Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-07-25
THE MoRUs MuLTIcAuLls MANIA
A Day When the People Went wild Over
the Question of silk Culture"
lHarper's MaVaZinel

A Day When the People Went wild Over
the Question of "snl- Culture"
lHarper's Magazine.l
The year 1928 marked the origin Of
the MOrus Multicaulis mania, which
ragged as fever from 1880 until it cul-
minated and collapsed in 1889 Con-
gress had referred an inquiry on silk
culture, in 1895, to the committee on
agriculture, which, in 1928, reported in
favor of its promotion, stating in the
report that the imports of silk goods
in lo95 were nearly double the ex-
ports of breadstutfs-a fact scarcely
credible now. The same year Gideon
B. Smith, of Baltimore, planted there
what is claimed to have been the first
Morus Multicaulis tree in America. The
secretary of the treasury, Richard Rush,
was directed to provide manual on
silk-culture, and the famous "Rush Let
ter" was accordingly issued in 1928, to-
gether with several other treatiSes, and
circulated broadcast In 1880 an arti-
Gle by Dr.. Pascalis, on the Morus
Multicaulis, in The American Journal of
Science, directly started the mulberry
fever. The Massachusetts, legislature in
1851 provided for manual of Silk-cult-
ure, which was made by manufact-
urer of Dedham, Mr.. Cobb, and most OF
the states began to offer bounties and
premiums on trees, cocoons and reeled
silk-commonly 10 cents pound on
cocoons and ~ cents on silk.
\ report to congress in 1890 proposed
a grant of $4,000 to one NJ. OHIO
mergue for the establishment of a nor
nal school of tilature at Philadelphia,
where sixty young men might have gra-
tuitous instruction for two years. and
for travelling about the country to teach
silk growing to farmers; and this silk
bill, " though defeated in 1882, and re-
ported against as unconstitutional in
La. would not down till 1851, when
still another committee reported as a
substitute a scheme to lease public lands
without rent for the cultivation of the
mulberry tree or the sugar beet.
The whole country now went wild
The fever seemed only to get fresh fuel
of excitement from the panic of 1874.
Orchards OF the Multicaulis were
planted in every state; farmers every
where set their wives and children to
feeding worms; multitudinous books,
public documents, periodicals on silk
culture constituted the bulk of the read
ing of the day; stock companies for
raising and manufacturing silk sprang
up like puff balls; silk conventions were
held, and q United States silk society
was organized.
A thrifty nurseryman on Long Island
gave help to the excitement by canny
plan. After selling considerable sup
ply of the trees to new England dealers
he started Off one night by the Provi
dence boat, and with great pretense o.
eagerness made the rounds of all hi
customers, excitedly offering 80 cents
apiece for trees. Of course he didn'
get them, but he presently was able t
sell all he had for 81 instead of so cent
apiece In Burlington, n. j., over 300,
900 trees were raised and sold; in De
cember, 1888, offerings at 81 per tree O
per twig were refused at Boston sales
and S. was sometimes got for trees on
season old.
1t was satisfactorily proved-again OIL
paper-that an acre of trees was goot
for 81, 900 worth of silk, but the pric
of trees had no relation to fig
ures, even the most rose-colored
One farmer sold So, 900 worth of tree
from three-quarters of an acre. In
single week in Pennsylvania $500,
worth were sold. In 1889 the bubbl
burst, and the biters were bitten
Among them was the speculative Lon
Islander He had caught the disease b
which he had profted, and had sent al
agent to France with $50, to bu
100000 more trees. When they cam
they were worth part of cent apiec
for pea-brush.
,ome spectators endeavored to &c
even with fate by shipping cargo froI
the east to Indiana by way of Ne
rleans in an unseaworthy ship heavil
insured, but the goods Unfortunate
reached their destination. Multitude
of men were ruined by the crash. Br
Americans have faculty of falling o
their feet, and some of the unhapp
mulberry growers of the thirties becam
the successful manufacturers of LATE
days