The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-07-09
From The Hampshire Gazette.
SILK

We have received from Mr.. Bates, let
ter from the Secretary of the Treasury, in
relation to the growth and manufacture of
silk. 1t is a manual containing the best
practical information that could be collected
from various countries respecting the cult
vation of the mulberry tree, the breeding of
SILK worms, and the manufacture ard dyeing
of silk. This manual, of 220 pages, was
prepared in obedience to resolution of the
House OF Representatives, and is adapted to
the different parts of the Union.
The silk worm is native of China. The
Sores, who Inhabited the northern part of
that country, cultivated the precious article.
Having been expelled by the Huns, A. ID.
SO, they settled in Little Bucbaria. Silks
were first brought from China to Syria and
Egypt by traders, who, in caravans, per-
formed journeys of 243 days through the
desert of Asia The price was far beyond
the reach of airy but the rich, and for along
time the use Of silk among the Romans was
confined to women of fortune. The Empe-
ror Aurelian refused his queen a garment
of silk, by reason of the high price it bore
its weight in gold. In the sixth century,
two monks, who had been employed as mis-
sionaries in the east, penetrated into the
country of the Sores, and observed the Ia
bors of the silk worms, and the manner of
working their production into excellent fab
RIGS. They impaired the secret to the EN-
percr Justmian at Constantinople, who in
duced them, by great reward, to return
and bring away quantity of the silk worms
eggs. They put the eggs into the hollow
of cane, and brought them safely to Con-
stantinople about the year SIS. The eggs
were Matched, and the worms were fed with
mulberry leaves; and the insects produced
from this cneful of eggs were the progeni-
tors OF all tie silk worms of Europe and the
western pats of Asia. The people Of the
Morea, an( of the cities of Athens and
Thebes enpyed the profit of the culture
and manufacture of silk upwards of 400
years; butin 1l46 the king of Sicily made
war upon Greece, and carried off a great
number of six weavers, who taught the ST.
cilians to rise silk worms and TO weave
silk stufs. The Saracens introduced the
the silk manufacture into Spain and Portu-
gal, and Subsequently the Italian States,
France, ant England engaged in it.
In the United States, the culture of silk
first commenced in Virginia. As early as
1866, the raring of silk worms was a part
of the regular business of many of the farm
ers. One nan had 10000 mulberry trees
growing inl664. Georgia sent eight pounds
of raw silkto England in 1875, and 10000
pounds in 759. Some attention was paid
to the culture of silk in South Carolina, and
in 1855 AIB. Pinckney raised and spun silk
enough fr three complete dresses. In
Pennsylvania and New Jersey the culture
of silk began in l77l, but was suspended
by the warof the revolution.
Mulberry trees and silk worms were in
troduced ito Mansfield, in the county of
Windham, Conn. about the year 100, and
in 1889 two hundred pounds of raw silk
were MAIDEN that town. Atpresent, three
fourths of he families in Mansfield are en-
gagged in rising silk, and make annually
from five totem, twenty, and fifty pounds in
family; and one or two have made, each,
one hundred pounds in a season. 1t is be-
lieved that there are annually made in that
town and the vicinity, from three to four
tons ofsilk.
! The cultivation of silk has commenced in
Massachusetts, New York, Kentucky, Ohio,
and several other States.