Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1852-04-15
miscellaneous.
RAINBOW MAKING.

II is great idea too large to he arrived
at but by degrees that the tleeccs of sheep
oan cloihe nations of men. The fleece of
a sheep, when pulled aud spread out, looks
much larger than While covering the mutt
ton; bul stil 1t is with sort OF despair
that We think of the quantity required, aud
Of Tie dressing and preparation necessary,
for clothing Eileen million Of men M Que
country, and double that number 90 anuth-
or, 90 say nothing Of the women,) and O:
tie number of countries, each containing
ITS millions, which arc necessarily demand
ing the feeces of sheep TO clolhe their lu-
habuanls We remember the hIl-sldes Of
our own mountainous districts; aud the
VIDE grassy palns Of SaNony; aid the
bouncless table lands Of I'hlbct, aud the
valleys of Cashmere, all speckled over with
hocks We think of the Australian sheep
walks, where there are hocks Of such I'M
manageable size that the whole sheep IS
boiled down Cor tallow we think OF Prince
E,lernazy's reply to the question of an En-
ghsh noblemau, when shown vast llocks,
and asked how ms sheep IN Hungary would
compare IA number with ihese-that has
shepherds ouinumbered the EnglIshman' ;
sheep- we think of these Things, aad by de-
grees begin to understand how wool enough
may be produced to furnish the brosdclo,hs
and 1annes of the world But the most
strong aud agile 10 aglnatlon Is conlonnded
when the material of silk Is considered IN
the same way Compare a caterpillar with
sheep compare the cocoon of a SILK
worm (ihe achievement OF It's hle) with the
annual fleece Of sheep; and the supply OF
silk for the looms of Europe, ASIA. aud A.
merea, seems mere miracle. he mar
vel s Inc greater, not the less, when one Is
IN silk-growing region attending TO the
facts aud appearances, than when trylng to
conceive OF them at home. In Lombardy
we travel from day TO day, during the whole
month of May, between rows OF mulberry
trees, where the peasants are busy proud
ing food for the worms a man IN the tree
stripping off the leaves, and two women be
low with sacks, to carry home the foliage
We see what tons Of leaves per mile mus
be thus gathered daily for weeks together
we go into houses IN every village 10 inspec
the worms we mount 10 the Hat roofs o
the dwellings, and 6ud in each countless
mulisludes OF the worms we pass on, iron
country TO country, uli We mount to The
hamlels, perched on the rocky shelves o
the Lebanon and we find everywhere Ih'
insect secretlng It's gum, or spinning /
forth as silk we remember that the sam'
process is going forward IN the heart of on
Indian Peninsula, and throughout China
we look at the broad belt round the gIob
where the little worm is forming us cocoons
and still we find 1t impossible 10 lmagln
now enough silk is produced to supply th
wants Of The world, IRON the brocade of tn
asiatc polentate to the wedding ribbon G
The English dairy-mald, Nowhere is III
speculation more difficult than IN dye
house at Coventry.
Probably there was as much wonder e,
cited by the same thought, when klng iiei
~ VIII. wore the first pair of silk stock
ing brought to England from Spain an
"hen Francis |. looked after The mulberr
trees m France, aud fixed some silk wea'
efs al Lyons aud when our Queen Mar
passed law forblddIng seryaul-malds
wear ribbon on bounels and when mol
arch alter monarch passed acts to ieac
ROW silk should be boiled, aud whence
should he brought, and who should aud wi
should not wear II when wrought bat Il
perplexiiy and amazement Of king, lord