GATHERING THE LEAVES FOR FOOD.

The leaves should be gathered from the ground or by step-ladders; as climbing the trees inflicts injurious bruises, galling the limbs. The leaves are gathered in bags kept open with a hoop, and provided with a hook or strap to pass over the shoulder. Gather them while dry, after the dew has disappeared in the morning, and before sunset. Strip the leaves upwards, not downwards, as this injures the buds. When you begin a tree, strip it complete; leave not a leaf, take all, as it injures the tree less unequally. Wet leaves are injurious, they cause disease; therefore never gather them when wet, either with rain or dew, except in case of absolute necessity, then spread them on a floor under cover, and turn them frequently till dry. A stock should always be kept on hand sufficient to last two or three days. When gathered they should be preserved from wilting in a cool cellar, or by lying spread under cover, on a brick pavement, or clean gravelled floor, being often turned and aired and shifted alternately to new and dry parts of the floor; they may be thus preserved, according to Messrs Cobb and D'Homergue, for four or five days.

The trees should not be stripped till after the third year. Too frequent stripping the tree injures its growth; but where the growth is not so much an object, they may be stripped several times during a summer, and their foliage is immediately renewed. Leave a portion of the trees untouched every fourth or fifth year, to recruit; but where they are stripped several times during the same season, they will require a rest, every second or third year.

ON THE CULTURE OF SILK-PART II.

IN SEVENTEEN SECTIONS.

SECTION 1. History of Silk-its Antiquity and Commerce. Sect. 2. History of the Silk Worm. Sect. 3. Climate, Shelter, Habitations, &c. Sect. 4. Division of Labor. Sect. 5. Space required for the Silk Worms.

Sect. 6. Amount of Food. Sect. 7. Amount of Labor. Sect. 8. Hatching of the Insects. Sect. 9. Remarks on Feeding. Sect. 10. Feeding, care and attendance. Sect. 11. Formation of the Cocoons. Sect. 12. Maladies of Silk Worms. Sect. 13. Cocoons for producing eggs. Sect. 14. Stifling the Cocoons. Sect. 15. Weight of Cocoons, produce of silk, reeling, &c. Sect. 16. Numerous successive crops of Cocoons. Sect 17. Modern method of

Comte Dandolo for rearing Silk Worms.

In the following account of silk and its culture I must particularly acknowledge my indebtedness for much that is valuable, to the excellent "Manual of the Mulberry Tree and the Culture of Silk," of Mr Cobb- also to the Treatise of the Comte de Hazzi of Bavaria, which was sent by him and transmitted by Dr Mease, to Congress; also to the valuable Treatise of Dr Pascalis on the Mulberry Tree and culture of Silk. These last named authors are the professed disciples of the Comte Dandolo and M. Bonafoux of Piedmont; also to the essays of M. D'Homergue and numerous other sources.

1.- HISTORY OF SILK. ITS ANTIQUITY AND COMMERCE.

Silk, or the splendid material produced by the silk-worm was first known in ancient Ser, or Serica, in China. It was there first discovered in its own native forests of the mulberry. Hence it was called by the Romans Sericum, by the Italians Seta, by the French Soie, and by the English Silk. Less anciently, it was also called Bombycina, from Bombyx, a caterpillar which spins a web: this being the Bombyx Assyrian or Syrian, improperly so called, since the country of the Seres or Chinese, was another country, the most remote, and bounded on other shores; many a nation and far distant country intervening.

The cultivation of silk commenced in China 700 years before Abraham, and 2700 years before Christ. The Emperor Houng-ti, "The Emperor of the Earth," who reigned over China more than 100 years, and whose name is rendered immortal for his noble and useful deeds he who taught the Chinese to construct houses, ships, mills, carts, and other works of usefulness he also, persuaded his first consort, Si-ling-chi, to bestow her attention on the silk-worms, it being his earnest desire, that his Empress

also might contribute to the welfare of the empire. Aided by the women of her household, the Empress Si-ling-chi, gathered the silk-worms from the trees, and introduced them to the imperial apartments. Thus sheltered and protected, and abundantly supplied with the leaves of the mulberry, they yielded silk superior in quality to that produced in the forests. She also taught them its manufacture and to embroider.

Silk and its manufacture and the weaving, continued to be the principal occupation of the succeeding Empresses; apartments being especially appropriated to this purpose in the Imperial Palace; and soon from the highest rank of females, it became the occupation of all ranks in China; and ere long, the Emperor, the learned class, the princes, the mandarins and courtiers, and all the rich, were attired in the splendid fabrics of silk, until finally, silk became the great and inexhaustible resource of the wealth of China.

From China it was exported to India, to Persia, to Arabia, and indeed to the whole of Asia. The caravans of Serica performed long journeys of 243 days from the far coasts of China to those of Syria. The expeditions of Alexander to Persia, and to India, first introduced the knowledge of silk to the Grecians, 350 years before Christ, and with the increase of wealth and luxury in the Grecian court, the demand for silks prodigiously augmented. Persia engrossed for a time the trade of Greece, and became rich in the commerce of silks, which they procured from China. The ancient Phoenicians also engaged in the traffic of silk, and finally carried it to the east of Europe. But for a long time after, even those who brought it to Europe knew not what it was, nor how it was produced, nor where situated was the original country of Serica from whence it came.

At Rome, and so late as A. D. 270, a silk attire of purple, was accounted by an Emperor, as a luxury too expensive even for an empress, and that empress his wife, Severa; its value being equal to that of gold, by weight. Others there were at Rome, and enough, even at that day, who were by no means thus scrupulous in regard to price. But it was not till long after the seat of the Roman Empire had been transferred to Byzantium or Constantinople, that the distinct and more perfect knowledge of the nature and origin of silk became known, and the mystery of the long sought "golden fleece" was revealed to Europe.

In the sixth century, two monks arrived at the court of the Emperor Justinian at Constantinople, from a missionary expedition to China. They had brought with them the seeds of the mulberry, and communicated to him the discovery of the mode of rearing the silk-worms. And although the exportation of the insects from China was forbidden, on pain of death, yet by the liberal promises and persuasions of Justinian, they undertook a new expedition, and at length, they returned through Boukharia and Persia to Constantinople, in 555, with the eggs of the precious insect concealed in the hollow of their canes or pilgrims' staves, which they had obtained in the far and still more distant country. Until this time, the extensive manufactures of the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Berytus had received their whole supplies of raw silk through Persia from China. A new era now commenced.

In Greece the culture and manufacture of silk soɔn overspread the country; the noblest ladies themselves aiding by their example. On the downfall of the Roman Empire, Arabia became the seat and centre of science, of arts, and of civilization. And after the conquests of Mohammed II. the Saracens or Arabians planted the mulberry and encouraged the culture of silk everywhere, throughout their dominions, both on the islands and on all the shores of the Mediterranean. Silk and the mulberry were introduced to Spain and Portugal by the Arabians or Saracens, on their conquest of those countries in 711. Spain is also indebted to their enlighted conquerors, for their political redemption from barbarism. Those wise sovereigns, the great Caliph Haroun al Raschid and his immediate successor, introduced as axioms of policy, the arts of civilization, as essential to the welfare of a nation— the practice of agriculture, commerce and industry, being especially inculcated by the Koran itself; thus elevated to virtues, they are ranked with the good deeds of the believer.

From Greece the cultivation of silk was introduced to Sicily and Naples in 1146. Here it long mysteriously remained, and it was not till 1540 that it had extended to Piedmont and indeed to all Italy. So extensive is its cultivation at the present day throughout Italy, that according to the Count Dandolo, two thirds of their whole exports to all countries consist of silk. Its first introduction to

France was in 1494. But its final and successful establishment in France in 1603 is due to Henry IV. whose name is held in perpetual remembrance for his noble deeds of goodness and works of usefulness. Olivier de Serres shares equally with him, the glory of the effectual work, which was at first opposed, even by Sully, from mistake and misapprehension. Colbert, in a succeeding age, continued his fostering care, until finally, silk and its manufacture has become the most productive source of the wealth of France.

Yet in France, although they raise so much silk, they still import annually, to the amount of 30,000,000 francs of raw silk, or one third of all they consume, for the supply of their manufactures.

In England, the climate from its humidity or other causes is found to be unsuited to its growth; for this reason alone the trials to raise it there have failed. Yet from 1821 to 1823, according to a late and authentic work on the silk trade, they imported of raw silk, 24,157,563 lbs.; worth $120,787,550. Of this amount $59,881,283 came from Italy alone.

The sudden and extraordinary extension of the silk manufactures, both in France and in England, during the last fifteen years, has been mainly ascribed to the machine invented in France by M. Jacquard; and the powerful impulse thus given, has been assigned to the Jacquard Loom. This loom is stated to perform all those labors which had heretofore been exclusively confined to the most skilful hands, with important economy of time, and labor in the preliminary steps, and is so decidedly superior to all other looms, for all the curious varieties of figure-silk weaving, that it has superseded them all, both throughout France and England.

Yet in our own country, so highly favored in all respects by nature, the successful introduction of the silk culture, is mainly due to individual exertion. One day, the cultivation of the mulberry, and the growth and manufacture of silk, in the United States, will become a resource of wealth to the nation, and its encouragement will constitute an essential feature in "the American System." The imported silks left for annual consumption in the United States, in the year ending 30th September, 1830, amounted to $10,000,000 with a trifling variation, mostly from Italy and France; and from the extreme beauty, added to the