 
thousand yards of good substantial goods. 
In the first case it is not likely we will be able to raise 
silk for export, but if we succeed in making good organ¬ 
zine, silk will become the greatest staple of the nation 
at no distant day, owing to its being susceptible of pro¬ 
fitable production from the St. Lawrence to the Sabine. 
The machine you so kindly invite me to exhibit at your 
next meeting, and tender me your services in making its 
advantages known, performs the four processes above 
noted, in but little more time than it commonly takes to 
reel alone. Thus putting it in the best marketable con¬ 
dition, without ever subjecting it to loss or tanglement 
until it is finished. Mr. A. Linsey of this city, has one 
in operation; he has instructed me to invite all who feel 
an interest in the business to call and see it, which I 
cheerfully do. The interest I feel for the success of the 
business has induced me to proffer to waive my claim 
(secured to me by patent,) in the machine, so far as it 
may be needed in the filature, provided one is put in 
operation, and it should be preferred by the Board. 
It may be thought premature and visionary for us to 
think of exporting silk, but, sir, there is nothing to pre¬ 
vent our commencing that trade within five years of this 
time except the lack of skill in the art of reeling, throwst¬ 
ing and training. If we can by any means succeed in 
remedying this defect, it will save the nation more mil¬ 
lions in less than twelve years than it will cost thousands 
to effect it. The vast amount that is annually paid for 
foreign silk is known to you all; it is unnecessary to in¬ 
vite your attention, or the attention of congress to that 
part of the subject. But it is presented to our view in 
another and more serious light, one that I should think 
ought to claim the most solemn attention of evexy patriot 
and statesman in the nation. It is well known that Eng¬ 
land is making an enei-getic effort to supply herself with 
cotton, independent of our planters; that they have suc¬ 
ceeded the past season in producing three hundred thou¬ 
sand bales, which is three times as much as they have 
ever produced before; and that according to the report 
of their agent, they anticipate furnishing a full supply 
for their factories in a short time; if I am not misinform¬ 
ed within two years. If they succeed, which it is most 
probable they will, (if there is any truth in their own 
reports,) I would ask, what are we to pay for our imports 
with? By what means are we to pay the interest of our 
state debts, to say nothing of the principal, if we do 
not turn our attention to the production of some other- 
new and valuable staple, by a judicious division of our 
labor, and the diverting a portion of it to the production 
of silk? This is a subject that every portion of our coun¬ 
try is or ought to be deeply interested in. If the south¬ 
ern planter fails of a market for his cotton, where will 
the north find a market for their handycraft: their hats, 
shoes, harness, coaches, and the thousands of other things 
that give employment to tens of thousands of their inha¬ 
bitants. Or where will the west find a market for their 
horses, mules, grain and pork? If the value of our pre¬ 
sent great staple is destroyed, andwe are unprovided with 
a substitute, every portion of our country will feel the 
shock: every citizen, no matter where located, who 
deals in cotton, or in any thing that cotton is made the 
means of payment fox-, either directly or indirectly, is as 
much intex-ested in the success of that trade as the planter 
is himself, provided we have no substitute. If the north 
be unable to sell they will be unable to buy. The issue 
is one of serious import that every friend of this coun- 
try must feel deeply interested in. I am aware there are 
those who think, or affect to think, that the issue exists 
between the free labor of the north and the slave labor 
of the south; but this idea can only be entertained by 
men of small souls, who ax-e incapable of viewing and 
understanding the general connection of our multiplied 
system of trade, change, and exchange. This they will 
be able to understand better in a few years, if the English 
succeed in supplying themselves with cotton, and we fail 
to get the silk business established. They will then see 
that the true issue exists between foreign labor and Ame¬ 
rican labor, regardless of how or where that labor is 
performed. 
Taking into consideration the adaptation of our coun¬ 
try (especially a very large portion of the south and 
southwest,) to the growth of silk; the existing difficul¬ 
ty in preparing our silk for market when produced; the 
immense tax imposed upon us by our importing so large¬ 
ly of the ax-ticle, with the strong probability that at no 
distant day our cotton, the most valuable staple we now 
har e, will be Checkmated in the European market, I can¬ 
not admit for a moment, that our statesmen will fold 
their arms and look on with indifference without making 
an effort to meet the crisis. Now, supposing there was 
no difficulty likely to arise in relation to our cotton trade, 
I humbly conceive that the other branches of the sub¬ 
ject are of sufficient importance to merit the sei-ious con¬ 
sideration and liberal action of the representatives of 
this great nation, provided the facts connected with the 
business were collected and pi-operly laid before them. 
This, as I before observed, can best be done through the 
medium of your society. Nevertheless if my humble 
services can be of any advantage to the cause, they shall 
always be at your command. You will please accept 
my thanks for the honor you have conferred upon me. 
Yours truly, Thos. White. 
For Mr. Morris’ method of destroying the worm in 
the cocoon, see “Traveling Memoranda, No. 8,” page 
50, of this number of the Cultivator. 
