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“The works of Benjamin Franklin : containing several political and historical tracts not included in any former edition, and many letters, official and private, not hitherto published; with notes and a life of the author” (Publication, 1836-1840)

Year

1836-1840

Text

Franklin, Benjamin. The works of Benjamin Franklin : containing several political and historical tracts not included in any former edition, and many letters, official and private, not hitherto published; with notes and a life of the author. Vol. 1-10. (Boston : Hillard Gray, 1836-1840). (Making of modern law). Vol. 7 : Correspondence. (1838).
http://books.google.ch/books?hl=de&id=NwSaDKhRaN4C&q=chinese
+cheese#v=snippet&q=535&f=false. (Frank5)

Type

Publication

Contributors (1)

Franklin, Benjamin  (Boston 1706-1790 Philadelphia) : Staatsmann, Drucker, Verleger, Naturwissenschaftler, Erfinder, Naturphilosoph, Schriftsteller

Subjects

Literature : Occident : United States of America / References / Sources

Chronology Entries (5)

# Year Text Linked Data
1 1744 Benjamin Franklin : To Josiah and Abiah Franklin. Philadelphia, 6 September, 1744. S. 15
… He would be glad of the correspondence of some gentlemen of the same taste with you, and has twice, through my hands, sent specimens of the famous Chinese ginseng, found here, to persons who desired it in Boston, neither of whom as had the civility to write him a word in answer, or even to acknowledge the receipt of it…
2 1765 Benjamin Franklin : To the editor of a newspaper. Monday, 20 May, 1765.
…Their engaging three hundred silk throwsters here in one week for New York was treated as a fable, because, forsooth, they have "no silk there to throw". Those, who make this objection, perhaps do not know, that, at the same time the agents from the King of Spain were at Quebec to contract for one thousand pieces of cannon to be made there for the fortification of Mexico, and at New York engaging the usual supply of woolen floor-carpets for their West India houses, other agents from the emperor of China were at Boston treating about an exchange of raw silk for wool, to be carried in Chinese junks through the Straits of Magellan…
3 1769 Benjamin Franklin : To Cadwallader Evans, London, 7 September, 1769.
Hence it is that the most populous of all countries, China, clothes its inhabitants with silk, while it feed them plentifully, and has besides a vast quantity both raw and manufactures to spare for exportation…
4 1770 Benjamin Franklin : To John Bartram. London 11 January, 1770.
Rhubarb seed. – Chinese cheese
My ever dear friend,
I received your kind letter of November 29t6h, with the parcel of seeds, for which I am greatly obliged to you. I cannot make you adequate returns in kind ; but I send you however some of the true rhubarb seed, which you desire. I had it from Mr. English, who lately received a medal of the Society of Arts for propagating it. I send also some green dry peas, highly esteemed here as the best for making pea soup ; and also some Chinese caravances, with Father Navarette's account of the universal use of a cheese made of them in China, which so excited my curiosity, that I caused inquiry to be made of Mr. Flint, who lived many years there, in what matter the cheese was made, and I send you his answer. I have since learned, that some runnings of salt (I suppose runnet) is put into water, when the meal is in it, to turn it to curds. I think we have caravances with us, but I know not whether they are the same with these, which actually came from China. They are said to be of great increase.
5 1771 Benjamin Franklin : To Cadwallader Evans. London, 18 July, 1771
Method of cultivating silk in China.
Dear Doctor,
I wrote to you on the 4th instant, and sent you a paper of observations on your specimens of silk, drawn up by Mr. Patterson, who is noted here in that trade, with a specimen of Italian silk as a copy for our people to imitate. But they must not be discouraged if they should not come up to the lustre of it, that being the very finest, and from a particular district in Italy, none other being equal to it from any other district or any other country.
The European silk I understand is all yellow, and most of the India silk. What comes from China is white. In Ogilby's account of that country, I find that, in the province of Chekiang, "they prune their mulberry trees once a year, as we do our vines in Europe, and suffer them not to grow up to high trees, because through long experience they have learned, that the leaves of the smallest and youngest trees make the best silk, and know thereby how to distinguish the first spinning of the threads from the second, viz. the first is that which comes from the young leaves, that are gathered in March, with which they feed their silkworms ; and the second is of the old summer leaves. And it is only the change of food, as to the young and old leaves, which makes the difference in the silk. The prices of the first and second spinning differ among the Chineses. The best silk is that of March, the coarsest of June, yet both in one year ". I have copied this passage to show, that in Chekiang they keep the mulberry trees low ; but I suppose the reason to be, the greater facility of gathering the leaves. It appears too by this passage, that they raise two crops a year in that province, which may account for the great plenty of silk there. But perhaps this would not answer with us, since it is not practiced in Italy, though it might be tried. Chekiang is from twenty-seven to thirty-one degrees of north latitude. Duhalde has a good deal on the Chinese management of the silk business.