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ITTHJIE- WMBEEW (KILIBAMIEnS, PRINTED BY H. S. NOBLE, SALEM, STOKES CO. NORTH-CAROLINA. JOHN CVBLUM, PROPRIETOR. VOL. I. TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1829. NO. 13. ee WLMls leaner IS rU.ITID AND PUBLISHED EVEKT TCCSDAY MORNING. TERMS 0e Dollar per annum, if paid in advance ; Oje Dollar and 25 Cekts, at the end of sixmonths; but if not paid within the year, the price will be O.ne Dollar and Fifty Cut. ADVERTISEMENTS will be inserted at fifty cents per square for the first insertion, and twenty-five cents for each succeeding week. ' All letters on business must be post paid, or they will not be attended to. We promised some time ago, to publish' directions for the cultivation of Silk, and the rearing of Silk Worms. The following are instructions from Mr. Gideon B. Smith, of Bal timore, to Dr. M. W. Alexander, of Mecklenburg county, in this State, who made successful experiments in raising Silk the last season ; and no doubt these directions contain all thit is necessary relative to the subject, for experiments on a email scale. - . CULTIVATION OF SILK. I have long and earnestly devoted much time and attention to this subject, from a conviction, that the United States at large, particularly the Southern and Middle States, and more particularly the East ern Shore of Maryland and Virginia, and the State of Delaware, lire-well adapted to this species of agri cultural production ; andthat the many millions an nually sent abroad for Silk in it3 various forms, mishit be saved to the country without any material addition to its expense or labor. I have for sever al years kept Silk Worms and managed them through the whole process, and therefore speak from practical knowledge. It is a fact, which ought to be published and circulated throughout this union, that one acre of land will produce in Silk more than double the value that it will in any other production whatever : and this too with less labor than the same land would require in the production of any other crop. It is stated, and I believe upon good author ity, that four acres, of land planted with Mulberry near Boston, have supplied food for as many Silk Worms as made 420 pounds of Silk,, worth three dollars and fifty cents a pound the four acres pro ducing fourteen hundred and seventy dollars ; and all the labor was performed by four girls, whose at tention was required but for a short period in the year. Now where is the land and what else is the article, that will afford such a product, with so little labor 1 The whole process is extremely simple, so much so, that children and superannuated servants, are as capable of attending to it as any other person ; and I would suggest, that the occupants of our Poor House, and those of similar institutions throughout the country, could not be better or more profitably employ ed than in the culture of Silk. The farm attached to our Alms-House would not only main- young trees. Both of these processes are adapted to extensive establishments, and probably produce more Mulberry foliage than the same ground would j do if occupied with full grown trees, besides saving j the labor necessarily required by the latter in gath ering the leaves, r or small establishments, for far- raers, ana mose wno nave large trees already grow ing, full grown trees may be used, the labor of gath ering the leaves being, in their case, the only objec tion to them. The White Mulberry is generally preferred, and probably makes the finest Silk ; though the common Black has been found to answer very well. Directions for the management of the Silk lVorm. In the Spring, when the temperature is at 80 or upwards, and the Mulberry leaves of the size of a J silver dollar or larger, bring out the eggs and lay them on a table prepared for that purpose, m a dry airy room, partially darkened. In from four to eight days the worms will leave the eggs. They will be about the size of the smallest of the little red ants that infest our houses. Immediately procure a few Mulberry leaves and lay them close beside the Worms, taking care not to cover the eggs with them, as there will be many not hatched, which the leaves would cool and probably prevent, certainly retard in j the process of hatching. As fast as the leaves be come wilted, lay on fresh ones, and once in three days remove the dry leaves and rubbish, which you will be enabled to do by laying the fresh leaves be side the dry ones, when the Worms will leave the latter and take to the former. Fresh leaves will be required three times a day for the first twenty days, after which they ought to be laid on as often night and day as they arc devoured , or become dry, and after, this time the dry ones need not be removed, as they will be so nearly consumed, and the Worms will have become so vigorous, that no injury will be derived by the Worms from them. The leaves must be free from wet and filth when given to the Worms. The weather ought to be pleasant and settled be fore the eggs are brought out for hatching. The room must be free from tobacco smoke or other ef- t iting them, by means of a leaf on which it is found, and carry it to twigs or leaves prepared for it, which will be described presently it will soon begin to spin, and requires no further attention till its cocoon . or ball of silk is completed. There are various things for the worms to spin on, the best of which, according to my experience arc chesnvt haves. Gather a parcel of chesnut twigs well-hung with leaves, and lay them on a table near that on which the worms are feeding, and when a worm begins to spin place it on the chesnut leaves. The leaves when gathered green, soon begin to curl, and the worm will spin its cocoon in its cavity. Where chesnut leaves are not at hand, chinquopin, - or. chesnut oak will answer. Another mode is to gather small twigs,.such as are used for stable broomsj and weave them into little arbors, trees, dtc. and place the worms on them. Some erect these arbors, ! &lc. on the table with the worms, and leave the j worms to climb of their own accord, when they arc preparea to spin ; out i nave louna it better, espe cially in the management of a small number, to place the worms on the bushes myself. The worms that begin to spin each day, should be kept separate, and on the 8th day from the com mencement of spinning the cocoons or balls of silk should be removed, and those intended for silk stripped of the loose coarse silk, called tow, must be put in an oven about half heated, and baked for half an hour, for the purpose of smothering the insects, which, if not thus killed, will work out of the cocoor and spoil the silk. Care must be taken that the ov en be not hot enough to scorch the silk. After this. the cocoons may be laid away for reeling. The cocoons from which the eggs are expected for a future crop, must be taken on the 8th day from the commencement of spinning and laid in rows a bout a foot apart on white paper, either on the floor of a dry airy chamber or on a tabic. Three or four cocoons may lie beside each other, the whole touch ing lengthwise, in a row. In from 8 to 12 days, the worm will have changed its form to that of a grayish butterfly or miller, and will come out of the cocoon ; and in 24 to 30 hours the female will com- fluvium, and persons must not be permitted to !, mence laying eggs on the paper between the rows breathe on the worms, as they are very sensitive, and j! of cocoons. There will be about an equal number . i i i -t rr : . line numan ureaiii is very ouuiisive even iu icumn of males and females, and each female will lay about i 450 eggs, of at first, a bcautifnl sulphur color, about happen, a little fire must be kept in the room, as a- th size of mustard seed. In a day or two, the cccrs so if it be very damp in. the latter case, a little pal- J become of a blueish lilack color, to the naked eye, verized saltpetre, say half a small thimble full, should but when seen through a microscope, they are beau be sprinkled on a shovel of firecoals in the middle tifully speckled, , like some kinds of bird's eggs, of the room. Care must be taken to keep ants from Those that remain yellow or of a sulphas color, hare the worms, as I have had full grown worms not on-. not been fecundated by the male, and are good for 1 .1.1 .1 A . m ly killed, but entirely devoured in- one nignt Dy tne notntng. As the nics cease laying, the eggs must common little red ant. At first a thousand worms will only require half a dozen leaves at a time, which should be torn in be removed on the paper to a cool dry place for fu ture use. It is not necessary to keep them in a temperance of 45 or 50 degrees to prevent their tain the nauners of the Citv and County, but return a handsome revenue to the treasury. It is hoped j pieces, the more widely to distribute them ; after spoiling as has been asserted ; the only injury they that this suggestion will receive the attention jt de- ij the twentieth day, they will eat a full grown leaf J are liable to from a high temperature is that of hatch serves from the proper authorities. each in the coarse of the day, and often more. You ing, which, after the Spring, they will not be apt to The opinions as to the best mode of planting and i will find it a great advantage to give them as much j; do in any temperature lower than 75 deg. They cultivating the Mulberry, are various. Either of j as they can eat, night and day after the 20th day fought to be kept in a dry place to prevent mildew the two following, however, appears to the writer to . from hatching they will begin to spin the sooner j which would be injurious, protected from msectv nosp?5 all trip npcossarv advantages : First, sow the ! for it. About the 6th, 10th, 16th and 22d days the and where they will have the benefit of air. The seed broad-cast and the second year the youn plant Ji worms will shed their skins, at which times they 'j flies eat nothing after leaving the cocoon and die in will be fit for food for the Worms, when.it may be mowed "as wanted y like clover, and the whole of the shrub will be so tender that the worms will eat the greater part of it. Second, sow the seed in drills, and allow the shrubs to attain the height of three to four feet, which will require three years, when the leaves, together with the tender part of the branch es, may be gathered, as wanted, for the Worms. In this process, the shrubs should be kept from at taining too great a height, by cutting off the top appear stupid and sickly. If at any time any of the j a few days after laying their eggs. worms are sick, which will be easily observed, re- jj The cocoons from which you expect silk, after move them to another table, as there is danger that having been baked, as above, may be reeled at any they will infect the others. The worms must not be . time after your attention to the other parts of the too much crowded on the table ; a thousand, full process ceases, for which purpose, put about fifty of grown, will require a table three feet wide and twelve thdm into a kettle of water of a temperature so high long. ij only as you may put your hand in without scauld- Between the 30th and 36th the worms begin to , ing, (at which it must be steadily kept, by means spin, and must be attended to accordingly. They ;j of coals under the kettle,) and with a wisp of twigs it will cease eatinr wander about, become Dartiallv :! stir thpm about brisk! r till von nhsprre the end ftf ucihui. ujf .utuux v V I! r j i j j limbs which may be used for feeding the Worms. transparent in their bodies, and leave nbres of silk, i a fibre of silk sticking to it, when you must secuic The latter process admits of culturing for the pur-1 resembling those of a ppider,. on. the leaves in their 'i it and proceed as before until you have as man pose of keeping down weeds and nurturing the path. These things observed, lift the worm exhib- i fibres as you wish for a strand of the thread you is--
The Weekly Gleaner (Salem, N.C.)
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March 31, 1829, edition 1
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