Items related to The seventh census; Report of the Superintendent of...
The seventh census; Report of the Superintendent of the Census for December 1, 1852 to which is appended the report for December 1, 1851 - Softcover
Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1853 Excerpt: ...given a vigorous stimulant to its cultivation in the United States. The process of Chevalier Clau?en first attracted general attention among us in 1850. Though considerable quantities of flax have been produced in former years, it has been raised principally for the seed, which commanded a remunerating price. The want of a cheap and speedy process for separating the textile from the refuse parts of the stalk has occasioned a vast annual loss of useful material to the country. Should the attempts which have lately been made to apply Clausen's invention succeed, the production of flax in the United States may become of great importance, and be advantageously used, not only alone, but in the manufacture of mixed fabrics, as it appears capable of being spun with wool, silk, and other fibres. Silk Cocoons.--The culture and manufacture of silk, like many productions of nature and art, are difficult to trace from their origin. All that we know concerning them is, that they have come to us from the East in a state of comparative perfection. It seems to have been in Asia that silk was first known, and was called Scrica, from the name of the country in which its use was supposed to have been discovered. The Chinese claim to have manufactured this delicate luxury as early as 2,700 years before the Christian era, at which time their attention was first attracted to the operations of the silk worm on wild mulberry trees. It was soon after found that they thrived much better in rooms than in the open air, and produced cocoons of much larger size and superior quality. From that period the culture of silk rapidly increased, and subsequently became a source of great wealth, and spread from China to India, Persia, and Arabia, where, down to the present time, it has continued...
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.