Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1836-12-08

THE SILK CULTURE.

Il
merican Farmer, is interesting to those
who are engaged in, or about to enter
upon the cultivation OF silk
The subscriber last spring planted
small field with the Morus Multi
caulis, or new Chinese Mulberry, rails
ed from cuttings of one bud each, say
about inches long, and observing
that the trees had grown much larger
than he had expected, AMI had also
thrown out many side branches, and
that the growth was in every particu-
lar, SO much larger than he had anti
cipated, he thought a plain statement
OF facts relative to them and their Gull
lure, might prove encouraging to silk
growers, and acceptable to the subscri-
DerS OF the Farmer and Gardener. He
invited his friend +. 2. Roberts to
llde over the nursery to see and assist
In weighing some of the said trees,
which he did on the LIST ult. and in
his presence three trees were taken
upland weighed, the weight of which
were 63S pounds, the average height
above ground was 6 Ia feet. On
measuring a square rood, where these
trees..grcw, the subscriber counted 81
trees, all 5 feet high and upwards.
On separating the leaves from the a.
bove three trees, the produce was 2
LIZ lbs; now if we say 2 4 lbs. for
every three trees, as portion of them
were of smaller size than those
weighed, it Will give to each square
rood % lbs. or peracre l0,OS0pounds
OF leaves the first season from cuttings
and a large portion of these leaves
were produced III time for raising the
second crop of worms. The land on
which this crop of trees was raised.
is mellow loan on a clay bottom.
from which in 1885 it was estimated
that L cut two tons Of nay to the acre,
and was manfred last spring with a
bout % horse cart loads of barn ward
manure to the acre. Planted in rows
4 feet apart and 8 inches in the row.
ROBERT SINCLAIR.
Remarks by the Editor of the Far
mer y Gardener:
We were delighted at the luxurant
growth of the Morcs Multicaulis plants
mentioned In the communication of
friend Sinclair, as well as with their
very great yield Of f, liage. Ithas sa-
tlsied us that much of the objection.
which has heretofore rested in the
mlnds OF those who would reap ere
they have sown, against the mulberry
culture, may be obviated if the Morus
Multlcaulis be selected for the orchard.
All the calculations in our Manual are
based upon the superstition that the
mulberry trees should be 4 years old
before they are picked, and in all
candor we must confess that we are
still OF the opinion, that they ought to
grow that long before they are depri-
yed OF their foliage, for we conceive
that defoliage at an earlier period
would tend to shorten the life of the
plant. But those who are DESTROYS OF
reapng all themselves, and leaving
nothing for poSterity, may, if they
please, reap the fruits of their lab or in
the mulberry culture even from the first
year upwards-and now let us see
what the product OF an acre of ground
planted i'll Morus MulticauIis trees one
year old, equal in quality with those of
friend Sinclair would yield.
He fixes the quantity Of leaves at
10,O8O lbs. and 1000 lbs. will feed
10000 silk worms during the work
ing season, so will 1O,O80 lbs. feed
2Oi 800 worms, and as 5000 worms
Will make pound of silk, so will the
aggregate number make 81 10 lbs. of
SIX, which at 81 per pound will bring
S2o5 4O-the expense of attending
an acre in the silk culture according to
our computation, is $154 20 this be-
ing taken from the gross nountIeaves
$l29 20 as the profit on an acre the
hrst year and we fain would ask
what can be put in an acre that will
yield so handsome profit.
The estimated expense ofaftendino
an acre IN the mulberry and silk cuj, |
ture as assumed by us we have always,
considered large, and think SO still i
but we purposeIy made it so, in order
that we might, in its ercess cover all
possible contingencies. From some
little experience OF the last wear we
sincerely believe that the expense of
gathering leaves and FEEDING the
worms might be Iessened at least AZ
I-3 per cent bViudicious rna,,c-1.., 1