Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-06-16
Oxford, April ls, ls4s.
Mourn PLEASANT,

I
lect committee of the Ohio Legislature, con-
tanning a great mass of valuable information
relative to the progress of the Silk business in
this region. Also, letter from myself.
presume they did not reach you, as you do not
mention them in your favor of March "a, and
pamphlet, which have received. Your views
relative to thorough ventilation are in accor-
dance with my own xperience-having been
engaged for the past five years in all the depart
ments, both growing and manufacturing. II
gives me pleasure IL announce To you, mat
shall continue to prosecute my lahors as here
toiore. During the past year, ] have much
enlarged my operation, both feeding and man
ufacturng, and have furnished employment TO
about fifty hands on an average, the year round;
and have manufactured upwards of $4,000 worth
of Silk goods the past year, consisting OF all the
varieties of staple Silk in demand, equal 10 any
imported, and sold them readily as made, at a
reasonable advance on their cost of production
and manufacture. In fact, my etlOlis have
been crowned with complete success, and am
rapidly and permanently enorging my opera
tons in all the various departments. In the
past five years of my feeding operations, have
frequently met with partial failures and occa-
slonally eutire loss of lots of worms from ex-
tremely warm, close, confined weather, (but
never from cold) have tried all the plans of
feeding and veniilaiing cocooneres used or
known in the United States. found they
were very deficient in accomplishing the OBJ
lects desired, viz: cheapness and simplicity OF
construction, proper ventilation, cleanliness and
economy in feeding. These objects are essen
tial to the success of the business. After test
ing all the various methods and recommended
tons for feeding and studying the nature, hab-
its, and wants of the worms thoroughly, e.
nally studied out and adopted the following
Ill -
jects. have sent model and description To
the Patent Office, and expect a patent therefor
in lew days. ! shall feed extensively on this
plan the coming season. ! fully believe my in
veniion will work as complete revolution in
the growing OF Silk as the discovery of the Gin
did ia that of Cotton. have named il ellis
Patent Feeding Tent, and Silk Worm Venii-
lating Cradle. Description: the Tents and
Cradles may be constructed Of any size and Of
any materials suitable, keeping in view the
principles Of construction. adopt as con-
venent size a tent 5 feet wide, so feet long,
side posts feet apart, drove in the ground and
stand above ground feet high each side, Cor
centre posts 8 feet apart, drove in the ground
and stand feet above ground-ridge and cave
poles To be fastened along the top of each of
those three ranges of posts or sakes,-the tent
cloth TO be of linen or any other fabric suitable.
IL may or otherwise be impregnaied with paint,
tar, or other substance as desired, 10 give pro-
lection from the weather and TO extend from
the bottom on one side over the top aud down
10 the bottom on the other side, with weight
poles or rollers al the bottom on each side so
that the tent cloth may be rolled up 10 the
square, or let down al pleasure To give free cir
culation of air, or exclude the same, rain and
Sunshine at pleasure. The canvass is most
convenient in strips 10 feet wide and side roll
ers same length, these when down to rest A.
gainsl plank fastened along the two outside
posts. The rollers of cloth when down should
reach within six inches Of the ground and a
drain under them To carry of the water. |
use the ground for the floor
The feeding, venlilating, cradles, are con-
structed to embrace the following principles,
and sizes 10 suit the breadth of tents, leaving
an aisle along one side, and between each Cra-
die. To furnish a tent / 5 feet wide, the Cra-
die should have three rockers 4 feet long, made
of plank, Il 10 10 inches broad and about Ia
inch thick, trough (resting across their CEN
tres, let in by a notch in the rockers,) ~ feet
long. foot wide, and one end closed, from
the points OF the rockers, attach upright posts,
80 inches long, inclined out and cap attached
TO their tops on each side, and parallel with |
the trough-to this cap and side, of the trough, |
lasten lath Is of an inch apart, whole length |
Of trough on both sides-lorming when done /
a rack about l-2 feet deep and 8 feet wide
at The top. Across the trough fasIen Stats
about foot apart, on which to lay mulberry
and on these branches, put the |
worms after their second mopIting, or when
about half grown, and feed them until they
spin, with branches cut about one foot long,
with their leaves oD-suspended over each era
die have fan made of bonnet boards or any
other thing suitable, with pendulum coming
down from the shaft which is across the tent,
in two of the upright poss-this the feeder
ran put in motion in passing, as also rocking |
The cradles, thereby removing all impure air
about the worms and among the branches and |
shaking down all dry leaves, litter and excre-
nents into the trough, into which occasionally
pour bucket of water al the upper end aud all
IS washed out at the open end, leaving it pure
and clean. The motion of the cradle is agreea-
Bile TO the Silk Worm, approximaing TO the
waving of The branches when they feed on the
tree in state OF nature. Another important
advantage is, that no worms can fall through
10 the ground, and those that happen TO fall
Town in the brush, crawl to the ath sides and
mount TO the top Immediately. Also, the
worms readily spin among the clear bare brush,
making but little floss, and seldom double CO.
ICONS. On the rockers fix fender, made of
IN or any other material suitable that entirely 4
prevents mice (the great enemy to silk worms,)
nso, anus ana Olncr insects, from ascending 10
he worms. This system throughout, is sim
Die, cheap, and easy of constructing, and meet
al the wants ofthe worm and greatly facilitates
he leeding. Ii curtas expenses about one
iali, and more Than doubles the quantity and
quality of cocoons raised from a given quantity
'f eggs over the most successful results of the
most improved method of feeding heretofore
lraclsed. With this tent and cradle, and DIR.
Thomas Whites Patent Reel and Twster,
which Mr. Harris, my machinist, has made
,erfect, every farmer may raise, reel, and twist
Silk, with certainty ola much more profit
lble return for his labor and investments than
n any other OF his present pursuits. author
re you to adopt this system, in your own
xatii hlL. LII L.