Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-06-22

Ihe silk cocoons from California were
among the finest at the Paris Exposi-
ton. The humidity and electricity of
Europe destroy from 25 to rs per cent
OF the silk worms, while few perish un-
der the dry and elastic skies of Califor-
MA. In all respects that State has pecu
liar advantages, and foreign silk grow
ers seek eggs from them. Large cocoon
cries flourish at Santa Barbara, and a
factory is being built at San Jose. Silk
culture has also been begun in Ecuador.
The mulberry can be raised wherever
the grape can, aud should be an adjunct
to a-large farm rather than a speciality.
The production of the cocoon is an ag-
ricultural industry! the winding is semi
annual, and all the other pursuits are
entirely mechanical. England develops
the latter particularly, though carrying
on agreat commerce in silk. The United
States, Switzerland and Northern Ger
many confine themselves chiefly to man
ufactures. Southern Russia exported Co.
155 pounds, worth $312 900, in 1865, at
one-half of the price of the silk of France
and Italy. The total production of that
empire is set down at l95,O54 pounds,
Waived at $9l5,200. France, Italy and
Spain are becoming manufacturers ex-
clusively. England buys the eggs, CO.
coons, silk and waste to sell to others,
after supplying her own manufactures.
The total value of raw silk produced
annually is set down at 100000
Of this Europe produces $73,4S0,OOO;
Africa, $220,000; Oceanica, $I2O,0eO;
America, $4,000, and Asia, SAL, ,0OO,-
O00. Of the Asiatic yield, China gives
S6l,2O0,000; Japan, $I7,0OO,e00, and
India, $24,0O0,O00. OF ths European,
France claims $25,6O0,OoO and Italy
$39, 100000.
A Century ago nearly all of the silk
for Persia, 1tal y, Sicily and Spain, and
French, silk brought but thirty francs
the kilogramme-other varieties COM
manding from 100 to 600 francs. But
French silk has so impro .ed that it now
: brings, and has for some time brought
more than the Levantine and Persian.
This is due to the progress of silk manu-
facture, as great there as that of cotton
in England. In 1912 France produced
100000 pounds of raw silk, and 100000
lbs of organzine, valued at $5.OOO,OOO
besides importing 100000 pounds, valued
at $6,750,OO0. In 1860 the value of
French silks was $4,000, but could
. not meet the demand. The export of
silk tissues to the United States was
$27,600,OO0 in 1859, but only S5,OOO,-
600 in 1861. In 1925, England had
$4,000 silk looms; in 1855, 10000,
producing goods worth S45,OO0,OOO. She
then consumed S35,OOO,OOO of her own
manufactures, and imported $2O,OOO,-
600. In 1860 her silk manufactures
were valued at $9O.O00,O0O. The Itali-
an product was $6O,OO0,OOO in 1865.
Prussia had 5000 looms in 1881, and
10000 in 1865. In 1858 China export
ed 100000 pounds of silk to England
alone.
There are seven branches of silk in
dustry, and all are essentially independ-
ent. These are the rearing of the silk
worms; the reeling from cocoons; the
throwing, or forming silk into threads;
dyeing, preparing the threads for the
loom, and weaving. Some of these
have several sub-departments. The
spinning of the waste is another branch.
Japan and South America only produce
healthy eggs, though method has been
discovered for protecting those of other
countries. 1t amounts to isolation or
cellular breeding. At this point the
report proceeds to mention minutely
the varieties of silk worm, the cost ofI
breeding, and of transferring cocoons
into raw silk. different apparatus for
sorting and throwing silk and its weav-
ing. Of the seven industrial branches
it is claimed that four can develop them
selves without difficulty in America.
These are the throwing, dyeing, spin
ming of waste, aud automatic weaving
of plain stuffs. The rearing of the
worms, the reeling and the weaving of
figured goods, demand experience for
perfection. The success of the first is
guaranteed by the success of the null
berry culture.
The reeling is one of the most difficult
processes, but it is believed that as we
have the most skillful spinners of cotton
and wool, we may succeed equally here.
Long and patient study will be wanted
to produce articles of such novelty and
artistic skill as will compete with the Eu-
ropean. A most successful beginning
has been made at Patterson, N. j., and
Hartford, Manchester and Mansfield,
Conn. Our sewing silk and twist have
been of home manufacture for many
years, and rapid progress is being made
in ribbons, braids, trimmings, fringes
and dress goods. The malady among
European silk worms is the reason why
we should seize the opportunity to en-
large the industry. AS it travels east
ward, we are not exposed to it, and it
threatens to destroy all European indus
try. This sketch contains the most i'm
portant points of the report, but leaves
many that are valuable untouched. The
subject has received fresh attention with j
in the last five years, and spurred by
such arguments as these, ought to extend
until the culture of the silk worm and
the manufacture of silk are as complete
ly domesticated with us as is that of I
cotton. f