The native American., 1838-03-24


and beauty and utility both unite to ask the do
nation at the hands of Congress.
i tPETT7YON of a number Of citizens Of the
1 District of Columbia, praying Congress 10
adopt measures 10 encourage the cuhirafion
of The mulberry tree, and the manufacture Of
silk in said District
TO the Senate and House Of Representatives. Of
The United STATES IN Congress assembled,
The undersigned petitioners, citizens of the
District of Columbia,
i RESPECTFULLY SHOW:
| That they have observed with much attention
the efforts made i'll various parts of the United
States, introduce and naturalize the culture of
the mulberry, and the rearing of the silk worm:
Believing the subject to be of the highest i'm
portance, and well worthy the regard of the Ma
tional Legislature, your petitioners, after due in
quiries, have ascertained the following facts:
l.. That the red mulberry (morus rubra) is a
native of the United States, and is found grow
ing from Virginia to Lousiana that the leaves of
this tree are second only in the choice of the
Isilk-worm for its food
2. That the white mulberry (morus alba), the
silk from which is most esteemed in China, and
whose leaf is preferred by the worm to that of any
other species Of the tree has not only been plant
cd and grown within this District for many years,
but, as is understood and believed, succeeds well
much farther north.
3. That every known species OF the tree APP
pears to succeed equally well within the limits
OF this District, as various experiments by lndi-
viduals have shown in and about the neighbor-
hood of this city.
4. That, according to the Chinese and French
writers upon the culture Of silk, rich soils are not
the best adapted for the mulberry; the poorest
lands being commonly appropriated to that object,
though it is asserted by the former, that with
them g the mulberry grows in every aspect, in
every soil, and in every province Of that En-
pre-
5. That the climate Of the District appears to
|be peculiarly well adapted to the rearing of the
worm, great heat and dryness being required du-
ring the raising; the high degree Of temperature
from May to October, rendering artificial heat, as
used in China and some other countries, unne-
cessary. The life Of the insect is so materially
shortened by increased temperature of climate,
that in Bengal, 81 days to perfect its growth
and labors, while in the north of China, 35 days
are necessary for the accomplishment of the same
object:
| In the year 1896, there was imported into the
United States, silk goods to the amount Of $22,-
s62,l77, full proportion of which importation,
| in the ratio of its inhabitants, was consumed by
the people Of this District; and inasmuch the
productions of the ten mile square are exceeding
lily limited, the payment for this article alone,
must of course operate all undue and heavy
drain upon its scanty resources. Your petition
ers, through the aid of Congress, their NATIONAL
as well as LOCAL LEGIsLATuRE, propose to remedy
this evil, and at the time to give spur to
branch of industry, which has long constituted
an immense source OF wealth to other countries,
whose tributaries we, in fact, have been, for this
valuable and beautiful production. Independent
Fl of the desire felt by the undersigned to promote
the general and individual interests of the District
by the silk culture within its limits, they consider
it important i'll national point of view, and that
| its establishment here will serve as nucleus,
whence, by a general expansion, it may spread
over the whole Union. They believe that the
fostering care of Government is absolutely neces-
sary in the beginning Of the silk culture to give
it local habtation, and to it with success.
1 Without the aid of Government, the remunera-
ton is too remote to induce the planting of the
mulberry in sufficient numbers. Few indeed,
can be found, who willing, if able, to lay out
of their investments three four years, yet that
lis the shortest period in which the cultivator of
silk can begin to avail himself of his past labors
: Hence in every country where the culture and
, , manufacture of silk has been established, from
China to Western Europe, high inducements and
brilliant rewards have been held forth to lay the
foundation of, or to extend and perfect the silk
A culture. Patents of nobility have been granted
for that object nurseries of trees created and
gratuitously distributed by Governments; but all
the efforts of France proved Intellectual to pro-
mote the planting Of the mulberry to any great ex-
tent, until the reign of Henry Nv, when reward
of three Hures (about 81 cents) offered to the
cutvator, for every tree that should be found in
thriving condition, three years after it had been
planted. In very few years thereafter, the mul.
berry was widely disseminated in France, and
was particularly successful in the southern prov.
nces. The wisdom Of that measure is shown
by the result. In 1924, France exported silks
to the value of $l9,00O,00O. The expectation
since that time has been much increased. The
importation from thence to the United States in
1896, amounted to $l7,94O,4l5 in value
4 So great has been the desire Of England to nat
uralze the culture of silk at home; that ESQ
sterling have been given a reward for the pro-
duction of five pounds Of reeled silk. Its failure
can only be attributed to the unftness of the eli
mate, arising from excessive moisture. England
manufactures silk of foreign growth to the value
of 9l4,000,000, equal TO $62, 100000 annually.
II is the earnest wish and prayer of your peti-
tioncrs, that this branch of industry may be To-