State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-04-19
rliE SILK CULTURE.
E,riyact from letter from DR.. 7Homas
White, Of Mount Pleasant, to c'i'Sc" q
SIenhcnpMe (Ohi0,l dated


E,,irnci from letter from Dr. IHomasI
WLite. of Noun, Pleasant, to citisca Of
,S,eubcn0We Ohio, ddtcd
M Pleasant, Dec. ID, 1888.
Dear Sir-Yours came duly to hand !
and in reply, | am happy to inform ,yon
that have succeeded very well ana am
fully convinced that the culture and manu-
factnrc of silk will before long, become ono
Of the most important pursuits that nave
ever claimed the attention OF our ci'lLeis'
In INV view there IRE three reasons why II
should become So. e.,
1.t. It must and viii most inevitably,
become a great source OF wealth TO all
who turn their attention to it, especially to
the farming part the community, If they
eau be encouraged TO to engage
in it, To them il will be attended
with but little expense to raise the cocoonS
"a female Of an ordinary constitution viii
be able to tend from 30 to 10000 worms,
which, if well fed and properly taken care
of will yield from ten to fifteen pounds of
reclcd silk, or from ton to fifteen bushels
cocoons, for which we will give them from
"a to $3.50 and 80 per bushcl, according
10 quality; or manufacture them into goods,
agreeable to order. Good cocoons will yield
ono pound ofreeled silk per buShcI; each
pound will make ~ square yards OF good
substantial goods worth from s 10 $3.50
per yard. Thus 10000 worms will pro-
duce ten pounds of silk, or 1870 yards of
goods--and supposiug it takes two thirds
10 pay for the manufacture, 1t viii leave the
producer forty yards of goods; and coun-
ting the labour ut one dollar per week for
five weeks, which will he the time employ
cd will reduce the prices OF the silk goods
to u l-2 cts. per yard, or 3 % per pound.
Now | would ask you and every farmer
in our country, by what means can our
females clothr themselves cheaper than by
feeding silk worms / know none. 1t is
only the business of five weeks for Il female
to provide herself with forty square yards
of goods, worth more than one hundred
and twenty yards Of the best cotton goods
SIZE can fluid in the market--these are no
visionary dreams; but practical facts found
ed upon experience. This season ! raised
enough for about three hundred yards of
silk, which did not cost me more than IL -
cts. per yard to raise the cocoOns, counting
labour at one dollar per day, and the iabour
Of one hired female and my daughter, each
at Il dollar a week. 1t is the tedious pro-
cess of manufacturing silk, that will for n
time make it eXpensivc--but this expense
falls on the manufacturer, not on the far
mer or silk grower. As it respects the
food for the worms, / am unable TO see
any superiority that the Italian leaf has over
our native leaf am inclined to believe
tha! the principle advantage the Italian has
over the native is, that they can be brought
INFO use quicker, as they are much more
thrifty in their growth than our own native
trees | fed mine this season from the ma
tive ,rce, and expect TO feed MS many us one
million next season from the same source,
my groves of Italian trees being too young
10 yield much food. Our native tree Of
the middle size viii produce enough for
5000 worms, Or Il pound of silk per tree
each tree that a farmer has, is worth more
to him than two sheep.