Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-11-20
DONl rs. EaC.

,,non,ed IN d,suub, Constitutions &C. for the Silk
Company OF this city, made some eight or ten days ago.
is taken from New York paper, and It's statements Will
serve 10 convey idea of the advantages likely TO
result from the establishment Of such company here
IL deserves every encouragement and The citizens VIII
be blind 10 interests # they do not give Il all the
aid in their power II will only be productive OF
emoumcnl 10 the stockholders but give employment TO
many who are idle, form the nucleus Of other ma.
nufac,uring establishments iR our city, and be the
means Of retaining within onr own country an i'm.
iaense amount Of money annually shipped ont OF 1t 10
foreign nations, whom have depended for the
supply Of article that has almost become necessary
OF life
..The report embraced the information contained in a
report made to Congress (by Mr. Randolph Of New Jer
say) from committee OF the House OF Representatives
IN April last, from which send you some extracts that
may be interesting aud valuable TO your readers II
commences by showing the sum annually paid by The
people Of the States 10 foreign countries for this
lice alone, By giving the value Of the imports OF silk
for six years respectively, viz: in 1882, 80 i47 S2;
1883 50 300 i7; 1884 9S 964; 1885, SIG 597 9S5;
1886. S22 $50 ,2i2 and III 1857, s II 352 ,S23.
MANY important advantages, the Congressional com.
nee think would arise from the extensive cultivation
Of the mulberry and sugar beet in this country. 1t
would introduce TO the farmer new and valuable and
profitable pvoduClions-woud improve our lands-in.
the amount OF productive industry: and condcnse,
improve, and enrich our population. TO large class
Of .nd"lduais who unable 10 support themse ives for
the want at suitable employ men such as INDECENT ie
males and Children the aged and ntrm, TO WHOM
be added the long list OF paupers in poor houses
and prisoners in penen,iores, the cultivation OF silk
presents r,,s; S.!abe and advantageous employ
The committee proceed 10 rcuus, Inst considerable
Efforts made early period OF our history III
troGuce into this country the culture OF silk. Conuec
lieut. New Jersey Pennsy vania, Virginia, Georgia, and
perhaps other States, had made considerable pro-
gross prior TO the Revolution but that trying e
tec!ualy Frustrated il for many years AtrYaIds it
found that other products obtained ready
ke and high price in Europe, tina, few felt inclined
10 abandon them Tor The purpose Of testmg any untried
cxpernIe NJ in agriculture. The White Italian mulberry
moreover, till within a few years the only variety
cultivated good FOR the silk worm, and tins unfit
for nI several years, that The cuvalof
PEELED ~ lose the Of his capital and labor for same
years, teiorc he had any prospect Of remuneration To
this may be added the extreme difficulty which, ill re
Gently attended the process OF Keeling, aud the want o
u market for cocoons even silk.
AT present these dficue no longer exist. The
farmers 50 lar iiom having great market abroad for
their grain and other produce have really competition
al home; the cultivation OF The white mulberry has been
substituted By that Of the U,ucduiis and other
varieties, which may be stripped Of their foliage the
year that they are planted, a"d the old tedious modr o
rerlng has gwen way 10 the Few patent reel. by which
child may eatI IN Few hours TO reel with c;eateae
and expedition Many silk weavrs have also established
themselves in this country, and opened good and per
market Cor ali the and silk that
be raised, being under the necessity OF importing
large quantities 10 keep their factories operation
Mr. Miner, OF Pennsylvania, the first bring the
suhIcc before The House Gf Representatives in le5
% INC 81 OF May, Ic2O, MT. Van Rensselaer, maGC
interesting report se subject, concluding wth
solution authorizing tie Secretary OF the Treasury 10
have manual prepared on The grow and Manufacture
of silk and February, e25 The Secretary transmitted
the manual called for, containing upwards Of two hun
dred pages About the time Mr.. James Nrase
transmitted 10 tie Speaker, treatise Of about one hun
died pages On the rearing Of silk worms, by Count Won
HazzI, OF Munich, which ordered to be printed aud
distributed.
'ln 1880 Nj Spencer made report, submitting two
letters from Mr. DuPonceQu OF Philadelphia, and Essays
on American Silk, BY Duponceau and D'llomergue, Of
which SIX thousand copies ordered TO be printed
and distributed This report proposed to gran. to in
mergue 5000 for the establishment Of Norma: School
Of fdtuie at Phddelphia and the graluilous nstruc
ton Of sixty young nen for two years in the various
branches q" ree!ing manufacturing and dying Of silk
during which he was TO travel through the different
States, and give gra,uous instruction to farmers and
others DESTROYS 10 embark in the silk business The bill
rol acted on; 5GI in the lime Mr. Dup,nceau
had established, al his own expense in lhiladeipha
fature ct ten reels aud twenty women under The dice.
ton OF u ilour-gue. In January, Ic:2 Mr. Root re.
ported tie bill 10 the House but il finally failed
In lc3o, Mr. Bockee made unavoraJe port ON the
subject on constitutional! grounds, aud in 1857 Mr. j. c.
Adams made arePort Of great interest to the House
"lhe committee believe land there is no doubt of The
iacO that no country Tie world sbe,er pied 10 the
production OF silk Than most parts OF The u s. Tic
mulberry VIII grow on high, stony, sandy and compa
raTty barren land; and lIorg the poverty of the soil
may decrease the quantity of the ioage, it will Improve
iAe quality, aud add rmncss aud beauty TO the silk -
10 the Southern parts Of the Union from eight
crops may be raised annually. The tobacco
lanes %! Virginia aud North Carolina, and the mp0ver
shed soils Of other old States may be advaniag
appropriated to the culture of the mulberry End will
yield much larger annual profit than is usually
Derived from the best soils. The macauiS has,
Tor some years, been considered the valuable varie
~ OF mulberry, though The BruSsa recently introduced
INTO his country FROM Turkey, highly spoken Of Of
q superior quality. Tine large white six inch worm
TO he generally admitted 10 be preferable for the
lro6ucti, n Of silk
MIR J. c. Parsons, in his letter 10 the committee of
the House Of Representatives, says, that Of the different,
varieties OF The u!herry, tie Multicaus, Canton, Flo
renee, Chinese and White the leaf Of the fist is rather
the largest but he prefers the Canton of which the leaf
though not equal in size 10 the aucaulis is much
thicker and nearer sell Ii is Of u more rapid growth
and very hardy l,ee and will stand climate wthou,
any difficulty The Florence is it, and from both
the leaves may be stripped alter they are one year old
lie considers ,ceStern exposure by tar The best for these
trees, contrary 10 the general belief, which is that
southern exposure is needed Mr. Hammond in hi, letter
declares that lie believes the Mucaulis 10 be preferable
ony other kind, it is easily propagaled, and very
tenacious Of life; 1t yields greater quantity Of foliage;
it is preferred by the and those fed on produce
q very superior quality of silk. The quantity OF foliage
lneasusby depends the richness aud quality Of The
so and The proper culture Of the tree. Mr.. ID. Steb-
bus asserts that the Mutcaulis found in garden
in Manila, cultivated as ornamental tree, and is
called Manila .NuAiC0utLS. The Canton Multicau5 is
the kind used by the Chinese and is deserving of
the first consideration and TO be preferred all others
ln relation 10 the value expense, and profit per
Of the culture of silk MIR 2 Roberts says tina, OO0
silk worms consume, during the entire feeding season,
so lbs of leares3 COO cocooas will make one pound of
silk-nn OF .duitcautS will supply one million o f
worms with foliage which will make 533 8 lbs of silk
various expenses ofoDe Of land valued at ten dol.
lars scre, including interest manure ploushing har
rowing, wages, &c. per year. S2O3 Sc produce Of
acre converted into silk, say 1873 lbs a; 81 per
ID 81 1888 80 3-neu profits 81 ,l29 is.
"1hisis the substance of the report made By the
mi,,ee to the meeting Tie constitution submitted
and adopted which provides that the officers Of the