Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-09-13
From he Farmers Register.
A FIksT TRIAL OF SIN CULTURE.
Diamond Grore u. o.,
D........s..I L. La Ii LOO


I promised 10 give yon an account Of an cxpc,,.
rent made last spring ~ the culture Of silk. |
shall not attempt detail but merely give the re.
suit. The eggs commenced hat ching about the lst
of April aud having then hu; little confidence that
the placing them ice would tetard the process
and the coooonery WAS Then building not being
ready for the eception ofihe worms was forced 10
crowd 50 or $4,000 on Two shelves for week in
stead of which every DAYS Matching should have
been kept separate and distinct SO many different
ages having been mixed up oeether, made the labor
mucn greater about the time ofspInuing. II possible
all a shelf should SPIN at the same tno. / deter
mined, however. 10 try an experiment OF abont 80
900 eggs, by putting them In tin box, and placing
them directly the ice, wlueh was done after many
had hstched. They were kept on the ice ten day..
and then taken out aud IN few days they hatched
out fully well rs the first | supposed | fed IN
all 90. 900 worms, and not having a sufiicency OF the
morus multicaulis OF Chinese mulberry leaf NJ that
time. made use, IN part. OF leaves from native
black mulberry. The worms renamed quite heal
thy. until supposed eigh-teuhs had spun excellent
cocoons. The leaves of the common mulberry be-
came scarce. had TO send three miles for them :;
and the weather being then very warm ! found II
impossible get them 10 the cocooncry before they
became heated and dark, which caused disease a.
amongst the remnant fed with The native mulberry
Some died; aud those that spun the cocoons were
not as perfect as they should have been Those fed
with the Chinese Mulberry leaf remained healthy
although the shelves were within a few feet of the
diseased ones. The nursery Of the Chinese mnI-
berry being convenient, the leaves were used fresh
from The tree placed IN the cellar before the, he
came warm. aud sometimes remained two OF thtee
days IN good order. think that worms ted with the
leaves OF the Chinese mulberry are not subject
disease as those fed from our native trees II fed
with Tie toimer, they consume every pat OF II; but
when the leaves OF the latter aie used. they refused
large portion. which, If allowed to remain on the
shelves, will ceflaoly produce disease. The labor
saved IN gathering the leaves Of the Chinese mulbe-
ry being SO considerable have no doubt il will su-
perscde the use of all Others Some have calculated
tins saving OF labor at nine-tenths, aud, think are
not Gar out. have weighed 800 lbs. of cocoons,
which | am now reelug. Oue OF the hands gets
hail pound OF raw silk per day. The feelIng IS
done on reel | had built at home after model |
purchased last summer. in Hartford, Connecticut,
for five dollars; aud ! ihiuk they can be made for
three dollars. Have doubt they are cqual 10 the
patent reels, so much pulled at the north. can see
but little difference IN the sireng Ii Of the silk made
from the two different kinds OF mulberry; EXCEPT
that made with the Chinese has ustre, which gives
superiority. ] made but crop this season.
have no doubt that three crops can be made; aud
should have attempted 1t, il could have procured
The eggs. The hands had employed were double
the number necessary. My object was to instruct
them IN the business, as to be ready for u nucl
larger crop, another year. One of the hands a1el
attending tue worms Two weeks, could have rnanae.
ca nan led IN the usual way. Ii is quite n mista
Ken notion with some that slave labor will not an
swef III the culture OF silk ] had some white hands
enployed but also had some blacks who were lit
Tie inferior 10 the best white laborers and are now
Teelng excellent silk. One of the black hands now
only eight years old. found very useful in feeding
worms, and can now reel well. have no doubl
innch oil the labor bestowed was unnecessary, as
the business was entirely new TO all employed. Th,
cocoonery hai built Is 40 by feet "a, and l6 fee
pitsh, well fitted up with shelves on the most ap
proved northern plan. The house should be wei
he air freely RI.
worms will certainly become diseased. / have no
uoub' that house built of logs is equal any that
can DC h''ed up; and the barns now used for lobac-
co can easily be converted into cocooneres | have
$4,000 morns multleaulis or Chinese mulberry trees
ana nursery that will afford from 80 600 to 90 .
600 cuttings tins fall. Shonid the silk crop fail
lor winch have no fears. being fairly tested
would certainly plant orchard OF the Chimes,
inuibe rry trees. for tn purpose of feeding stock
una both horses and cattle remarkably fond OF til,
lea, and think have coarse forage possessing
more nuinent. think acre OF land planted II
mulberry Will trees, pr, duoe IS much in weight Che
Ieaves being easily cur.d,) our best grass meadows
IN the southern aud middle counties of virginia =
The trees will yield several crops OF leaves IN on,
year
commenced like most others with to, c,e,,
number OF worms, before had sufficient QUANTITY q
leaves. and but little knowledge of the business -
FROM 5000 10 10000 are fully sufficient 10 com
mence with. The WORMS in the ath and 9th az,
cat an incredible quantity OF leaves and # they an
not led pleniiiully,t prolongs the time Of spinning
and, therefore, increases The labor. One of m,
heighbors fed but few worms, and they commcne Q,
spinning IN % days; while mine 10 DAYS befor
cocoonwas formed. Taking every thing into con
sIderaton, | think the crop fair one and am vii
ing to try three crops next year.
shall have more trees than will be necessary I,
carry on the business next year, and am willing /,
dispose oil part otmy stock. THOMAS Hicks.