, 1885-08-01
e MoAus nuLrlcAuLls NANIa
A DAY When The People Went wild Owe,
the Question of 's~nk-Cnlfure.'s


the Question of SALES.--FUTURE
iHarpers Magazinel
The year 1895 marked the origin OF
the Morus Multicaulis mania, which
ragged as n foyer from 1880 until II cul
minated and collapsed in 1889. Con-
gress had referred an inquiry on silk
culture, in 1926, TO the Committee on
agriculture, which, in 1929 reported in
ia OF of its promotion, stating in the
report that the imports OF silk goods
in 1o25 were nearly double the OK
ports Of breadstuhs-a fact scarcely
credible now. The same year Gideon
b. Smith, OF Baltimore, planted there
what is claimed to haze been the first
Morus Multicaulis tree in America. The
secretary of the treasury, Richard Rush,
was directed to provide a manual on
silk-oulture, and the famous "Rush Let.
ter" was accordingly issued in 1893, TO.
gether with several other treatises, and
circulated broadcast. In 1880 an arti.
Gle Ly a Dr. Pascalis, on the Morus
M~ulticaulis, in The American journal OF
Science. directly started the mulberry
foyer. Tho Massachusetts legislature In
1854 provided for a manual Of silk-cult-
ure, which was made by a manufaet.
urcr of Dedham, Mr.. Cobb, and most OF
the states began to offer bounties and
premiums on trees, COCOON and reeled
silk-oommonly 10 cents a pound on
cocoon and 90 cents on silk.
A report to congress in 1880 proposed
a grant of $40, 900 to one NJ. D'Ho.
mergue for the establishment Of a nor.
NAL school OF flature at Philadelphia,
where sixty young men might have gra.
tuitous instruction for two years. and
for travelling about the country TO teach
u -growing to farmers, and this silk
bill, " though defeated in 1899, and re.
ported against as unconstitutional In
1888, would not down till 1887, when
still another committee reported as o
substitute a scheme to lease public lands
without rent for the cultivation of the
mulberry tree or the sugar leet.
The whole country now went wild.
The fever seemed only to get fresh fuel
of excitement from the panic of 1887.
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 fol
raising and manufacturing silk spranp
up like puif-balls; silk coz 'entions were
held, and n United States silk society
was organized.
A thrifty nurseryman on Long Island
gave help to the excitement by a canny
plan. After selling a considerable sup.
ply of the trees TO New England dealers,
he started off one night by the Provi
dence boat, and with great pretense OF
eagerness made the rounds of all his
customers, excitedly offering 30 cents
apiece for trees. OF course he didn't
get them, but he presently was able to
sell all he had for 81 instead of 80 cents
apiece. In Burlington, N. j., over 800,
900 trees were raised and sold; in De.
cemher, 1888, offerings at 81 per tree OF
per twig were refused at Boston sales,
and So was sometimes got for trees one
season old.
1t was satisfactorily proved-again on
paper-that al acre of trees was good
for 81, 600 worth of silk, but the price
of trees had no relation TO fig.
ures, even the most r~ose-colored.
One farmer sold So, 900 worth Of trees
single week in Pennsylvania $500, 900
worth were sold. In 1889 the bubble
burst, and the biters were bitten.
Among them was the speculative Long
Islander. He had caught the disease by
which he had pro6ted, and had sent an
agent 10 France with so, 900 to buy
900, 600 more trees. When they came
they were worth a part of a cent apiece
for pea-brush.
ONE spectators %endeayored to get
even with fate by shipping a cargo from
the east TO Indiana by way Of New
{ rleans in an trustworthy ship heavily
insured, but the goods unfortunately
reached their destination. M~ultitudes
of men were ruined by the crash. But
Americans have a faculty of falling on
their feet, and some of the unhappy
mulberry growers of the thirties became
the successful manufacturers Of later
days.