The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-06
Ghr Nprfulk Cost.
TUESDAY. MARCH 8. 1865.
ABOUT SILK.
sprom the New York Journal of conmsrceJ

|
fact Is tolerably well authenticated that
| its manufacture was extensively carried
on by the Chinese for upward of four
| thousand years before the Christian era.
Illustrated works upon its culture, writ
ten by Chinese authors during this Pc
Rod, are said to be still in existence.
| Ancient Greek and Latin authors allude
| frequently to its use both in Greece and
| Rome, aud it Is related by one that
PamphiIe, daughter of Plata, was the
| first Grecian who wove the rare product
into that fairy gauze, which afterward
became SO celebrated throughout the
Roman Empire under the name Of the
Goa vestis. The rich colors Of the Par
THAN standards often graced the trium-
phal professions Of the Roman Empe.
rors, aud were the subject of poetry In
| the Augustan age. The Penians, how
ever, continued to monopolize its pro-
duction until the year $50, when two
Persian monks, having brought some
eggs OF the silk worm in hollow reed
| to Justinian in Byzantium, its manu-
facture was successfully established ip
Corinth and Argos. The art was not
long in spreading into Italy and the
southern provinces of France, and by
the middle of the sixteenth century It
was practiced, with the exception Of
England, throughout all Europe, and
even In some parts of America. About
the year 1920, James I. of England,
having failed, notwithstanding great
efforts, to introduce it into England,
attempted by severe penalties and great
rewards to establish 1t In the colony OF
Virginia. But the attempt was only
partially successful. The much larger
profits to be gained by the culture Of
tobacco prevented its general introduce
Der of years the coronation robe of
Charles ri. made out of silk raised in
Virginia) was the only product of the
silk industry OF that monarch's Ameri-
can colonies. In the beginning of the
eighteenth century vigorous efforts were
again made to establish its culture in
America, and this time with marked
success. Encouraged by grants Of land,
many of the settlers of Louisiana and
Georgia began to raise the worm i'm large
numbers, and, assisted by skilled arti-
l sans, sent over from the looms of Eu-
| rope, soon produced the fabric itself In
| considerable quantities. Thence the art
| rapidly spread into other coloaies, and
| the people of Georgia and Louisiana
soon had successful rivals In the Con-
\ necticut settlers. In the latter colony,
| institutions of learning encouraged IT'S
raising and manufacture. President
stiles, of Yale College, who took great
interest In Its introduction into the
State, kept diary Of his observations
during period Of forty years, and in
| 1883 appeared at the college commence
ment In a gown woven entirely from
| Connecticut silk. At the present time
it is cultivated in many portions OF the
United States. The warm climate OF
the South Is more favorable to the growth
of the white mulberry-a variety of
mulberry peculiarly adapted for the silk
| worms food.
When the difficulties encountered in
| the production of the raw material are
taken into consideration, the compare.
| lively long time consumed In bringing
| the cultivation In the United States
even to its present imperfect state, Is not
30 remarkable. Silk has hitherto been
obtained chiefly from the cocoons of the
worm OF the mulberry tree, which, it Is
believed, feeds upon no other tree. The
mulberry tree, whose leaves are the food
of the silk-worm, requires for its perfect
growth, continued dry, warm weather.
The expression perfect growth" Is used
because no other insect, perhaps, is more
affected by the quality of food which 1t
| lives on than the silk worm; and If the
| leaves Of the tree are not healthy, the
silk Of the cocOOns made by the worm
will be of coarse texture. Hence ONLY
| those countries In which the mulberry
is found or can be successfully cultiva-
| ted are available for its production. In
| addition to these obstacles, the cultiva-
I ton OF the mulberry silk worm has been
for the last few years attended with
| more than ordinary risk, in consequence
Of disease which has prevailed among
| the worms, and which has had the effect
of greatly increasing the price of silk,
not only in Europe, but also in other
countries.
1t is therefore with more than ordi-
nary interest that those engaged in the
culture of the silk worm have heard that
a silk worm of the oak has been lately
introduced into France from Japan.
This insect, which seems at present per-
fectly healthy, has, it Is said, been found
by experiment perfectly adapted to the
climate of Normandy. II this report be
correct 1t may also be introduced with
success into the northern portions of
America.
The history Of the introduction of this
worm into Europe is interesting. The
oak worm, or yama-m mai of Japan, is
said to be q monopoly Of the Royal
Family, and to sell or export the eggs is
punishable with death. To this fact is
attributed the ignorance which for so
long has obtained in relation to this in
sect. In 1861, Mr.. Duchesne de Belle
court, the French Consul General In
Japan, forwarded some of these eggs to
the Societe d'Acclimation, but as no
thing was known of the habits of the
insect, only one worm lived long enough
to make its cocoon. This one specimen,
however, was enough to establish its
value in the minds of the Society, and
cause q thorough investigation. Ac-
cordingly, in 1882, q scientific commiss-
ion was directed to search for, and send
a quantity to France, which the COM
| mission has lately accomplished through
the aid of Dutch marine officer. M.
Ponyse Won Meerdcuorth, Directorofthe
Imperial Medical School at Nagasaki
A Monsieur Personnat, of Laval. re-
ceived from the commission a few OF
the eggs, and after three generations he
had in May, 1865. 10000 worms on his
oaks at Laval. In his report to the So
ciete d'Acclimation upon the subject, he
says:
The eggs are easily preserved through
the winter IL kept dry, and in the spring.
when the oaks come into leaf, to hatch
the eggs it only requires that they should
be placed in room with a southern as-
pect.. The worms feed upon any kind