Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1839-02-12
) From the Tennessee Farmer.
THE SILK CULTURE IN TIE
IJNTTED STATES. = a

- =
eye, and promises practically to enlist the
capital and enterprise Of so many Of our
that we cannot permit the year
to run out without yielding it a more spe-
cial notice than il has hitherto had at our
hands, No longer to be regarded as q
doubtful experiment, orJvislonary, specuIa.
ton, it may indeed claim most importan.
rank in the agricultural system of the
country, and richly deserves the notice
and encouragement Of all who desire to
witness the progressive development of
the national resources, and our farther In
dependence on other countries for articles
of domestic consumption.
The practicability of the silk enterprise
is now very generally admitted by all can
did men who have given the subject prop
er attention. For about go years past,
silk has been annually produced in the
cold ungenral climate of Connecticut, and
If valuable varities Of the mulberry will
survive the winters Of New England, as
is actually the fact under certain modes of
treatment, and silk be prO6tably produced
there, it may be most nationally argued
that the production of this beautiful fab.
ric in the South, with its vastly superior
adaptations, is a demonstrated problem
unclOuded by scarcely a shade of incerti.
tude.
Yet, with this admission freely made,
and Notwithstanding the great parade
which has existed about the general intro.
duction Of the silk culture Into this coun.
try, and the wonderful exploits of particu.
lar silk-growers among us, it must, on the
other hand, be confessed that very little
has, actually, been accomplished in the
production of raw material or fabric, and
the business is yet in its extreme infancy,
80 far as positive results or the national
interests are concerned. The statistics
Of the silk culture in the United States, so
far as they have been ascertained, show
this fact most clearly-presenting com.
parativel y meagre returns after the busy
" note of preparation" which has been so
long and so GENEROUSLY sounded.
This state of things, however, is most
easily accounted for; and has no bearing
whatever upon the practicability Of the
silk culture, or its vast intrinsic importance
to these United States. Very many per-
sons have invested money in mulberry
plantations with the sincere intention Of
feeding the worm and manufacturing silk.
But finding sLch great demand for, and
such high profits in the sale of mulberry
cuttings and trees, they have almost inva.
riably consented 10 postpone their ultimate
object for the present tempting advanta.
ges of this traffic. Accordingly, vast
deal of moncy-indeed handsome for.
tunes, have already been realized in the
sale Of mulberry plants-in which spesu.
laiion, we believe, all (pernaps without
exception,) who have had trees or cuttings
TO sell, lave engaged, and while human
cupidity remains unchanged, and men
continue to prefer present profits to remote
gains for themselves or the country, we
may expect this state Of things to exist
until the markets shall be completely glut.
ted, and then we may hope to see the
manufacture of silk actually progress, and
this article become, as we do think it is
destined to be, staple production Of this
country. As the mulberry trees propa'
gate in ratio so economically rapid, we
may indulge the hope that few more
seasons will suffice to supply the immedi.
ate wants Of all. And, indeed, we cannot
perceive any thing very seriously to cen,
sure in this species Of traffic, where nc
fraud is committed, T4lnless it be the ex
orbitant profits so cody pocketed, as il j.
widely disseminating the ,means of grow
ing silk, and meeting the wishes of tn
many individuals who desire going into th'
business, and who are willing to pay tn
prices demanded. 1t may, therefore, VIZ
think, without irony, be called ga fai
transaction especially, as the ul
innate hopes held out to the silk. grove
are not, probably, destined to disaPPoint
nent.
Like some mighty river, the roar o
whose waters wakes louder and more lou,
as it sweeps onward to the ocean, the Sill
Tor at least the Mulberry, mania ha
steadily strengthened itself, until in som
parts Of the country It has attained YER
high state of excitement, which still doe
not seem to be its ultimatum. We Nigh
here give expression to the amusement W
have felt in Witnessing the paroxysms
/ its symptoms-even the clear, cool an
grave head infected almost to vertigo
some who had hitherto stood somewhs
aloof from the atmosphere Of the epide
mic, and rather sneered at its prevalence
themselves It's now excited snbjects-th
sectional contentious for the Mulberr
lpurchasers-the wagers, so CALAMITY, ten
i dered upon the trees Of the North agains
the trees Of the South, &c. DC. &c
But the subject is serious and lmportaE
one, nationally; and the loveTof his couI
try who viii turn 10 the officially reporte
amount Of our importaiions and consumI
ton Of foreign silks, will soon forget q
Iudicrous point Of this excitement IN Z
earnest hope that it may eventua.e in q
general adoption and permanent succe'
81 this highly promising md important e
terprise. And as il 'alsC1ys should
/. with every good government, 80, q Il
case, the national and individual inteFes
az Identical. Scarcely q resident iauai
of village % country ii the whole Ian
BOT might ind il personally profitable
{ produce silk according to its means e
preparation. And this preparation IS
! 10 ne formidable. The labor IS ligl
pieaaant and healthlul, and its applianc
81 bensire. Many 81 lie beautiful 81
of China. are lid Ia ~ wrought by III
tttsE et, e 4 = r 80. -;