Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-06-06

country lnterSected by streams afordlnS wa
ter power, and rail roads and navigable river
affording cheap transportation to the CONNER
cial centres, fuel so abundant that the eS
peuse would only be for the cutting and hau
ing and not in Wild uncivilized country
bat where schools and churches are alread
established. 1t is stated in the Encyclopedi
Brittanica that " the exports of earthenwar
from Great Britain amounted in 1857 10 FL,
4SS,66S lover $7,O00,00O), Of which tn
United States took nearly one half, so It'll
has Tie potter's ant been encouraged an III
Nev Worzd."
Your Committee would express hop
that by some means enterprise may be direc
ted to these invaluable deposits, believing
that were the opportunities here offered gen
rally known, that this field for labor woult
rapidly fill, and that Calhoun District nigh
| become as noted for its wares as Stutfordshirt
! now is.
The vast amount of money annually SEN
abroad for the purchase of silks, the increas
ing consumption of this article among al
classes, and to an extent probably not knowr
in any other country except China, and the
Acknowledged capacity of the United State:
TO produce silk Of the very best quality, In
duced Congress in 1896 to publish aud dis
tribute manuals and treatises, prepared with
great care and fullness, giving ell necessary
instructions and details for the prosecution o
this business, from the propagation and plant,
ing of the trees to the preparation and man.
piacture Of tho silk The interest manifested
was commensurate with the Importance o
the subject, aud the prospect of silk becom,
ing one Of our staple productions was fiat
tering and encouraging, until the morus mul-
ticaulis mania of .'35 and 40 spread over the
land. The history of that speculation un-
folds system of vilainy and fraud seldom
exceeded. Every possible trick was devised
to create exorbitant prices and immediate de-
nland for the buds, cuttings and roots of the
plant, and with such success that all classes
of society entered into the speculation con-
fdent of amassing fortunes in q year or two,
entirely forgetting that unless some one
raised the worms to eat the leaves that there
would not be any demand for the trees.
When the people awoke from their dclusion,
very naturally a proportionate reaction took
place, and silk culture was denounced as
hunlbug by thousands who had nothad sin
gle worm. Now that the passions OF the mo-
mcnt are passed away, we can perceive the
folly of The scheme and the cause of its failure.
1t MAS rot that silk culture was anprolita-
bic, but that 80 few attempted To raisc silk
thar there was no demand fer the trees on
which were hing sucl magnificent bats.
Inc culture OF the silk has been considered
by the Chinese for 1000 years as next in i'm
.Lot r, ,o,
Of worms produce tour crops during the ear.
The value oi silk goods annually produced i'll
Europe exceeds <S275 ,0OO,O00, ol' which Aus
tria produces 5JO,0O0,O00 and Italy $50, ,OOO,-
0O0 In Fralyce 100000 persons are em-
ploycd by it, or one in eighty OF the popula-
t!oi; AID il England l6,0UU,UG0 pounds are
annually :nported, thus giving employment
in the Manufacture TO 40, 600 persons. For.
merl; scve:a al families in this town devoted
some care and attention to silk, and made
their own handkerchief, dresses, etc. The
recent establishment of c factory at Newark,
N. j., for making silk, velvets and pluskcs in
dicates revival ofthis interest. When reared
III Il close, moist atmosphere the caterpiller
is suffice, to various diseases; but in eli
nale IS pure, cry and elastic rs hat Of Aiken,
they are lar mor: hardy, and require less at
tention. Whilst in Europe from 20 10 co per
cent arr lost rcrn the tii,cts of climate, food
and Lissase, l.erc scarcey per cent. die, and
there are bui :tw ants o. insects to destroy
the eggs. The morus muticaulis fourishcs
without ANY ilore cart or attention thau any
Of ouv iu.c.t trees, and tue growth is So rapid
t!at ,ha ica:cs cali be used the second year
Ia l,-t f,f
aging coco,nery, rearing the worms and
cceliag the silk is so simple that it can be
readily learned trcm books.
|. The SILL, hustandry affords the most rapid
agricultural returns, being completed in six
or eight week.
Tie snail AMOUNT Of capital requisite, the
great remuneration and the light nature o:
The work, is suggestive gifts adaptation as all
employment for that large class whose deli
cate health requires mild climate, but whose
means do not enable them to lead q life ol
idleness, as well as for women and children
who are unable to undergo the fatigues incl
dent to other labor. a cocoonery, in connec.
ton with a yineyard4and orchard, would of:
ford constant round of employment, which
would be source of amusement, health arc
profit. ~ 2
FRUIT CULTURE.
The attention of the South, formerly, was
almost entirely directed toathc production O
the great staples Of cotton, rice, corn, sugar
lumber, &c, to the neglect OF other impor-
tant articles. Occasionally a farmer woule
set out few fruit trees, (without selecting
varieties in an old field, ard vine or two
around his houEe, leaving them 10 take cars
Of themselves, and as the neglected. troes die
not thrive aad flourish the culture Was pro
nounced unfitted for Cur cimate and un
| profitable. -
i Eventually few Jealous Pomologists Sc
about the work in good earnest, selecting th'
best varieties and extending TO the trees AMI
| vines proper attention and labor. For seve
iral years dependence was had on the North
ern and European nurseries, but eXperienc,
soon demonstrated the advantage OF propaga
ting Southern seedlings, and now but iey
plun;s ure imported from abroad.
1t is only since 1859 that much attention
was attracted in this vicinity 10 fruit culture
The immense returns realized by the proprc
tors of some of the orchards and vineyards
from lands unfit Tor the profitable culture 0
cotton and corn, led their ncightors toinquir
into the secret cf their success. Since thel
orchards and vineyards have gradually bu
continuously increased in size aud number. Z
In 1858, those interested formed themselve
into society, adopting the title OF 9Th
Aiken Vine Growing and Horticultural AS
sociation," their object being "Io proroot
the culture and improve the quality of frui
in general, and more particularly of the yin
and the manufacture of wine.
This association hes been Instrumental il
extending much valuable information; man
Of their reports and essuys having been pub