Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-04-26
THE SILK QUESTION.

>aC oiSN So1oAAO.Ns
WHAT is all this about silk, says one
Skinner, what do you know about silk, says
another-ils all wild speculation, says a
third-a mere humbug, says fourth and
so on to the end of;he alphabet. Now in
oil frankness we will answer the question,
as we understand it, and if one can't trust
the light Of his own understanding, what
ligh, can he trust?
|, seems theu that few, with more than
common forecast, perceiving that the morus
multicaulis tree, would supply the only de-
siaeratum which had been wanting to make
the culture of silk profitable branch of in
duslry in the United Safes set themselves
quietly 10 work, 10 meet the deman which
it was obvious must ensue for this cxtraor-
dinary tree, when lis remarkable properties
should become TO be made known; and
these gentlemen, more fars'ghe ed Than their
neighbours, when the trees were ready for
market, did real ze almost incredible pro6;s
larger than have ever been reaped from
any investment except IN u lottery ticket
drawing grand capital prize. A few were
persuaded to plant an acre or two, at the
cost as many hundred dollars, and in six
months thereafter, even beforc the growing
crop of corn or tobacco was in market,
these timd adventures were seen 10 pocket
three or four thousand dollars to the acre
This looked to the unntialed, SO much like
alchymy or wi,chcraf, thu, they were
stuck up as Jack Downing would say, and
very naturally vented their as:onishmcut in
EXPLANATIONS such as are repeated in the
beginning OF these remarks: speculation
sheep mania humhug tulip mania fol.
lowed by the sage prediction Of burnt hns-
ers and explosion sky high, to all who may
venture to plant another year!
There are two cases in which it is no: only
convenient but ag, eeabe 10 jump at once
from premises to concluson-:he one when
We have not at hand the means CT compari.
son, argument AM regular deduciion--lhe
other wien lazincss or selfconceit forbids
the trouble Of inquiry.
So eager, in fact, is mankind, in the pur.
suit Of all.Iabour saving con,rvances, that
we would fain avoid the trouble even Of
thought and rehection--hence, by ma.
chinery' in science that shall here be
nameless. few men think for the mass of
society. As one great reservoir, with few
subordinate hydran,s, waters whole city
by similar arrangement one grea, thinker
with his intermediate pipes and bydrants,
often supplies whole community with
thought and opinion--such is the readiness
with which, unfortunately, most Of US indo.
lently surrender the practical exercise of
the very faculty that exal's US above all the
ses' of creation, and founds our boas: Of be-.
ing Gods own image To return to our
subject.
Merino sheep, under most ex'raordna-
~ combination of circumstances, once sold
for several hundred dollars, and after the
peace, iellto almost nothing, and therefore
we most sagely conclude that silk culture
is but sheep mania, and that all must sui.
fer who have any thing 10 do with it--so it
was thonght BY thousands, that the attemp:
to manufacture cotton in America, against
the East India manufacturer, who could hire
his labour for a few cents day. would
prove ruinous humbug to all who should
undertake it. The same was predicted as
10 The extraction Of sugar from the beet root
in France. But if some individuals los, by
their purchase of merino sheep, a, high pri.
ces, the nation has been great gamer by
their introduction 10 the country-for it has
enabled US to make at home the fine high
priced cloths, for which We were wholly de-.
pendent on foreign supply, and so those,
ifany there be, who will go on giving high
prices for trees after the whole country has
been supplied beyond the demand thu: must
grow out Of the production Of more than
twenty millions of dollars worth ofsilk, an
nually, wanted for home consumption j,
takes no ghost to see that loss must overtake
the individuals who shall thus neglect or
fail in accurately measuring the supply by
the demand-nevertheless, tie nation will
have greatly gained for the cheapness Of
food 70. the silk bearing worm, and the little
labour required in gathering and admins.
tering that food, (and these are two great
items in the calcuIaiion) will in the mean
lime nave insured such highly remuuera.
ting profit to the silk grover and manufac.
turer. os to place the business of silk raising,
beyond all danger of being abandoned. Most
ofthos who commenced growers Of trees,
for sal on speculation, will, when, and even
before six and twenty states have been sup.
Piled with trees in abundance turn from
growers cf trees 70 growers oF six, &c nasv