BEcause that these two things, First, the making of lodgings for the Silk-wormes: Secondly, the abundant planting of the best Mulbery trees in a requisite di­stance one from another, whereby to haue the best leafe to feed the Wormes, require some good time for the due preparation of them: Therefore that no time be lost for so great and so gainfull a businesse, (the profits whereof will be most certaine, and that with small charge, after that these two prouisions are once for all well accommodated) we send you these neces­sary instructions aforehand, till you receiue a booke which shortly shall be purposely printed for you and store sent, to teach all there, the ex­act vsage and ordering of Silk-wormes, the [Page 4] skill whereof may soone bee learned, and pre­sently put in practice.

The lodgings of the Silk wormesOf these two preparations then, which re­quire some length of time to fit them, the first is, that you must make the lodgings and rooms for the Silk-wormes, so commodiously and conueniently for them, as they may easily doe their worke, to yeeld you abundance of silke: which is but a vaine hope, if you lodge them in a place vnproper, and contrary to their na­ture. The Chambers for to lodge and bring vp the Silk-wormes in, must bee made spacious, lightsome, pleasant, neate, and wholesome, farre from ill sents, damps, fogs, and humidities: warme in cold, and cold in hot weather: they must not be lodged in the lowest roome neere the ground, nor yet in the vppermost roome neere the tiles, because of the distempers of these two contrary situations: the lowest roome may be too moyst, and the vppermost too win­dy, too hot, or too cold for them, according to the seasons. Neuerthelesse, the lower roome is the better of the two, and may bee borne with­all, if the floore be dry and boorded, and that vpon it you erect one onely single Stage for the Wormes, three or foure foot high from the floore, for the auoyding of cold dampes and moystures, and so as there bee too, one roome aboue it close boorded, to the end the Silk-wormes may be still placed farre off from the tiles, which being neere them, are alwayes hurt­full [Page 5] to them, because that the winde and the cold pierceth thorow them, and the heat of the Sunne is there also insupportable, when it lights vpon the roofe in his full force.Thatched lea­fes naught Thatched roofes are also naught for them, because they harbour Mice and Rats in them, which are great deuourers of the Wormes.

The most proper and commodious roomes for the Silk-wormes then,Middle roomes best. are middle cham­bers, which must be spared for thē two months only in the Spring: or else if your house-roome be too straight, you must build new lodgings expresly for them, in which they will soone quit the cost, and that durably after; but otherwise to expect profits of them in bad roomes, will not be worth your labour.

You must cast the proportion for their roomes after this manner:The proportion of the roomes. The Silk-wormes comming of ten ounces of seed, to be kept and fed well at ease for the best profit, must haue a middle chamber of forty two foot in length, eighteene foot in bredth, and twelue foot in heighth; and for more or lesse Wormes you keepe, ground your selfe thereafter, vpon this proportion.

The houses wherein you keepe them,Situation of the houses for them. would be situated in a good, cleere, dry ayre, for moy­sture is a great enemy vnto them: the cham­bers wherein you feed them, must haue case­ment windowes to open and shut on both sides the roome, being opposite one against [...] [Page 8] being blacke, is greater, and better to taste, than that of the white, which is lushious; besides all this, the blacke is of farre slower growth than the white Mulbery tree.

Three sorts of white Mul­bery trees.Of the white Mulbery tree there are mani­festly knowne three kinds, which neuerthelesse are onely distinguished by the diuers colours of the fruit, which are white, blacke, and red, and seuerally brought forth by seuerall trees: all which three sorts, notwithstanding the diffe­rence of the colour of the fruit, beare but one name of the white Mulbery tree. These three sorts resemble all one another, both in leaues which they bring forth, all of a meane great­nesse, and a smooth feeling, the wood of all be­ing yellow within, and the difference onely to be knowne by the fruit, as aforesaid.

The white Mul­bery tree better than the blacke.The blacke Mulbery tree leafe makes grosse and course silke; but the white Mulbery tree leafe makes fine, & high-prized, (for according to the finenesse of the leafe, will the finenesse and goodnesse of the silke be:) Therefore al­wayes where it is in your power to make the best choyce, store your selfe with the white Mulbery tree; which as it is farre better than the blacke, so also it springeth faster, growing more in two yeeres, than the blacke in sixe.

The white Mulbery tree, bearing the blacke berry, best of all.Yet among the three sorts of white Mulbe­ry trees, there is choyce also to be made; for by the searching of some it hath been found, that the leaues comming of that white Mulbery [Page 7] tree which beares the blacke berries, are [...] than any of the other white Mulbery trees, bearing either the white, or the red berry. Wherefore if it bee possible, furnish your ground onely of this kinde, that the food of the Silk-worme, and so withall, your silke may be the more exquisite.

Next to this, is the white Mulbery tree, bearing the white berry, which some (accor­ding as there are diuers fancies) holds to be the better: neuerthelesse the former is generally held the best.

Aboue all,A Rule. keepe no tree in your Mulbery yard, which beares leaues very much indented; for it is neither of so great substance, nor yeelds so much food as that which hath lesse nickes: but yet this tree will be made good by graft­ing vpon it.

Hauing chosen your best plant of the white Mulbery tree bearing blacke berries,Soyle of the Mulbery, for good leafe. the next choise to be made, is of fitte ground to plant them in. Secondly, to haue wholesome and profitable foode for your Wormes, you must plant them in such a soile as is best fitting for your Vine, namely, not in too fat a ground, nor yet in too barren and leane, but in a middling soile: rather in a drie than a moist, in a light than a heauy, in a grauelly than a clay. For the quantity of the leaues, true it is, the farre and rich ground is the best, but not for the quality; for the leaner ground breed the leafe, of the [Page 8] most profitable and perfect nourishment: the Mulbery tree hauing that in common with the Vine, which brings the best Wine in the like soile to this; so then the lighter ground brings forth the more exquisite, delicate, and sauoury leafe for the foode of the Silke-worme, and the fat ground a more ranke, grosse, flash, and vnsa­uory leafe, which being an vnwholesome kind, seldome fadges well with the Worme or neuer, vnlesse it be helped by an excellent good sea­son: whereas the leafe of the leaner and mid­ling soyle, neuer fayles the effecting of your de­sired purpose. The leafe of the Mulbery will be then well qualified as is fitting, if you plant them in an indifferent soyle, somewhat dry, far from springs of water, and from bogges, and from watry and foggy places;What soyle best. prouided also, that they be exposed to the Sunne, and kept as much as may be from the annoyance of the North and East Windes: for with the Vine too, the Mulbery hates a cold, shady, and watry situation. And though the Vine and the Mul­bery bring forth more in a fat strong ground then in a leaner, yet so it is, that the little of the fruite of the leaner ground being delicate, is more esteemed and of better price, than the a­bundance of that out of the fatter soyle, which is coorse and grosse.

The third thing, is to shew the best time and order to plant and remooue the Mulbery tree, and at what age the leafe is good. Considering [Page 9] there be such store of growne Mulbery trees, small and great in Virginia to be taken vp, no­thing shall be said now of planting the suckers or branches, nor yet of sowing the Mulbery seede (which though it be the slowest, yet it is held a sure and a good way) but we will onely aduise you to take choyce of such well-growne Mulberies, as may soonest bring profit by their forward flourishing. Experience teaches,The leafe of the old Mulbery, the best. that the leaues of the olde Mulbery trees are farre more healthfull for the Worme, and more pro­fitable than those of the young ones, in case they be still vigorous and not falne into ex­treme decay through age: the Mulbery tree, as in many things, being in this also like to the Vine, which brings better wine olde than young. And as the Vine begins to beare good Wine after the seuen or eyght first yeeres of his planting, so likewise the Mulbery tree in the same age, brings forth so good leafage, wherof you may be sure to reape certaine profit.

The time and manner of remoouing of the Mulbery tree, is much after the fashion of o­thers: you may remooue and plant the Mulbe­ry in September, October, Nouember, Decem­ber, February, March, or Aprill, and in Ianuary too if it be not frosty weather.When to remoue the Mulbery tree. Take them vp in faire weather, being neither frosty nor hotte, with such care and curiousnesse that you may haue all the rootes whole and intire, without a­ny being broken or bruised if it bee possible: [Page 10] which to doe, you must neither spare cost, nor paines, nor must you want patience, which is necessary for this action, for feare lest through rude hastinesse and carelesnesse, your trees ill taken vp, prooue lost charge and labour. Be­fore you take them vp, head them, cutting off all their branches, leauing some forked armes of them onely with snags, of such length as is fitting for new growth, as vsually is done in re­mouing of other trees.How to remoue Mulbery trees, and to prepare the ground for t [...]em. To doe well, three moneths at least before you remoue them, you must make holes in the earth ready digged for them, where you minde to set them. The lon­ger the holes are digged before you set them, be it a whole yeere, so much the better; for the more the earth is seasoned and prepared by the weather, the easier the trees take rooting, and draw the better nourishment from the earth. But if necessity constraine you to dig the holes at the same instant that you are to plant them, then must you burne some small wood, bushes, or straw in the holes, that the fire may supply the want of the Sunne and the frost, for the fit preparing of the earth: if otherwise, you must not fill vp the holes with that earth which was taken out of thē, but with other seasoned earth, pared and taken onely from the very top of the ground, which is better seasoned by the Sunne than that raw earth which lyeth deeper. The holes must bee made very large and wide for them, for to containe the roots at full ease; you [Page 11] may be sure you cannot make them too big. The rootes must be set as deepe in the ground, as they were then when they were taken vp; so shall you plant them after their naturall man­ner, which is best, neither too deepe, not too shallow. There must be left halfe a foot of small loose earth in the bottome of the hole, to set the roots vpon; which earth, if it bee not well prepared before by the weather, must bee taken from the top of the ground, and by this means, they will the easier and sooner take root down­ward. The roots must be set downe easily, and put into the earth as neere as may bee, to the same site and naturall posture that they were when they were growing, taking heed that in placing them, you make not the roots to presse and crosse one vpon another: wherefore see that you couer the roots well, and handsomly, putting betweene them all soft and fine earth, pressing it downe, and couering them by little and little patiently with the hand, and not treading them with the feet, or vsing rammers, and beaters, as some doe, which spoyleth them, but filling them vp rather, and kneading the earth about them gently with the hand, as is said; beginning first from the lowest roots, and so going on to the middlemost, and then at last to the highest, till the ground be leuelled. So shall all the roots be couered, without any hollownesse being left betweene them; for this closenesse keepes the roots from taking wind, [Page 12] and from water standing about them, which rots them. If in the negligent taking vp, part of the roots be vnbarked, bruised, or broken, that part must be cut off before you plant it, and you must put earth close about that place which is thus hurt, that water and ayre come not be­tweene it and the earth, to rot it.

For Mulbery trees to spread and grow bigger.To haue your Mulbery trees grow big, and faire spred, you must shred off some two inches of the tops of all the branches round about, and especially to cut the master bough of the stocke, in lopping the top of the tree, so as in the whole height of the growth, the tree bee not aboue sixe, or seuen foot high from the ground: for keeping your trees alwayes at that height by shredding them, they will spread the more: for the substance going backe, will be imployed in nourishing of the stocke; whereas if you let the branches grow at will, there will be much ranke and vnprofitable wood.

In what space to plant the Mulbery tree.The fourth poynt requisite for the goodnesse of the Mulbery leafe, is, the regard to be had in the planting of them in fit distance and space one from another, whereby the Sunne may come euery way freely to them, to giue you a well-concocted and wholsome fine leafe for your Silkworms. The more space of ground the Mulbery tree hath freely by himselfe, and the more frankly the ayre and Sunne comes to it, the greater it growes, and brings the better leaues. Therefore if you will make, as it were, [Page 13] whole Forrests and Woods of the Mulbery trees, you must plant them in a straight line, and comely figure of a quincunx, euery tree being distant one from another euery way, at least foure and twenty or thirty foot. Or other­wise, hauing such store of Mulbery trees as you haue somewhere in Virginia, you may take vp all trees betweene them, that hinder this di­stance from thirty foot, to thirty foot, that the Sunne may come throughly to them.

But if you will plant them in rankes in the hedges, and out-borders of your plough-lands, or other grounds, then may you plant them neerer together, yet alwayes without pressing them too neere one another; for that is euer to the hurt of the tree, and the losse of the owner. But considering that the onely out­skirts of arable lands, vineyards, and other parts of your demeane lands, though indiffe­rently large, are not sufficient to containe Mul­bery trees in so great a number, as is fitting to feed the Wormes in abundance; and for that on the other side, the leaues of the trees which are in the thickets and woods, are not so good and wholsome for them, as those that are set in due space in the out-borders, because the other neither haue Sun, nor winde at will: a meane betweene these two extremes is found, conue­niently to plant the Mulbery trees for the pro­fit of good leafage, and yet without much hin­dering the tillage and vse of good land. And [Page 14] this is to plant the trees amidst your grounds by line and leuell in double rowes, one single rowe being euen distant from the other six­teene foot, and so likewise euery tree to be set in the same distance from one another; which being thus planted, the two rowes on each side make one faire alley.The best way to plant Mulbery trees in good order: like to the first of More field walkes. And you must dispose these allies on this manner; namely, both a­long, and acrosse the field, the one alley thwart­ing and intercrossing the other, leauing on the outsides on them great empty squares of ground, euery square containing an acre, or more, as a man pleaseth, for to sow corne there, which may bee reaped, without being trod downe by the gatherers of the leaues; for when they gather the leaues, they shall tread only on the allies, or neere them; which allies taking vp but small roome, there will be but little losse of ground, either for your come, or for other vses. You must also plant the trees in these al­lies in such sort, that they be not set iust right ouer one against another, lest they be pestered together, but set a tree of one row, still against the empty space of the other row: so shall they haue roome and aire enough to grow lustily and freshly, hauing thus the benefit of the Sun, which will alwayes come most freely vpon them, especially vpon the open sides of the great squares. In which squares you may, if you will, conueniently sow corne, specially O [...]es, and field Pease, or such like; which though they be [Page 15] trodden downe in the gathering of the leaues, yet can they haue no great hurt, by reason that the blades of these graines will bee then back­wards, and they will rise againe, though they be beaten down to the ground; so wil not Wheat, Rye, nor Barly, which for that reason would not be sowne in your Mulbery-yard, but vpon ne­cessity.

There is another commodity comes al­so of ploughing your Mulbery grounds: for the Mulbery tree prospers much better in the loose ploughed or digged ground, then in the hard cloddy medowes and pastures, so as you take heed lest in ploughing or digging about them, you hurt not the rootes. In the same squares you may also plant Vines, where they will profit, as being not much hindered by the shade of the trees; or you may, if you had ra­ther, haue medowes or pastures in them, after the trees haue had foure or fiue yeeres rooting, so as you dig the earth loose about the roots, and sometimes dung them. In this sort, without hindering your demeanes better, than any o­ther way, neere to your house (for so is most fit­ting) may you plant your Mulbery yards with great profit, both for the goodnes of the leaf, & for the pleasure and beauty which will be in the walkes, in which also if you please, you may sow, or set somewhat, that may bee for vse and profit, and quit the cost of labouring the ground.

[Page 16]Now you must not content your selfe in planting a few; for the Mulbery trees being the maine foundation of this reuenue, that must be the chiefest thing whereat you must aime, for to plant so great a quantity of them, and so soone, that in a short time you may reape the sweetnesse of this rich profit to your contentment.

Those that are perfectly experienced in this businesse, aduise a man by all meanes to haue as great abundance of Mulbery trees as is possi­ble, and for one that is a good husband to reape good profit, they prescribe the quantity of two or three thousand trees;One man should haue two or three thousand Mulbery trees in hi [...] yard for good profit. for with a lesse number a man that will bee a master of this worke, ought not to enterprise this businesse; for here is no question of good profit which must grow out of a sufficient number of trees.

Therefore it is necessary to imploy this worke heere in a great volume, or else the play will hardly be worth the candle. It is onely for women wantonly to keepe a few Silk-wormes, with a few Mulbery trees, more for pleasure, than for profit. So then, if you minde to be ve­ry rich indeed in this commodity, you must not stay at that number of trees aboue-named, but alwayes still augment your Mulbery yard, adding thereto certaine hundreds of trees yeerly, both for feeding plenty of Wormes, and also for the succour of the trees, whereof [Page 17] you shall doe well to let some part of them e­uery yeere rest vnleaued; as Lands that bee fal­low, to haue them in better hart. Now the pro­fit rising by the leaues, is thus estimated:A thousand waight of leaues feed an ounce of seed. A thousand waight of Mulbery leaues, is suffici­ent to feed an ounce of seed in Silk-wormes: and an ounce of seed, if the race in goodnes, the conuenience of the lodging, the perfect­nesse of the leafe, and the seasonable time for the worke of the Silkwormes, and the carefull diligence of the Gouernour, all agree toge­ther, (for there must be a consort of all these) then (I say) an ounce of good seed, makes easi­ly fiue or sixe pound of silke, which what it is worth euery one knowes. And this thousand waight of leaues, some twenty, or fiue & twen­ty trees of a meane size, will alwayes bring forth. Yea a much lesse number of trees suffi­ceth for so much waight, if they bee old and great. As there are some Mulbery trees in some places neere Auignion, so large and so a­bundant in branches,One great tree sometimes bear in thou­sand waight of leaues that one tree will furnish leaues sufficient to feed an ounce of seed. The cost and charge of the businesse yeerly, is thus rated in France, a fourth of the totall defrayes it all, and so there remaines three parts of cleere reuenue to the owner.

Besides this profit of silke to be made of the Mulbery tree, which is of infinite commodity alone; it is also good for many other singular vses. By tryall made, it hath been found, that [Page 18] the barke of the white Mulbery tree makes good linnen cloth,Other profits of the Mulbery tree and Cordage. The wood also is good to make hoopes for tubs and bar­rels, and it is fit for all Ioyners worke, and for any vse that is yeelding and pliant: it is also good about ships and botes: the boughs shred off, are excellent for Conies: the berries are much desired of poultry, and is good feed for them; and the leaues, all that fall of themselues to the ground in the end of Summer, being laid by in some place, and taken thence day by day, as you need, and giuen boyled to swine, keepe them in good state, and begin to put them into flesh. These, and diuers other com­modities come of this excellent tree; which aboue all others therefore, you must preserue and multiply still in Virginia.

To this abouesaid shall be added and taught the way how to make Silk-wormes, which is reported by some, the experiment whereof is so much the more necessary to bee tryed, be­cause there is great danger in carrying of the Silk-wormes seed, so long a iourney by Sea to Virginia. The Sea by contrary qua­lities corrupts the Silk-worme seed. For the Sea is much contrary to the nature of the Silk-worme seed, and easily cor­rupts it, by reason of the moysture, and cold rawnesse, especially carried in winter time; and therefore it is very hard to send it by Sea in his perfection. Now then, besides the gather­ing together of the naturall Silk-wormes, said to bee in Virginia, (which out of all question [Page 19] must needs bee the best, both for worke, and for to haue good race of seed from them) you shall doe well to try this experiment commen­ded by some Authors.

In the Spring time,How to make Silk-worme [...] ▪ shut vp a young Calfe in a little darke and dry stable, and there feed it onely with Mulbery leaues some twenty dayes, meane while let it not drinke at all, nor eate any other thing; at the end of this time, kill it by strangling, and put it whole into a tub, to rot there, and couer it all ouer with Mulbery leaues: out of the corruption of this carcase, come forth abundance of Silk-wormes, which you may take vp with the Mulbery leaues, they fastening themselues vnto them; these fed and handled according to art and common fashion, in their due time bring forth both silke and seed, as others. Some, to lessen this charge, take onely the leg of a sucking Calfe, and cut out of it as much flesh as weighes seuen or eight pounds, and putting it in some woodden vessell with Mulbery leaues about it, leauing it to rot, take the wormes comming out of the flesh, from the Mulbery leaues to which they cleaue, and so vse them in like manner as others. Considering, that Bees are made but of the rottennesse of a young Bull or Heifer, and according to the Scripture of the Lion, and that wee see daily many creatures come of putrifaction: this is no improbable thing, and therefore is worth [Page 20] the triall, to saue the labour and danger of sending Silk-worme seed by Sea, which to doe well, would be changed euery foure yeeres, as you vse to doe your graine that you sowe.

Other things concerning the ordering of Silk-wormes, you shall know by another booke which is to be printed. Meane while, with all speed make these timely and necessary prouisi­ons aforesaid, for the ground-worke of the busi­nes, as to plant store of the best Mulbery trees, in a good aire, in proper soyle, & fit distance, & dig store of holes in the ground betimes for the preparing of the earth, the better to plant the trees in: prouide also faire and fit middle lodgings for the Silk-wormes: for this delicate creature, which clothes Princes, and payes his charges so bountifully, cannot indure to bee lodged in base and beggerly roomes, but in those that be large, sweet, neat, wel ayred, and lightsome. It is a thing well knowne, that a few Silk-wormes, fed at large, and ease, make farre more silke than a greater number, pent in nar­row and ill-sauoured roomes. No ill smels must come neere them, they must be kept sweet, and oft perfumed; therefore hauing such store of sweet woods in Virginia as you haue there, you shall doe well to make their roomes and ta­bles of those woods: sweet sents being a thing most agreeable to them. Bee carefull to doe things curiously and thorowly well for them at the first, for your more plentifull and [Page 21] certaine gaine after: considering the charge to you is all one: and a thing once wel done, they say, is twice done, which will there­by also bring you twice double profit, with long con­tinuance.