The union Democrat., 1870-09-17

| In presenting the prohtS OF the production
of silk eggs. would not, however. have any
one conclude that the egg business is the only
or principal consideration in favor of enter
ing into the occupation Of silk culture in Cal
fornia. look upon the egg .rede as only a
stepping stone to something better and more
substantial, bath TO individuals engaged in
it and to the State at large. regard it as
the immediate source upon which men of
limited means can safely rely for an income
while preparing FOR the prosecution of the le-
gitimate operations Of silk culture proper.
| When we have once become fairly engaged
in the production of silk, the egg trade will
become secondary consideration. It will nc
doubt, however. continue rs valuable ad-
irnct to the silk business, and will thus form
one of the two reliable sources of profits.
OF the production of silk as reliable and
remuneratve occupation for our people pro.
prose now to speak. cannot give sctuel ex-
perience in this branch Of the business, but
will draw conclusions from admitted facts.
The climate of California is so favorable for
maturing the mulberry leaves that we are en-
abled 10 adopt the Chinese and japanese
mode of cultivating-the same as the English
-hnve adopted in their East India possessions.
AMI which is giving them such an advantage
over the French and Italians.
refer to the system of cultisating the
trees ms nwarfs and near together, something
in the style Of cotton plantations. BY this
system we can produce at each crop at least
twice as much foliage per acre as can be pro-
duced by the orchard systcnl-which the
damp climate of Southern Europe compels
the silk growers cf til ,se countries to follow.
1t is found by experience, in France and TIA
". that one mulberry tree to tho square rod
| e - 1vso 10 20 Inn
Az a consequence, but very little can be real
ICED from mulberry orchard until the trees
have attained good size. Il is also found
that the trees ten years old, thus planted and
cultivated, may, without injury, spare one
hundred pounds Of leaves per year. This
would give nm average product of sixteen
thousand pounds of leaves to each acre oi
land. Doubling this for our product on the
same amount of land, for one crop, and we
have thirty. two thousand pounds. Az We
can take two crops of leaves per annum from
our trees, as we cultivate them, without IN
liurv. our annual product would he to that oil
the French, on the same land. as four to one,
or sixty-four thousand pounds, per acre
Now, one hundred pounds OF leaves will pro
duce one pound of reeled elk. Thus we
would have six hundred and forty pounds o
reeled silk as the annual product per acre
Reeled silk, OF poor quality even, is worth sever
dollars per pound anywhere in the world
California produced .nd reeied silk. from the
trivoltine Japanese worms, has been sold In
San Francisco within month past, at nine
dollars per pound. and that from the annual
varieties would be worth from twelve TO fif
teen dollars per pound. Taking seven dol
lars ns the standard, and we have, as the
gross product Of one acre of land. four thou
nd nj 1oll
NUN. Now let us see what must he deduct
ed for expenses Rent of land and cocoone
rv. we will say. woni he fifty dollars; cuiti
walton of land and feeding worms would moi
exceed eight hundred dollars; one person, say
n Chinaman or white girl or boy. whose la
hor is worth one dollar per dny. can reel one
half mound of silk per dav. equal to ore tho
usan6 two hundred and eighty dollars fol
reeling six hundred and forty mounds of silk
!, Then our account would stand thus:
Gross receipts per acre..................S4.4S "a. 4S
!. Total rent and expenses................ 2. l4t
Net profit. 34t
It seems like h'g sum in be realized II
one year, m one acre of land. as clear profit
Particularly does il seem so to us American
and California farmers. who think we arr
farming on n small scale nnless we have from
five hnndrei to one thousand acres under cnl
tivn.ion. 1t il n big sum and s. big profit
but it can be renlized. Not, hnwever. nnti
we chan re our ideas and our system Of farm
ing. We must rut in more lahnr and les
land We must produce more valuable AM
less bulky products. So long as we are con
, tent to exhaust our soil in the production q
wheat. at annual average profit or from fit
, teen to twenty dollars ner acre, nnd exchang
the same for silk produced in foreign coun
, tries Mt so much greater annual nrnft pc
acre. we shall remain poor agriculture
people.
! And when We can produce that silk at 81
much greater advantage than can those enun
, tries from which we are receiving it IN ex
change for wheat snd neglect to do SO. w
, can hardly escape being counted stuplt
, peonle.
The production of silk is as easy and a
/. simple to learn as ia the production Of whea
or any other staple product of our State
The trees are as easily. and much more easi
I lv and cheaply grown than fruit trees. Any
body, in one hours time in a cocnnnerv, cal
he taught how to manage and feed the worm
and save and cure the cocoors fer market
In three or four days time and two or thre
: weeks practice, a woman or girl can be
r come an expert in reeing silk, aud the
the whole process is mastered.
A reel costs bnt twenty dollars. So it vii
! be seen that with but very little outlay O
time ami money, every family in the Stat
who owns an acre of land can. in one year
e time. tecore the producer of the most valua
4 ble and profitable article that grows from tn
: soil. TO wit, silk.
: There ia no necessity of any great ou'la
A for a cncoonery or other preparation to 60 ir
h to the business. Every man who has har
4 or stable can use this for cocoonerv for tn
: time required for feeding worms each sun
4 mer. II has been found that worlls do bel
, ter il sheep folds or barns than any othe
Y buiidings-the manure proving an advantage
' rather than an injury to them. The hes
# way is to begin in a small way and build tn
= husiness up bv degrees. learning as you
. along. and making the hasi1ess pay It's way
a A few hundred trees will do to start on, an
+ they can be increased as desired.
A BAD 0xES-Te owe men money.