There can be no doubt that, in many parts of the southern states of America, the climate is as favourable to the mulber ry tree and the silkworm, as in those countries in Europe where they are rais ed; the chief difficulty the Americans have to contend with respecting this arti cle is, that in most of the southern states the labourers are Negro slaves, who are not sufficiently attentive and skilful in this business.—In Connecticut, where there is a sensible and careful white population, and where land is comparatively scarce and dear, the culture of silk has been found to be practicable and profitable. A project to extend the white mulberry tree over all the States was formed a few years ago, in consequence of which a considerable number were planted. An extensive nursery of these trees was es. tabfished near Philadelphia, in 1789; an. other at Princeton. in New Jersey; and two more in New York and Long Island. The idea upon which these nurseries were principally encouraged that they prepared the States for the recep tion of emigrants from silk countries; but no considerable emigration from those countries has taken place.
In the British settlements in the East Indies, the culture of silk has been long established, particularly in the island of Cossimbwzar and its neighbourhood, in the province of Bengal ; and since, about the year 1760, when the company be came the rulers of the country, and adopt. ed a new system of trade for the purpose of realizing the surplus revenue, the cul ture of raw silk has been promoted, and the quantity considerably increased. Of late years, considerable attention has been paid both to the 9uality of the silk, and to the mode of reeling it, by which it has been very materially improved, so as to rival, in most respects, the produce of Italy.
There are eight principal silk facto. ries belonging to the company in Ben gal ; and in every filature, or factory, there are employed, according to its size, from three thousand to ten thou. sand people ; and if to these are added the mulberry-planters, worm-feeders, &c. from ten thousand to forty thousand men, women, and children, are attached to each filature. Attempts have been made to introduce the silk-worm in other parts of the company's possessions, especially on the coast of Coromandel. Dr. James Anderson, of Fort St. George, who has been particularly zealous in pro moting this among other useful under takings, introduced mulberry trees at Madras, about the year 1770, and finding they grew luxuriantly, afterwards endea voured to procure silk-worms' eggs from Bengal ; his two first attempts were un successful, but the third in 1789 succeed. ed, and the advantages likely to accrue from the culture of silk soon engaged se veral persons on different parts of the coasts in breeding the worms. In a let ter to Sir Joseph Banks, dated 26th Ja nuary, 1792, he says, " I have received accounts of the success of the silk-worms at Palamcotta and Musilapatam, as well as of the recovery of those that had been diseased by the late rains at Tritchinopo ly ; so that a breed of this insect is al ready established in an extent of six hundred miles upon the coast; but it will rest with the company to render it pro ductive." The establishment of the silk manufac tory in Great Britain affords one of the most complete instances, in which an art, borrowed entirely from other nations, and employed on a material entirely of foreign growth, has been brought to such perfec. tion in this country, as to equal, and in some instances to surpass, the produc tions of those countries from which it was derived. The use of silk was introduced
into this country gradually, being at first confined to small ornamental articles. In the year 1455 there appears to have been a company of silk-women in England,who most probably only used silk in embroi. dering and other kinds of needlework; but their performances at least contribut ed to bring this elegant material into more general notice. By an act of Henry VIIth, entitled " Silk-work," it appears that, about 1504, the smaller manufactures of silk were executed in England, as it was among other things enacted, that from thenceforth no person should import into England for sale any kind of silk wrought by itself, or with any other material, in any place out of the realm, in ribbands, laces, or girdles ; but none of the more impor tant branches of the manufacture could then have existed here, or such goods would certainly have been included in the prohibition. The King sometimes obtain ed a pair of silk stockings, which were brought from Spain, the making of silk hose not having yet been attempted in England ; it was, however, introduced about the year 1561, when Queen Eliza beth was presented with a pair of black silk knit stockings, and is said to have been so pleased with them, that she never wore cloth hose after. Elizabeth's fond ness of dress must have inclined her to countenance every branch of this manu facture ; but little was done for its im provement till the reign of her successor, whose active measures for establishing the culture of silk, and increasing the impor tance of the manufacture in this country, were by no means fruitless. The broad silk manufacture was introduced here about the year 1620; and a Mr. liurlamach, a merchant much employed by the King, by his direction, brought from abroad silk throwsters, dyers, and broad weavers ; whose assistance so materially contributed to the improvement and increase of the manufacture, that in 1630 it was thought proper to incorporate the silk throwsters of London, and within four miles thereof; and in the following year the silk-men were likewise incorporated : the weavers had been incorporated long before. In ad dition to these favours from Charles I. he endeavoured to protect the trade from what appeared to be an improper prac tice, by Issuing a proclamation respecting the increase of weight of silk dyed black upon the gum, which was then considered as a great fraud, and prohibited accor dingly ; but upon better information the King thought proper, in 1633, to revoke this prohibition. About the same time a new charter was granted to the Weavers' Company, and by a proclamation issued soon after, they were empowered to admit into the freedom of thei r company, a com petent number of such persons, as well strangers as natives, as had exercised the trade of weaving at least one whole year before the date of the new charter, " who shall be conformable to the laws of the realm, and the constitutions of the Church of England." It has been justly asked, What had the constitution of any church to do with the trade of weaving ? What other political qualification could be re quisite, but that the weaver should be a peaceable subject, and, considering the times, a Protestant of some denomination or other ? But many similar instances may be found, in which bigotry and party zeal imposed injudicious restrictions on trade and manufactures.