Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1840-03-27


on other nations Tor the vast amount necrs. |
sary to carry on her extensive manufactures.
England alone would. therefore, furnish . |
ready market a, fair prices for all the raw |
silk which we can possibly produce.
France, TOO. produces less OF the raw ma.
lerlal than she requires for her manufac.
tories 10 1885 she imported some four or
i've md ions Of dollars worth of the raw
mate<~H Foreign demund then does aefu.
ally erist to an almost Unlimited extent.
You may swell the product even beyond
the exports OF cotton, which the last yea
amounted TO the enormous sum of sc 600.
900.
In the actual production Of silk expert
menis have been made in every period oil
our colonial Ms well as national existence.
which have uniformly resulted in the prof.
duc,ion Of silk Of us beautiful texture and
lus,re, and as strong fibre as is produced
in any country. Especially have expert.
menls been made during the last few years.
from Maine TO Florida, which triumphant.
" settles the practicabiIi,y Of producing
silkin our country.--There is something
in the drynrss and elasticity Of our summers,
which seem to adapt our country in pecn.
lar degree to the production Of silk We
can produce IT, therefore. Just as certainly
as we can produce corn or wheat.
How can the price OF labor operate to our
disadvantage, when the silk growing coun-
tries Of Europe generally, either owing to
their negligence. or their climate. are 10 all
eases obliged TO make large deductions, for
disease and death among their silk worms
while our attention. and the baImy nature OF
our climate render il unnecessary for Us 10
make any sueh deduction Some writers
assert that even FIFTY PER CENT, is q rea-
sonable allowance for the per ceniage which
they lose. Should il. however, be but the
quarter OF this, this consideration alone more
than balances the difference ia the price oil
labor lfthey can lose such per centage.
and still make a profit on their low-priced
labor. how much greater profit can we
make. even IL our labor is higher. when no
loss is sustained
How can the price Of labor operate 10 our
disadvantage when we are entirely free
from every thing like excise duies on tees
and silk Ia burden which is borne heavi.
~. indeed. by European silk.growing coun.
tries. In the Neapoiian TERRITORY, every
mulberry tree pays TO the governmen,
an annual tax oil about sixteen cents. and
every pound Of silk about lhr,y-three cents
Surely. i labor cost even milling there,
and il is still profitable to produce silk, i,
may be vastly more profitable here, with
all the high price OF labour.
But If we can. as we actually do. grow
and manufacture cotton and sell il in India
cheaper than they can produce il, and chea.
pei than they can elsew here procure il. wbv
can we no, do the same with silk
We know with all their disadvan,a pes
other nations produce silk to profit. and
while IN other things we yield to no nation
on earth. why shall we in silk alone7
But on this subject | have other erideaee
stitt. tina, silk can b. produced in our coun.
try. Notwithstanding the big h price Of abour.
TO large profit evidence which, 10 me at
least. is perfect demonstration. | have &C.
tually produced il myself to large profit,
This year. valuing the raw silk al &c per
ID. produced at the rate Of StSO per acre
The gross product this year was $50 lbs. Of
cocosns. or 4S lbs. reeled silk the cost Of
producing which is e2,25 per ID. or the
value Of one male and two female hands.
twelve weeks each Now in this l know
there is no mistake. There. sir. before ron
IS ne SIX. il aeiH speak for ITSELF Nor
was my knowledge OF facilities and adyan.
,age greater Than what is possessed BY any
and every member Of the community am
perfectly persuaded that every prudent man
may realize the same.
Now, in view f,he foregoing reasoning
and facts, can doubt the pracicabili,y oil
our producing silk TO profit, no,wi.hsiand.
ing the high price Of our labour and can
!. as patriot, phiIanthropis, refrain from
urging my fellow citizens to embark in this
business 2---and can any man who believes
these facts, and this reasoning fail 10 urge
the same thing on his fellow citizens. BY
his example, as well as his prrcept. That
demonstration which results from the actual
production Of the article itself ,oiii convince.
II is not 10 be supposed but that indiyid.
ual cases OF failure and disappointment will
occur; some may undertake more than they |
can accomplish. and fail Untoward cir. |
cumstances may prevent success in others.
the visionary and the grasping, who expect,
at once, 10 a;Iiass a fortune ia the production
Of silk. will b. disappointed and will. doubt
less, abandon the whole thing Those who
engage in the business, however. intelligent
", with common sense views will with pa
iienre and perseverance. infallibly reap
rich reward, while they will assist in adding
millions to the wealth Of their country.l
What more then. ask. is necessary 10 in
duec this whole nation TO commence the
production Of silk2 p
r.n ~ 4. - ~ tl ~ ~ /