Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1838-10-25

SPEED THE PLOUGH.
Frem the Richmond Enquirer. Oct. IL.
MORUS MULTICAULIS.-.THE
SILK CTJI TIIDN

Inns SUBJECT is now exciting SO much
OF the public attention, that we have de.
termlned to dedicate another article to
It's details. 1t forms the frequent theme
OF conversation; and il is the topic OF
many newspaper paragraph. Our ia
Ole is filled with scraps, which we have
cut out from time to time aud we have
the advantage of having before us the
last NO ofThe Farmers Register, which
aDounds with Essays upon the Mulberry
and Tue Silk worm. Office is simn.
ly to condense the scattered materials
which lie before US.
The Morus acknowledgements. :he
mulberry, and muliicauis, from the | at
IN words muttus, much or many, and
cduhs. the stalk or stem-derives its
name from the many stalks which nut
up from its roots. Ii is otherwise called
the Ch'nese Mulberry. from the circum.
stance OF It's having been brought, las
Tue BLK worm itself was many hundred
years ago. from China. MIR. Gideon B
smith, OF Baltimore, who is writing a
treatise for the Farmers Register. ON
The Culture Of SILK. divided into three
parts. The Culture Of the Mui5errv
= Hearing Of the Siikuorm; 3. The reel,
ing. fUisiing, and preparation. of rau
'oiie--gives the following description of
the plant:
Inc morus multicnulis is a dwarf tree
or more properly large shrub. with
many stalks. as its specific name impl;es
groDing like the hazel, lilac. &c. II ;s
continually sending up Dung shoots from
tue crown OF the root, aud when these
become numerous. and the tree 6 or 8
years old, some Of the Oldest stalks d;,
out but whether from natural decay or
oeing persisted by their vigorous young
brethren. L am unable to say. NV old
Tree has beer as high as ID feet. 6 or =
ieet OF which was young wood: but as
Generally cut off most of the young wood
lot Propa CATION, it has never exceeded
that height. The leaves when rnlI
grown on the vigorous wood are IL to
10 inches in length and 10 to ID inches
wide. The rapidity of their growth
causes the ribs to grow faster than the
Deo OF the Leaf, and hence the laroe
leaves, are always concape. so that ,he =
cannot De spread out flat without tearing
them from the edges to the mid rib
Inc leaves are SO heavy that they al.
ways hang, pendulous. and folded some
what hike towel hung upon nail.
The surface of the leaf has some glossy
appearance on the outer surface. butit is
little Rough 10 the touch. The frn;t
OF the multicaulis is very black when
riPe' and when crushed yields n intense
purple juice. the stain of which is ex-
ceedinsly difficult to wash out. The
irnit is about the size and form Ola whit.
mulberry, but generally contains very
iil.ie good seed-probsbly my old tree
never produced more than 20 at one
season" Wv
IL is said 20 have been originally
brought to US from France, where il !,
not SO popular as it is in the u. S.-We
nave, nave many more plants already it is be-
iieVed, than France and Italy put togetb.
er-(General Talmadge, indeed Save
aH Europe)-and the cultivation is adj.
Vancing among US with astonishing RI.
pidity. In fact, it is becoming a sort Of
sse-ana some are comparing it to the
Merino Mania which prevailed several
years ago, to the great detriment of some
Oh the spectators, who engaged in il.
Whether the same effects will be pro,
ducea IN the present instance, will de.
Pena upon our capacities for the Silk
Ou',ere. LIE trees are now sought with
avidlty, because they are themselves the
NooJects OF speculation The yery ner.
sous. who began to raise them with the
view OF feeding the worm, are induced
40 sell the trees, on account of the high
price which they bear but as suon as the
country is tolerably well stocked with
me tfee. they will cease to be Of such
value, unless the culture of the sill
I'll ouid justify the demand for them. +,
rs the raising of the silk, therefore i'm
medIateiy or Prospeciiyely, which i'm.
parts any value to the tree. The present
rage Tor the cuttings of the tree would
De complete humbug, if il were not for
Tue idea, that the silk manufacture is
destined to flourish. But the raising Of
me Tree Tor the feeding of the silk worm
49, ~ ali probability, TO be permanent
and profitable occupation-and tbere.
lore, though the present prices cannot
Dc ionS supported, yet the cultivation of
Mulberry islikely to continue and even
10 increase, for the benefit of those who
Will raise the worm.
PARTICULAR circumstances have given
aug iase' astonishing impulse to the pro.
suction OF the tree The Farmers Re.
gisier says: