Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-04-03
CLIMATE OF THE CEIrID STATES AND. OF
EUROPE FOR REARING sILK-CoMPARED.

At meeting of,he citizens Of Phladel-
phia and adjoining districts, friendly to the
silk coliure, held at the hall Of the Franklin
Institute, on the 25th of December last, the
compara,ive merits ofthe climates of the
United States, and those ofFrancc and Italy,
for the silk culture, being under consldera.
ton, Dr.. Emerson observed, that he re.
gardcd the climate Of the United States as
better adapted to this branch Of agriculture
than those Of the European countries men
toned. In assigning his reasons for this
opinion he remarked, that the mulberry es'
pecially the moredecaie varieties ofthet tree
will resis, q very low degree Of cold, PROV:
ded the atmosphere be not unduly charged
with dampuess whereas they are very
of en- injured, aud sometimes destroyed, by
4 comparatively moderate degree of cold
associated with great moisture, and giving
rise 10 an abundant deposition Of frost, the
effects of which upon the tender buds and
shoots ofplants, is always more or less de.
leterious.
Again, he observed, the health and well
fare OF the silk worm, and the valne OF its
produce demand, that whilst feeding. it shall
be freely supplied with dry and fresh air.
The food which it dcvours so voraclously,
is extremely succulent, and the juices thus
| received are thrown out by the surface OF
their bodies in the greatest profusion, so
that during the last six or seven days OF
f eding, the worms discharge more than
their own weight, and this chiefly in The
form of an invisible vapour. Now, if the
air be moist, this exhalatiou is prevented
from escaping, for the same reason that a
piece Of wet cloth is prevented from drying,
and the presence of the moisture OBJ
s.ructs the breathing. pores, situated, like
The exhalan:s, over the surface Of their
bodies. Whatever tends to obstruct the
perspiring and breathing functions. must
subject The animals to disease. and hence
the well known fatal effects resulting from
s'agnant air. In France and Italy, the oc.
currence ola very calm and sultry spell
during the latter stages Of feeding, frequent.
| ly causes the destruction 10 q few hours, ol
whole apartments full Of worms. Nearly
oil the late European improvements in Inc
art Of managing silk worms, are mainly dl.
recled to increasing the supply of fresh aro
dry air, and thus obviating defects of eli.
mate. Now the climate Of these Unueo
States is naturally far more dry than that o
the western portions Of Europe, and the
reasons are these; 1t is well known. tha,
within the tropical regions. where there Il
no Interference of land. the wind blows in
vanaoly from the eastward towards tn
westward, whilst, without the tropics, boil
north and south, the predominant wind
blow from the westward towards the east
ward. In the United States, the westerI.
winds predomina,ing, tend of course t.
, sweep the moisture from :hc land, and thu
render the climate drler than that OF ives
tern Europe, which receives the prevailing
= westerly winds. fraught with moisture iron
r the ocean. This conclusion is not TO b
regarded as founded entirely upon theore'l
= cal deduction, since has been es,ablishe
= by accurate meteorological observation
e; made on both sides Of the Atlantic. An
h one who examines map of those portion
!, Of Europe which have heretofore enjoye
i monopoly ofthe silk col;urc, will find SUI