The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-04-14
RUFs.gK ECO.y'O.WY:
From IKE Cultirdtor.
CULTURE OLE SILK.

devote portion OF the pages Of the Cult
yator 10 the culture OF silk, and accept
promptly your invitation to write q series
Of articles containing "plain, practical d.
rectIons, su1h as are accessory for the mul
t,ude OF farmers who are just beginning
the business ID a small wsy." vii pre-.
mise that ! am preparing Manual on the
Culture Of Silk, adopted to the every day
wants Of lbe same class oil people, end
which shall also be adapted TO the most eX.
iensiye range Of business, embracing oil the
improvements recently made 10 Europe,
and all The Information shall have been Gu
nbled TO collect up 10 the time oil publication.
Ny plan Of conveying information on silk
culture IL 10 adopt the pldlnest terms OF the
English language ia all ~rlla, the cdyan
tage OF this IS obvious, for there are none
SO learned that they cannot understand the
subject IN plan dress, while If written IN
the archaeological terms OF sclencc, none but
the scientific eau prof. by Il. 10 tie
course Of the series, will embrace the
whole subjec, Of silk culture, and will en-.
deavor to say all that can Ue necessary 10
the production Of first rate ree,ed silk but
owlGg 10 the season Of The year when the Sc.
RES will commence, II will be necessary 10
adapt each article TO the necessities OF the
season, instead VI commencing al lae bep.s.
ming Of the subject, that advantage may DC
lnkenior the use of the coming season. Fer
this purpose, | will take up the quetil. con
,ained IN your letter OF The LOST inst. J
"Tho killing Of the vo;m IN Iho cocoon "
will bear posiponemcnt 10 a later period. |
will say here now, however, that killing the
worm {chrysalis) with the vapos Of can,
phor, has been found a most excellent and
economical mode. =. The best kind Of
worm IL undoubtedly the Peanut. As this
is the proper season for obtaining eggs, |
Will remark tho, there are two families of
silk worms, tho one that forms oval 81
egg shaped cocooDs. the other tia, forms
peauu, shaped cocoons. The former has
been from time inmemorIal the insect that
furnished the silk o.! the world. until within
tho las, ten years. This family has Il great
number of members or varieties. The old
fashioned sulphur color cocoon is the parent
of one branch OF the family; tue Old fash.
loued orange color cocoon, sometimes called
the Spanish worm, is the paren, Of another;
and the old white cocoon is the parent Of a
third. Each Of these families has numer
Gus se5-varletles, and numerous names for
each variety. There are the Large Sui
phur, and Mammoth Sulphur, The Large
Brown, the Italian Gray, the Two Crop
Sulphur, &c. &c. OF the first. The orange
or Spanish has not met with suilicien! favor
to induce division into varieties, or the in
ven,on of new names. The third : these
are the Mammoth White, the Connecticut,
White, the Two Crop White, &c. The
old sulphur coorcd cocoon variety is The
hes, OF the whole, and the only one Of the
tribe Of egg shaped cocoons that can be re-
commended. The Peanut varieties named
from resemblance of the shape of the co.
coon 10 the peanut Tor the fruit of the Ara
CHS kepogGa, J has Two divisions, the Large
and the Small Peanut; these are divided IN
10 varieties. The Largo Peanuts have the
MiraJel jaune, or Mammoth Nankeen Pea
nut, the Lima mirabet, or Mammoth White
| Peanut. These two consider the very
best OF silk worms under oil circumstances.
The silk is very fine, the worms large and
robust, the cocoons uniformly we'll con
strncled and easily reeled, and the product
fully equal 10 that Of any other al all times,
and generally much more. The Small
Peanuts are tho common Nankeen and
White. They are M excellen, variety,
nearly equal TO the Large Peanuts in all
respects, and when the cocsons arc to be
transported 10 any distance, superior TO all
others owing TO the small size of the CO
coon in comparison 10 the quantity OF reel
cd silk they produce. A bushol Of the
small Peanuts will generally contain from
3. 500 TO 4,50O cocoons, and will yield 20
10 % ounces of reeled silk of the finest md
bcs, quality. The egg shaped varieties
generally require only from 1900 to $500
cocoons 10 the bushel, and from IL TO l6
ounces of silk TO tho bushel. The differ
cnce between the two families consists 10
the loose fllmsy structure of the egg shup
ed cocoon, and the thick compact siruc'
ture of the Peanut. The Peanuts are also
= generally more tuUuSt Huu udlult "Hu uS'
so liable to disease as the egg shaped
. The cocouns Of the Small Peanut do mol
, reel quite so easily as The large ones
; or as the egg shaped, owing TO the firm
ness Of their structure. ! should always
: recommend the Peanut, either large oil
small, in preference To any other k'ud'
The bes, kind of mulberry is the Multi
caulls, the mex, best the Canton, tcalIed II
France the Ea,a,) the next, any ot the va
rie,ies of the White mulberry. Tho Mul
y ls;cauls must however, in northern latitude
o DO planted on high, dry, rather poor land
e exposed to the north; 1t will not answer
y planted on low, rich soils, or at least tn
% leaves nre subjec, TO become too succnlen
for the worms, and the trees to be inlure
by winter shall trea, this subject NOR
at large hereafter.
:, "Tho Improvement of frames Is nov
: 10 proper season, as preparation should ho'