Lynchburg Virginian

From the Richmond Enquirer.

THE SILKCULTURE.

The Northern newspapers are full of cheering paragraphs about the Silk Worm and the Chinese Mulberry. The N. Y. Star describes some of the efforts which are making to establish the art in the North, and says, that "the enormous importation of foreign silks, amounting in a single year to more than 20 millions of dollars, has set the nation a thinking. Unprecedented efforts are everywhere making to increase the home production of this precious commodity. These efforts are receiving a strong impulse and aid throughout American Institute."

The Star touches on the variety of the Mulberry that is used for the sustenance of the worm—it speaks of the "leaves of the Italian Mulberry as small, and the expense of producing and gathering a given quantity is in consequence greatly increased. The Morus Multicaulis, within a very few years introduced into this country, sends forth a large noble leaf, but the tree is too delicate for our severe winters—Many of them are destroyed by the cold. The Brussa, broader tree, from the foot of Mount Catca-is has been brought here, propagated and distributed to some extent. This yields a larger leaf than the Italian, and a thicker one than the Morus Multicaulis, but not so wide spread. We have seen drawings of two new species left at the Repository of the American Institute by Mr. D. Stebbins, a silk culturist of Northampton, Massachusetts; one is denominated the Alpine mulberry and the other the Canton. These come from a higher latitude than the Multicaulis, and will probably be sufficiently hardy to endure our winters. The leaf, as far as we can judge from the drawing, is larger than the Brussa leaves. How they will compare in thickness and substance remains to be determined. The tree that will grow the most rapidly, will stand our severe frosts and afford the most healthy sustenance, producing the best silk, should be propagated in this country."

We have never heard before any doubts expressed of the Morus Multicaulis, (the Chinese Mulberry) withstanding our climate. The Philadelphia U. S. Gazette speaks of the success with which it has been cultivated near Philadelphia—and particularly of the results of an experiment made "upon the farm of Mr. Hatch, about a mile above Camden, where early in the season about fifteen hundred branches of the Morus Multicaulis were laid down,'' and careful attention given to them. From these have sprung up twenty thousand trees, some of which we saw measured as they stood, and they had at that time attained the astonishing height of five feet five inches: the whole of which had grown this season, as the branch from which they sprung was placed horizontally in the earth, and these trees have sprung up from the healthful buds upon the planted twigs. The height of these trees, attained in such a short time, was not the only remarkable circumstance which arrested our attention. The whole field seemed to be one mass of elevated foliage, every twig bearing almost innumerable leaves, measuring, many of them, twelve inches in length by eleven in breadth, which lay over each other like plates of armor, or, not to drop the military figure, like the rich drooping feather on an officer's plume. On inquiry, we found that the mode of producing the trees from the twigs of the Morus Multicaulis rendered almost certain a return of twenty for one, or, as the brokers would say two thousand per cent.—These trees, we are happy to learn, are in demand, and the Messrs. Hatches have adopted additional means to supply the wants of those who wish to increase the supply of the "food for worms."

The practice of laying down the branch horizontally is familiar to the Chinese, as we gather from a long article in Mr. Ruffin's last "Farmers' Register," comprising various translations from a Chinese work. The following is one of the passages: "A pliant branch is bent to the ground, and maintained in that position by a clod of clay. Each bud produces a branch. When thus mulberry tree has attained the height of two or three feet, its roots are then formed. The mother branch to which it belongs, is then cut, and it is transplanted in another place. It soon becomes a tree." A cutting from the tree thrives and produces under similar circumstances.

We recommend this method of multiplication The Philadelphia Gazette of the 30th August speaks of having seen, that morning, some leaves of the morus multicaulis, "from twelve and a half to fourteen and a half inches in length and breadth—Green, fresh and green."

The Bucks County (Pa.) Intelligencer calculates, that "one hundred pounds of the foliage of the Mulberry upon which the worms are fed, will make one pound of silk—and fourteen thousand cuttings of the Chinese Mulberry will grow upon an acre of land, yielding at the second year's growth two pounds of leaves each, or twenty eight thousand pounds altogether, which will give two hundred and eighty pounds of silk, which at $4 per pound, will amount to $1120, and deducting $300 for labor, will leave a net profit of $820, upon one acre of land."

The last Columbia (Pa.) Spy states, that "Messrs. Deihl & Clapp, of that place are now extensively engaged in its cultivation. They have already about 30,000 trees, and intend to enlarge their operations in the Spring, as the enterprise has been successful beyond even the most flattering anticipations. The cost of the buds for the planting is three cents, and an acre of Mulberry trees requires no more attention than an acre of corn. On this acre there can be raised 12,000 trees, which they are selling at fifty cents a piece. They are being sold readily in Philadelphia for fifteen cents per foot, and four feet is the ordinary height of a year's growth. This amounts to 60 cents a piece; or from $6,000 to $7,200 as the product of one acre of ground. He also informed us, that in a late visit to Philadelphia, he was made acquainted with the fact, or was personally witness to it, of a gentleman having sold $10,000 worth of the Mulberry—the product of an acre."

We believe from all we hear, that the Chinese Mulberry not only withstands the severest winter in our climate, but that it is becoming a source of great profit to those who cultivate it. The following letter (from Brunswick county, in this State,) in the last Petersburg Intelligencer, furnishes a very striking evidence of the fact :

Lawrenceville, Aug. 28th, 1838.

"Dear Sir—I think the public ought to know that Mr. Thomas Hicks, of this county, the year before last, and last year, laid out $245 in Chinese Mulberry trees; and this fall, will have for sale 30,000 trees. Two days ago he sold 20,000 to some gentlemen in Pennsylvania, at 25 cents a tree—the residue he reserves to sell in this vicinity; having realized the handsome sum of $7,500, from so inconsiderable an outlay, in so short a time. Mr. Hicks expects to have, by Fall twelve months, 150,000 trees more for sale, and in all probability will get nearly or quite as much per tree. He has also commenced, the past season, making silk, and has succeeded beyond his expectations, demonstrating that our country is congenial to the production of that beautiful and valuable article. Mr. H. deserves the thanks, and has the congratulations, of the community for his enterprise and success in introducing a new source of revenue and profit to the country.

The last Farmers' Register contains a very interesting letter from Mr. Hicks himself. We congratulate him sincerely on the success he has experienced. He has demonstrated by experience the fact that the hatching of the silk worms may be retarded by placing them in a tin box directly on the ice. Mr. Hicks also says :—" I can see but little difference in the strength of the silk made from the two different kinds of mulberry; except that made with the Chinese has a lustre which gives it a superiority. I made but one crop this season. I have no doubt that three crops can be made; and I should have attempted it, if I could have procured the eggs. The hands I had employed were double the number necessary. My object was to instruct them in the business, so as to be ready for a much larger crop another year. One of the hands, after attending the worms two weeks, could have managed half I fed in the usual way. It is quite a mistaken notion with some, that slave labor will not answer in the culture of silk—I had some white hands employed: but I also had some blacks, who were little inferior to the best white laborers, and are now reeling excellent silk. One of the black hands, now only eight years old, I found very useful in feeding worms, and can now reel well. I have no doubt much of the labor I bestowed was unnecessary, as the business was entirely new to all employed.—The cocoonery I had built is 40 feet by 24, and 16 feet pitch, well fitted up with shelves, on the most approved Northern plan. The house should be well ventilated to admit the air freely through, or the worms will certainly become diseased. I have no doubt that a house built of logs is equal to any that can be fitted up; and the barns now used for tobacco can easily be converted into cocooneries. I have 30,000 morus multicaulis or Chinese mulberry trees, and a nursery that will afford from 80,000 to 100,000 cuttings this fall." &c.

Other gentlemen in Virginia are engaged in the raising of silk. An intelligent Correspondent writes us that he "hopes next year to be able to show to any gentleman who may be pleased to visit me a practical illustration of the feasibility and advantages of the silk culture."—He adds, that "the Legislatures of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with a promptitude and alacrity that redounded greatly to their honor, granted the desired premium: and the consequence is, that a spirit is excited, obvious to the most superficial observer, which will not slumber as long any thing remains to be achieved—These two States will offer the only market for nine tenths of the Mulberry trees grown in Virginia and North Carolina, more than half of those produced in Maryland during the present year, been during the short time that has elapsed since the passage of those acts, millions of silk worms have been fed in the neighborhood of Philadelphia and the contiguous parts of Jersey, from plants, the growth only of the present season. Cocooneries have been erected—houses have been converted into cocooneries—and even rooms in private dwellings have been fitted up for the accommodation of the worms. In every instance that came within my knowledge, complete success attended the feeding."