Page images
PDF
EPUB

MOSES P. ATWOOD'S STATEMENT.

To the Committee on Mulberry Trees, &c.

GENTLEMEN-I have a nursery of the Morus Multicaulis mulberry tree, which I should be pleased to offer for your inspection. They stand on a spot of land about two rods square, with a southerly aspect, and number about six hundred. About three fourths of these have grown from layers, the remainder from slips, planted about the 8th of May. With respect to the average height of the lot I have made no careful estimate, but in the opinion of Rev. Mr. Perry, one of your committee, who viewed them, they would average five feet. They were picked during the feeding season rather closely, but have since regained their foliage, and without sustaining injury, have on the contrary, shot out their branches and thriven more luxuriantly since the feeding season. A specimen of the silk raised from them will be offered on the day of exhibition, for examination. The feeding from these has been during the present year a matter of experiment with me, and the result is that without considering it wise to place entire dependence upon them, (for I have the white mulberry,) still I think, from the great amount of foliage they produce, and the convenience and ease of collecting it, that much advantage may be derived from them.

I am, with respect,

Your obedient servant,

MOSES P. ATWOOD.

Bradford, September, 1840.

[blocks in formation]

DEAR SIR:-I wish through you, to present to the Essex County Agricultural Society, an orchard of white mulbery trees for their examination and award.

The trees in this plantation stand one rod apart each way, vary from five to twelve years in age, were all cultivated from the seed by myself. They vary considerably in height, some of them being ten or twelve feet, where others do not exceed three or four; the probable average may be seven or eight. The reason they are not generally taller, is, that they have been kept headed down in the nursery for the purpose of feeding the silk worms. They stand now in a soil of mixed sand and loam, mostly upon a slaty sub-soil. So far as I understand the subject, I believe them favorably situated, both for encouraging growth, and rich and nourishing foliage. They were transplanted from the nursery this spring, and have done well, though the extreme dryness of the season was unfavorable. A few have died; there remain between five and six hundred, whch may be. considered as being flourishing and promising to do well. My intention is to let them throw out lateral branches, but not to suffer them to grow above ten or twelve feet. Whether this will prove a well advised course must await the result of actual experiment.

Respectfully yours,

Bradford, September 1, 1840

G. B. PERRY.

JOSEPH FOSTER'S STATEMENT.

To the Committee on Mulberry Trees, &c.

GENTLEMEN-I offer for premium an orchard of

mulberry trees, raised from seed, and now consisting of about five thousand trees, of the white mulberry. Five hundred are five years old; two thousand are three years, and two thousand are two years; those of five years, are from three to six feet high; those of three years, are from two to four feet; and those of two, are from two to three feet in height. About five hundred of my trees I raised by heading of them down. I have found that the best method of cultivating the trees, is by taking up the seedlings in the fall and burying them in the earth about two feet deep; the spring following, I set them in a nursery, about nine inches apart in a row, the rows about two feet apart; in the fall, dig them up and bury them again in the earth. The next spring I set them out as standard trees, in the orchard, about four feet square apart. The whole labor of cultivating the trees, is by my own hands.

I offer, also for premium, a hedge fence on one side of my field, sixty three yards in length, the north side; and on the south side, forty one yards in length. I found by Mr. J. H. Cobb's manual that the white mulberry forms an excellent live fence, and that once established, is probably the most permanent of any. He recommends this as accomplishing three important objects: supplying food for silkworms; keeping the trees low, that the leaves may be gathered by children from the ground; and, furnishing a good and almost never-ending fence.

The reason, gentlemen, that I send this statement is, that Mr. Proctor requested me to write it, and he would forward it immediately. I expect that statement I sent to Georgetown, miscarried. JOSEPH FOSTER.

Beverly, October 10, 1840.

MRS. BURBANK'S STATEMENT.

To the Committee on Mulberry Trees, &c.

GENTLEMEN-Agreeably to your request I send you the particulars of Mrs. Mehitabel Burbank's commencement in the raising and manufacture of

silk.

A Mr. Jacobs brought the eggs from India, and she obtained them in 1815. Some mulberry trees had been planted on her land some years before by a Mr. David Burbank, who was a tenant in her house. Where he obtained them I am not able to inform you. Mrs. Burbank was seventy years old when she commenced, and in the course of two years raised the silk and made the gown that has been lately exhibited at Georgetown; besides silk gloves, and sewing-silk, a considerable of a quantity. Being ignorant of the art of reeling silk, she was obliged to pick the silk from the cocoon, and card it, and then spun it on a linen wheel, and wove it in a common loom. The gown was colored and dressed at Mr. Morse's mill in Bradford.

She is now living in Bradford, and was ninty five years old last April. She is the widow of Samuel Burbank, who was ensign in Baldwin's regiment, in the revolution of 1776; came home on a furlough in 1777, and died of the small-pox. Mrs. Burbank, likewise, had the small-pox, and has since been pressed for a nurse in pest houses. She has been a widow sixty three years, and followed the last of her children to the grave thirty years ago; and has been a member of a church forty years. She now enjoys very good health, and enjoys a ride of several miles as well as many young persons,

Yours in esteem,

Bradford, November 12, 1840.

J. W. REED.

ON LIVE FENCES.

To John W. Proctor, Esq.

THE Committee acting at your suggestion on the subject of live fences, after having examined the fence offered by Mr. Joseph Foster of Beverly, the only one presented, respectfully REPORT:

That in their opinion the fence is not of sufficient length nor is it so well "trimmed and filled" as to entitle Mr. Foster to either of the premiums offered by the society, yet as they thought it would in "beauty and economy," prove of great service to the county to have such fences extensively cultivated,. and supposing the society would wish to encourage every well intended enterprise as a means of forwarding this improvement, the committee recommend that a gratuity of five dollars be given to Mr. Foster for his pieces of live fence of eighty yards. By the committee, December, 1840.

G. B. PERRY..

ON AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.

THE Committe on Improved Agricultural Implements REPORT:

That the only improved implements exhibited for their inspection, were three ploughs of Prouty & Mears' patent, one of the larger and two of the smaller class. The reputation of these ploughs is

« PreviousContinue »