The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-07-09
Silk Culture-Italians Urged to
Cultivate the Silk Worm in the
United States.

Silk Culture-Italians Urged to
Cultivate the Silk Worm in the
United States.
The following interesting article
is translated for the English press,
from "L' Untome Haliana,' publish
ed at Chicago. Although it is ad
dressed to the Italians residing in
this country, we think our readers
will find in it much that is interest
ing It is proper for us to add, that
the italian Consul General at New
York requests the American press
to insert the article, as he is very
desirous to introduce the culture of
silk in the United States:
Certainly, this is fit subject to be
offered to the intelligence and activ-
ity of our fellow citizens established
in tkese vast regions it is subject
we will develope, we hope, with the
greatest exactness, and with a prac-
teal application such as will cause
a spring of advantages and wealth
to flow forth for our fellow country
men, both here and,in Italy on both
sides: honor and profit, especially
for our people in the United States.
The culture of silk-worms, the
principal wealth of Italy, which, in
a prosperous year, can produce it to
the value of four hundred million
lire. This national Italian industry
has been suffering during some years
on account of the disease by which
the seeds, or rather the eggs of the
silk worm, have been infected.
Since about twelve years ago,
Italy has been seeking in the re-
motest countries for new seeds, not
as yet affected, but, unfortunately,
the disease goes on incre ing with
such progress that the time can be
too we'll forseen when the continents
of Africa, Asia and Europe will not
be capable of giving US healthy
seeds.
During the first years of the dis
ease of the silk-worms III Italy, re-
course was had to the centers of
production in the East; that is, in
Macedonia, Wailachia, Moldavia,
Asia Minor, in the Caucasus, in Per
sia, and other places. But the dis
ease has invaded those countries and
it is useless to hope to find there
good re- producing seed. Recourse
has been had to China, but that seed
produces pods so small that there is
obtained from their spinning but a
very scanty result, while the expense
is much greater. Afterward Japan
seed was sought and was there
found, both healthy and abundant.
But if the pod Of Japan, in want of
any other, can be substituted to a
certain extent for our ancient Italian
pods, we are too distant to obtain
from it sufficient absolute recon
pense. The best pods Of Japan are
little less than the half of the size
of the old Italian pods, they cost
more in spinning, they do not give
equally strong silk, they are often
unfolded (that is, the seed that is
drawn from them opens a little after
it's seasoning, and cannot be pre-
served for the reproduction of an
other year,; besides this, it is diff
cult to procure in Japan seed tha
is warranted, unless the Italian SOW
er Will rear it himself on the spot; a
thing both difficult and dear ou ac-
count of the prejudices, and often
the bad faith of some. Besides, the
voyage costs much the expenses of
the delay there are immense, and the
transportation of the seed from Ja-
pan to Italy is long, dangerous and
extremely dear. Let it be enough
to say that in the golden age of Ital-
ian silk-culture, an ounce of good
Lombard seed, cost five francs; an
ounce of Japanese seed costs in the
market, at present, 35 or 40 francs,
and does not give so good result,
neither in quality nor in quantity.
In this sad state of things, the Ital-
ian producers thought of turning to-
ward America, which, placed under
a latitude corresponding to the lat
itude Of Italy, offers temperate and
genial climate eminently adapted to
the production of silk. That the
mulberry tree prospers quite we'll in
the United States is no longer doubt
full; and if this industry has not as
yet prospered on this continent, it
is because, in times past, the cheap
rate of labor in Italy shut out for
eign competition. Now the circum-
stances are changed. Italy, France
and all Europe are in need of re-
generated silk seed, and will come
to procure it in Am erica. +.
Let us hegin with laying down
one maxim, which is, that in this
country we are not to think of max
ing, nor of spinning it, nor of twist
ing it, nor of making silk stuff
Workmanship is too dear, and it
would be always a loss to the man
ufacturer. The planter in America
ought to limit himself to producing
sound and good silk seed, and this
will be yearly converted into tink
ling gold by the European specula-
tor. If in past years the American
spectators had not the fever of
manufacturing silk, they would not
have been exposed to SO many los
ses. The history Of the silk indus
try in America does only serve US in
a single point of view-that of being
certain that the climate of nearly ali
the States of the Union is not infe-
rior to that of Italy, for the produc-
ton of seed.
In 1909, the English introduced
the culture of the mulberry tree in