The history of silk, cotton, linen, wool, and other fibrous ... - Cd3wd.com

ITS FITA'ESS FOR MAKING CLOTH. 211
a kind similar to Agave Vivipara, the leaves of which are ex-
tensively used in India for making cordage*.
We cannot better conclude this part of the subject, than by
giving the following interesting communication of Dr. Daniel
Stebbins, of Northampton, Mass., to the Hon. H. L. Ellsworth,
a gentleman who has, in our opinion, rendered most valuable
services, not only to the people of the United States, but to the
world at large, since his appointment to the office of Commis-
sioner of Patents.
" Dear Sir :
Northampton, Hampshire County, Mass.
The favorable notice of silk culture in document
No. 109, from the Patent Office report of February, 1843, is my
apology for presenting the enclosed samples of jJajJer, made of
mulberry fohage and bark. Unfortunately, the external cuticle
of the bark had not been removed ; producing the spots, but
does not injure the paper for the use intended, which was for
the purpose of depositing silk-worms' eggs upon something
dark ; and this being unbleached, is considered adapted to the
habits of the silk-worm, and is now in successfid experiment.
" The four samples are all of one batch ;
the darkest, having
more of the outside cuticle, was most buoyant, rose to the top
and came off first.
" A quantity of genuine Canton foliage, which retains its
verdure in greater perfection and later than any other mulberry,
is gathered, dried, and sent to the mill for making paper,
bleached, without spots, fit for cotton paper, as hoped ; and, if
successful, I shall take pleasure in sending you a sample, to be
preserved with the enclosed.
" I began, some ten or twelve years since, to bring sillc cul-
ture into notice among the members of the Hampshire Agricul-
tural Society, believing that if we tried the right kind of trees,
(such as used in China,) we could raise silk, yet could not af-
ford to pay $1 per tree, as then asked for multicauhs ; not re-
flecting how easily they could be propagated by cuttings and
layers. Under this view of the subject, I wrote to the Rev. E.
* Dr. F. Buchanan's Journey in Mysore, &.c. i. p. 36