Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-10-04

Introduction 10 a Chinese treaties on the
culture Of silk, translation Of which has
been published in this country by P. Force.
This is the testimony Of a distinguished
cuI,urist in France, given as late as 1887.
At the cocoontry ofthe Poomac Silk and
Agricultural Company, under my superin.
tendence, silk worms have been fed during
the past summer, in successive divisions.
beginning about 2sth of April, and continu-
ing up to the present time, and the average
loss has not exceeded three per cent. Sepa.
rate parcels were fed on Morus Rubra Mo.
rus Abe. and Morus MulticauIis. Those
fed On Morus Multcaulis were mos, healthy.
w. K. Smith, Esq. has large cocoonery
at Fredericksburg, in which q considerable
number Of worms were raised last summer
with very good success, and John ShackIe.
ford. Esq. near Culpeper Cour, House, has
been feeding silk worms since 1886, and
his confidence in The ultimate success Of the
business is unaba'ed, as is evinced by his
continued efforts to enlarge his plantation of
Mulberry.
Messrs. Brown e. Hunt commenced
plantation in Stafford county, in 1885, which
they are making preparations to enlarge,
and in Fredericksburg, several en,erprsing
and pcrsevering ladies are giving attention
10 the subject, among whom | MAY name
Mrs. Hunter, who last year received pre-.
MUM from the Fredericksburg Agricultural
Society for handsome specimen Of sewing
silk. There are no doubt others in Fred
ericksbnrg and several ofhe adjacent coun.
ties. who are preparing 10 engage in the cul.
ture Of silk, but Of their progress, am no,
prepared to speak definitely.
But after all, | may b, met by some cap.
tious objector, who, if closely pressed. will
acknowledge that he has never reflected
seriously on The subject five minutes in all
his life, asking "where is your silk? Iwish
10 see your silk" Now If this obiec,or
will 20 10 either Of the cocooneries above
named, he will see cocoons enough to salts.
fy him that silk can be made, and it he will
credit the statements of those who have
given the subject several years close atten.
ton, he may possibly be convinced that the
silk crop in Virginia will be highly profia.
bic. Silk is made, not by miracle, but BY
the use Of appropriate means, and when
these means shall be abundanlly provided
and applied, the produce will be an album
dance Of silk. We are laboring hard for
our individual benefit, as we'll as for the
public good, and we therefore hope that
objectors will exercise little patience and
ff5rhearance, f and suspend hos'ilties, until
we can get the briars and bushes out Of our
way, and enlarge our plantations of the
Mulberry.
Ifind it somewhat difficult 10 answer the
second question, because the profit derived
fr m an acre must vary, not only from va.
riations in the fertility and adaptation of soils,
bu. also from differences in the age Of the
trees, management. &c.
Economy and industry are essentia! to
prn6tai... r..s..!, f.>- :. >. --oH hHu-->. th~'
indolencc, carelessness and extravaganza,
may render business Improbable, which #
properly conducted, might prove very profit
able. | have ascertained by careful expert
ent, that a light. sandy soil, planed
with Morus Mu|ticaul,s, $500 trees
to the acre} three and four years old. from
cuttings will yield 5000 pounds Of
leaves to the acre and as 20O
mounds of leaves. in the ordi 'ary course of
the culture in France and Italy, produced
one pound Of reeled silk, the produce per
acre, would be 25 pounds. which al vSsper
pound, (tI,e fair average price) would give
S125.
From this, two dollars per pound must be
deducted. for rearing the worms and reeling
the silk, and eight dollars per acre for one
years cultivation Of the trees; the net,
product would then be sxty.seven dollars
per acre, on land that only yields seven dol,
lars in oats, corn, or wheat. But If the
business be conducted by a farmer who has
the most efficient capital in ruddy checked
sons and daughters, nearly all the product
would be clear gain. Children ten to twelve
years old, under the superrtendance OF a
man or woman Of fexperieGce, make as ef-
ficient hands as grown persons. | do not
mean 20 intimate that slave-labour is not
adapted to The culture ofsilk /; on the con-
trary, / know that with such labor it may
be conducted very proftaby. In a letter
which received from Mr.. J. D. Homergue.
in the Spring of 1886, he admits that our
female slaves, with proper instruction. may
be mnde good reclers-and it will be recol
lected BY some, that Mr.. D. Fl. has been
charged with cncumbering the art of reel'ng
with imaginary difficulties. Any girl that is
capable oflearning to knit or sew well, can
be made good reeler in 8 months. ad.
mi, that the ar, may be acquired in week,
so far as the quality Of the thread is con-
cerned but 10 constitute good reeler, the
work must be done quick, and the silk must