The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-07-17
THE MULTICAULIS MANIA.
ELSE AND FALL OF THE GREAT
SILK-CULTURE CRAZE
Year when Mulberry frees We're
Planted in ivory State-Bursting
of the Bubble.

Planted In ivory ate-Bursting
of the Bubble.
The year 1926 marked the origin of
the Morus multicaulis mania, which ragged
as a fever from 1880 until it eliminated
and collapsed in 1899. Congress had re-
fcrred an inquiry on silk culture, in
1928, to the committee on agriculture,
which, in 1926, reported in favor of its
promotion, stating in the report that the
imports of silk goods in 1925 were nearly
double the exports of brcadstuffs-a
fact scarcely credible now. The same
year Gideon b. Smith, of Baltimore,
planted there what is claimed to have
been the first Morus multicauis tree in
America. The secretary of the treasury,
Richard Rush, was directed to provide
manual on silk culture, and the famous
crush Letter" was accordingly issued in
1923, together with several other treati-
ses, and circulated broadcast. In 1880
an article by DIR. Pascalis, on the Morus
multcaulis, in the american Journal Of
Science, directly started the mulberry
fever. The Massachusetts Legislature, in
1881, provided for manual of silk
culture, which was made by manufac-
turer of Dedham, Mr.. Cobb. and most of
the States began to offer bountics and
premiums on trees, cocoons and recled
silk-commonly ten cents pound on
cocoons and fifty on silk. A report to
Congress in 1880 proposed a grant of
$40, 900 to one NJ. D'Homergue for the
establishment of n normal school of fla
ture at Philadelphia, where sixty young
men might have gratuitous instruction
for two years, and for travelling about
the country to teach silk growing to far
mers; and this "silk BILL" though de.
feated in 1882, and reported against as
unconstitutional in S35, would not down
till 1887, when still another committee
reported as a substitute scheme to lease
public lands without rent for cultivation
of the mulberrytree or the sugar-bect.
The whole country now went wild.
The fever seemed only to get fresh fuel
of excitement from the panic of 1887. Or
chards OF the multicaulis were planted in
every State; farmers everywhere set
their wives and children to feeding
worms; mutitudinous books. public doc
uments, periodicals on silk culture, consti-
tuted the bulk of the reading of the day :;
stock companies for raising and manu-
featuring silk sprang up like puff balls
silk conventions were held, and a
United States silk society was organ
lied
a thrifty nurseryman on Long Island
gave help to the excitement by canny
plan. After selling considerable sup
ply Of trees to New England dealers, he
started off one night by the Providence
boat, and with great pretense of eager
ness made the rounds of all his custom
ers, excitcdly Offering fifty cents apiece
for trees. OF course he didn't get them,
but he presently was able to sell all he
had for dollar instead of fifty cents
apiece.
In Burlington, New Jersey, over 800, =
900 trees were raised in December,
1888, offerings at one dollar per tree or per
twig were refused at Boston sales, and
five dollars was sometimes got for trees
one season old. 1t was satisfactorily
proved-again on paper-that an acre
of trees was good for 81, 900 worth Of
silk, but the price of trees had no re-
lation to figures, even the most rose
colored. One farmer sold $4,000 worth
of trees from three quarters of an acre.
In a single week in Pennsylvania $780,
600 worth were sold.
In 1851 the bubble burst, and the BIZ
tiers were bitten. Among them was the
speculative Long Islander He had
caught the disease by which he had
proiited, and had sent an agent to France
with $50, 0C0 10 buy million more trees.
When they came, they were worth part
of a cent apiece for pea-brush. Some
spectators endcavored to get even with
fate by shipping a cargo from the East
to Indiana by way of New Orleans in an
unseaworthy ship heavily insured, but
the goods unfortunately reached their
destination. Multitudes of men were
ruined by the crash. But Americans
have faculty of falling on their feet,
and some of the unhappy mulberry grow
ers OF the thirties became the successful
manufacturers of later days.-Hu3per's
Hdgaztne.