Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-02-25
Silk Raising.
For the Fayetteville Observer

FOR the ayetteylile 0pseFyere
Editor Obserrer-
SIR-It will be remembered
by some, perhaps, that about thir-
ty-fve or forty years ago great
excitement was manifested and
efforts made to introduce the
business of silk raising into
Tennessee. Many families-the
writer's among others--began
experimenting with small lots
of worms, and generally'with sat
Iisfactory results. The common
black mulberry of the country
was at first used for feeding, al
ter that the white mulberry, and
then was introduced the morus
multicaulis or Chinese mulber-
ry, which, being a shrub trap
id growth and large leaves, was
admirably adapted to the BUSH
ness. The growing excitement,
together with the extreme facility
with which the multicaulis could
be propagated, induced nurserymen
and unprincipled spectators to
engage in the business, and hun
dreds and thousands of acres were
planted with the morus by those
having no idea or intention of
raising silk, and the product pulled
and hawked about and sold OF fab
ulous prices. till it became a most
stupendous and unmitigated hum
bug. The result of all this as
might reasonably have been ex-
pected, was an explosion and the
sudden collapse and abandonment
of the entire silk business in Ten
nessee, and many like the editor
OF the Di1ie Farmer, linking silk
raising and morus multicaulis to-
gether, sneeringly spoke of the
''silk fever as a matter only re.
membered to be laughed at"
/ Our experiments in silk raising
were commenced in or about 1897
or s, and continued some 6 or Z
years with the most gratifying
snccess-especially when it is
/ borne in mind that we were with
out skill or experience, and des-
flute of all machinery for Keeling,
doubling, twisting, &C., except the
common winding blades and cot
ton spinning wheel. Several
pounds OF silk were produced,
made into servings and sold to the
tailors and merchants of Fayette-
Vile. A web Of handkerchiels
was woven, sundry pairs of gloves
and stockii g. were knit, AID a
breakfast shawl was netted. Tie
last named article is, perhaps, the
only remaining specimen of our
handiwork in that line. The
servings were considered equal if
not superior TO the foreign in point
OF strength, and were sought for
by taiIors and others.
At that time there was little or
no demand for raw silk, and all
our experience went to show that
manufacturing it without skill and
without machinery did not pay.
Enough had been done, however,
to convince the writer-and lie
has meyer faltered in the opinion
then formcd-that the day would
come when the production and
manufacture of silk in this coun-
try. and in Tennessee, would be-
come business of vast impor-
lance. Already in Patterson, New
Jersey, we learn, it is assuming
huge proportions. It's stated there
are now 200 mills in that city en-
gagged in the manufacture, con
suHing annually raw silk to the
account, more than II millions
of dollars, all of which is impor-
! ted and paid for in gold. The a.
mount further states that the val
ue OF the silk goods produced is
estimated at 80 to 40 MILLIONS of
dollars. Ten years ago says the
amount of this industry was III
its infancy and purely an expert
ment.
From the above it would appear
our anticipations are about to be
realized, and at no very distant
day. What is to prevent the raw
material for these 200 mills-and
ten times as many more-being
produced in this country, and the
vast sums of gold now paid to
foreigners retained in the United
States? A.