Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1839-04-25
Miscellaneous.
From the Sill Gro,ccr.
SILK.

SlLh.
Mr.. Danforth, by the following com.
munica,ion, which came with The silk
referred to, and exhibited at the Eleventh
Annual Fair, has rendered his country
men a timely and mos, acceptable service.
'ln compliance with the wishes of my
fellow citizcns, give yon the result of my
experience during the past summer. |
would first premise, that in making tri-
al ofthe silk culture, it was my desire TO
adopt mode which could he followed by
our agriculturists at large, rather than to
show The greatest possible quantity of silk
that could be produced from a given por-
ton of land. Such an experiment, made
under peculiar advantages of soil and cul
ture, yielding large product, might be
viewed with admiration, but the means
heing beyond the reach of the mass of our
citizens, the same results could not be at
tanned.
The field from which the experiment
was made, was situated in East Hartford
the soil, of light, sandy nature, of a
quality termed in that quarter, good corn
land Ii was ploughed about the middle
of May, and narrowed and furrowed in
the usual manner. The roots and trees
(Morus Mullicaulis) were now laid down,
& covered from two to four inches, the tops
having slight upward incIination; they
were placed above twelve inches apart in
The row, the rows three and half feet
apart. having been previously moderately
manured.
After the field was planted, a section
comprising Que eighth of all acre was
marked off, to be subjected to more par
ticular experiment. 1t was stocked with
700 roots md trees, all Of one year $
growth, having had their tops partially or
wholly killed by the severity of the past
season. One third were two feet high,
one third one foot, stripped Of their limbs,
and the remainder were roots without
tops. BY the Isl OF June the new shoots
hegan 10 show themselves, and by the lst
July they numbered 4,s00, & had attained
the height Of from twelve To fifteen inches.
A family of 1000 worms was now star
led, which wound up on the 23d July, ha-
wing consumed 13l lbs. leaves. Three
Other lots amounting in all to $4,000,
were,now put nut at intervals of several
days, in order to favor the increasing
growth of the leaves. BY the 10th of
September, the last had flushed their la
bors. Weight ofleaves consumed in Au-
gust, 7l0 pounds, and in September, 332
pounds.
Total weight of leaves gathered, l,1G4 lbs
Total number Of worms fed, $4,000
Producing nine bushels cocoons.
Yielding $50 far as reelcdl lb. of silk per
hushel.
Weight of cocoons, 95 lbs.
Waste silk and floss, ID.
Twenty seven thousand Of The worms
were OF The two crop kind, requiring
1850 10 make pountl of silk, and consul
ming l44 pounds of leaves. The remain
ing 5000 were of the long crop six weeks
worms, 9 500 Of which produced a pound
of silk, and consumed 80 pounds leaves.
1t was my intention 10 have fed the long
crop worms entirely, as they are known
10 be much the most productive of any
other kind, but they could not be procur.
ed.
Business now calling me away, the fee
ding was discontinued, aud ltre trees were
Immediately removed from The ground.
having attained an average height of 49
feet, well rooted, and with heavy limbs.
The produce of the one-eighth OF an a.
ere. as above, it appears is 8 bushels co.
coons OF 9 lbs. silk; being AT the rate of
62 pounds per acre. from the feeding be-
tween The lst July and the 10th 5eptem-
her. 1t is easy to see, that had the | ,l64
pounds leaves been fed TO worms of the
six weeks kind, the yield would have been
l3 lbs. of silk, or nearl y-and from the
rapidity with which the new leaves were
developing when the trees were removed,
il is presumed that had they remained du-
ring September, enough more might have
been added. 10 have swelled the product,
so as To have made the crop at the rate of
l25 lbs. per acre.
During the period of feeding, the safety
and even advantage TO the Tree of fre-
quent defolia,ion was fully proved. The
trees from which this experiment was
made, were stripped of their leaves four
different times, yet at no lime were they
inferior TO Others that were untouched; on
the contrary, it was remarked. that where
the leaves were removed, the limbs shot
forth with greater vieor-care being taken
10 leave the tender leaves at the ends of
the branches.
The very great advantage of this spe-
cies Of mulberry trees over standard Trees.
was manifest; while such trees are diff
cult of success. and from the small size of
the leaves, requiring much labor to gather
any quantity, it was easy for child to
take from the Morus Mul,icaulis Is to 20
lbs. in an hour.
The plan Of rerarding the Matching of
the eggs by keeping them in an ice house,
...a,. Enund ,..aoacsc,I. Tho ,,,orIns