Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1839-01-31
SEg.ga CULTURE.
From tie Richmond Enquirer.
R,cuMoND Dec. 22i. 1895

years present 10 Ny Subscribers, in the
shape oi Communication on the Mulberry
ana the Silk Worm.--i look To YOU for the
Gilt. knowing your Experience, and hav.
ing, as you know, great confidence in your
Judgment, ask yuu 10 answer, as so0n as
your leisure Ill permit, the following uues
| tions.
LIST. What are the advantages of the Mo,
rus Mniilcau!iS THAT is tn say, is il the
Les. mulberry or feeding The silk worm
The easiest to he prcpa gated, SIC &c:
I'd How many HIS. al leaves do you es,i.
mate can be raised on an acre Of ground, The
hrs. year, in our clmatc-how many The
81 year &c. SC (!
3D. How many lbs al silk do you surpose
can be raised 10 the acre Of the Morus Null
| ticau!is!-and what is the value (averaye)
OF the cocoon 10 The III
4th. What is the modeof propagatng this
mulberry? and on what sort OF soil
9th. Il this species { Mulberry -eally the
Multicaulis? TINT is, does il flourish like
Tue hilbert bush, or will it grow into tree,
IKE any other species OF mulberry? And
IN what state, (bush or tree, is il most use
full
9Th. Has :he Morus Muliicaulis any 9th
or Recommendations, besides furni.h;n,
leaves fur the silk worm THAT is to saw
can II he used Tor iimber-iur ieefinp cal.
t'e-and Tor enrichng the ground ?-If YOU
nave made any experiment, in either of
! these ways, please To- state them
IN. Will the Morus MuItcaulis flourish
MS well or better, in our climate than farther
! North: '''e'
| SIh. Does the silk worm thrive with ne
as We'll, or better, than in the Nor,ho
9Nh is The present demand for Morus
mu''icauiis mere huni5ug, or is il destined
| 10 become permanent object of va,ue2
! AND would you sobeIly recommend your
agricultural friends in Virginia to 90 into
the cultivation OF the plant,
lOih do you really heiieve, that the
SIX Culture is destined, from our cIima,.
capacity for raising The TODD of the worm
and other causes, to BECOME a useful sub nh; a."
10 winch we may devote our labor and can.
itai: Give me your ideas fully upon this
subject NfY" '''''
iitr Have you raised The silk worm al
all wv hat species is the hest? And how
many generations can be raised in our eli.
mate, III the course of the year?
beg your attention., indeed, 10 the whole
su'9ec'-and ask from your experience and
'e"ui"S' as lui! memoir as you can fur.
nish Yours, truly,
THOMAS RITCufE
SIDNEY, (IIenrico CO. ) och Dec. 1888.
Dear SIR: Yours of ;be 22nd, in which
you ask sundry questions concerning the
nhoruS niu'iIcauliS, and the rearing Of SILK
IN 'hIs Slate, is now before me. and nro'
eeeu 10 answer your queries as far as nv
experience and information upon lhe subiec,
! extend:
10 your lst question, I answer. that il is
INC pest Kind OF Mulberry tor feeding worms
LOT several reasons: IL affords much lar
ger amount OF leaves than any other kind.
q ln.l lao,
expense required by any other variety The
Si.', Is OF superior quality; a stronger fibre.
aud mere easily reeied; aud with rcgard In
Ills propagation, IL is more easily pronaga,cd
! Than any variety known 10 me-
! "a. W iih regard TO this question. 7 have
| not much experience: but ACCORDING In tho
best information can obtain. from sou,ces
to be relied on, answer that from one AFRO
may be gathered the first season ,bey are
planted 10000 lbs and will increase perh,,s
81 TO IL annually for several years. q
ooo '"S nave been taken from an acre, when
The trees were years old, or IN lhs, proror.
! ticn.
4, 3d. AS TO this question, cannot saw ,nu,.,,
from my own experience. but. havei, on
! pains 10 acquire the most accurate ,nfprma.
'ioh upon Tue subject, and End, tina, an a =
ere planted with cuttings OF 2 buds each. ~ #,
ahotu the Isl season alter planting from so
| 10 lUJ lbs. of silk, and al the age oi 5 wears
| from 315 10 400 lbs. Of reeled s,;k-lbe val
ue OF which is IS 10 SO per Id. As,o The
value OF cocoons per ID. | have no certain
information, but find that il is considered
most profitable 10 reel them, instead of sell
ing them in that state.
4lh. AS TO propagation. Let The ground
be properly prepared by ploughing aud hnr.
rowing; take cuttings of 2 buds each insert
mem IN The ground their foil length with
'oe upper bud little under the sutf,cc of
me earth; alter they commence grow inr
| 'he utmost cafe should I've taken 10 keen the ~,
! GEAR o' grass and weeds, and the ground he
KEPT ilghi and open, 10y frequently running
cni'ivatoT between The rows, which mas
NC 4 ieet or any other convenient distance
apart, and 3 10 Is inches in the row. As to
me soii-Ihey will grow well in any rich
,ahh oui, Tor The purpose of raising silk. a
'igh'' sandy or grsvelly soil is considered
preferable.
9th. AS consider This question Of more
'Hah ordinary importance, 1 will endesyor
TO answer il tully. This variety was mira,
uuced mic France in The year 1921. where
II received the name Of Muiricanlis f.,
1917, u was introduced INTO the q. $ under
this name: but, unless il he cut doNi, c;tlc,
ny frost or The knife, il will not in aov ir-
stance "ecome Muliicaulis, but " III, when
pruned or treated ns another tree becnme &C
,efse Tree as any other variety Of the MuI
oe,ry. consider this fac, abundantly pro-
Neu ny 'Iees now IN my possession, which
ore only years Old from The cuttings, and
NV measure 10 inches in circumference. /
wv, anovc The ground, and their trunks 10
in BIO. L