The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-05-08

Silk Again.

Our readers who know the pOsslbili-
tics of the old North State in the line
of diversified Husbandry, and rare
products, will rejoice to learn that at
last there is a prospect of a thorough
experiment in Silk Raising. A young
gentlemen, of a neighboring town, who
has both the means, and the intelli-
gence and energy to make a Jealous
test of anything he undertakes, has ia
ken up the idea of devoting one hun
dred acres, and the necessary capital, to
grasses, stock and silk raising. We are
permitted to take the following extract
from a letter from Prof. Kerr, in ans
wer to one from the gentleman referred
to-
ANswERED-That the only hope of
Improvement Of North Carolina agri-
culture lies in the directions indicated,
the cultivation of the grasses and i'm
prOvement Of the soil by means of cattle
and sheep, and the introduction of new
industries, such AS Silk Culture, for
example, to utilize u unemployed la
Dor, that of ONE and children, and
OF the old and invalid. The millions of
money brought annually into France
from this source is "a main reason of her
agricultural and financial prosperity.
More than half of our labor is unem-
plOyed and useless. OF course we are
poor, and will continue so as long as we
stupidity allow this state of things to
continue. And there are dozens of new
ways in which we might turn our nat
ural resources to account, and so trans
form the whole face and substance of
our economical condition.
The silk experiment referred to was
tried at Fayetteville, by some Italians,
who were first met at Vienna, and
shown o from this country. Fay
ettevllle was selected because the null
berry Is most abundant In that section.
The experiment was a perfect success. and
the silk made was exhibited at Philadel-
phla with the French and Italian, and
found equal to the best. The posi-
HAty OF silk culture is fully established.
And the mulberry thrives here even
better than in France and Italy, and at
talns a large growth and is liable to no
disease, as these. The white mulberry
is the best. This is grown In orchards
over the eastern section of this state
and OF South Carolina, for the sake of
Its fruit, which is a valuable swine food.
1t grows well on the poor sandy lands of |
that region. 1t will thrive in the omen
sandy soils of Wake and Orange, and
OF the Red Sandstone belt generally.
There is no trouble about that.
The great drawback in the business
as 1t has always been, the tedious
ness and expenses of the process of
the fibre from the cocoons.
Hence the silk growing of the world has
been confined to countries where labor
is very cheap. But as to this point:
in the first place, there is a vast amount
OF labor in North Carolina now unem-
which would better be occupied
small wages, just as in knitting,
black berrying and fruit drying, than
remain utterly unproductive. And
secondly, an invention has been recently
patented in New York which promises
remove this difficulty. [ have seen
It, and am hopeful of it's success. But
any rate, thousands of ingenious and
inventive minds are occupied with the
problem. and no doubt it will soon be
Silk is where cotton was before
" hitney. A new Whitney is coming,
i he has not arrived. And, lastly, the
mulberry will pay on your hundred
acres in the food they will furnish for
hogs, if the silk should after all fail. /
send pamphlet on silk culture.
w. c.. X.