The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-01-17

been directed 10 the purpose OF re-
| inaugurating the silk culture, and
successful enterprises have been un-
dertaken from Connecticut to Lou
~isiana, and latterly especially in
| Kansas and California Some no
tion Of the importance Of this in
dustry in the aggregate OF the
worlds business, may be gotten
from a consideration of a few Stats
teal data. The total annual pro-
duct of raw silk is estimated at a
value of more than $3.50, 900, 600
of this $50, 900, coo r credited to
italy. and $40, 900, 900 to France ;
while the silk manufactures OF the
latter country alone aggregate
$12O, 100000 single city, OF less
than 100, 900 population, producing
Sl2, 900, 600. The purchases Of
these fabrics by the United States
from France alone has sometimes
amounted to $50, OO0, 600 in a single
year. Another important consld-
GRAFTON is that this enormous pro-
duct is the result for the most part
of household labor,-the labor Of
women and children /; that is, 1T
represents a species OF labor that IN
this region is utterly unproductlye.
And here emerges to view Ii OF
the most important factors OF
French thrift and national prOsperi-
ty and financial stability under the
most extraordinary universities. II
two thirds of the labor of North
Carolina, now and always unpro-
ductive, were furnished with the
means even of self-support, or in
deed the half Of that, what a stride
towards prosperity would this alone
constitute.
Another ~favoring condition for
the present Inauguration of this IN
dustry is to be found in the fact,
that now for the first time there is
a sure home market for every pound
that a be produced in the State,
the annual product of silk fabrics
in this country having rapidly run
up to a value of about $50, OOO, OOO.
But a still more important cir
cumstance, perhaps, is the necessity
which the French and Italian silk
culturists are under of buying their
annual supply of eggs abroad, on
account Of the disease which affects
nearly all native eggs and renders
the silk crops very precarious and
Improbable. The eggs are fur
nished by Japan and China, and
latterly by California. This pro-
duct is much more remuneratlye
than hal of silk or cocoons, more
than 81, 900 to the acre of mulber-
ry trees having been frequently re-
allied in the last mentioned State.
And lastly, the introduction of
this branch of agriculture would
utilize and render valuable an i'm
mense area Of almost worthless soil,
the pine barrens of the eastern Sec
ton, which, as is we'll known, are
admirably adapted to the white
mulberry which is extensively cul-
tivated there on account of the
value of its fruit as food for hogs.
The Morris Multicaulis also thrives,
as well as native species of null
berry ; and this fact alone is con-
sidered by silk exports to settle the
question of the natural adoption of
the climate to the silk culture.
SO then, the conviction being
general with all thinking farmers
among us, that our industries
should, on general grounds, be
more diversified, and as has been
seen, our climate and soil being
perfectly adapted to the culture Of
silk and a large area of waste lanG
being available for this purpose, AZ
we'll as a vast amount of unemploy.
ed labor, the demand for the pro
duct being worldwide and con
stantly increasing, an indefinite
home market for raw silk an6
cocoons being established, and /;
still more profitable market for sill
worm eggs having been created b,
the silk worm disease in France
! Italy and the East, and at the sam,
, time this great industry having re
) ceived a serious check in thos
countries, both by reason Of thi
2 disease and of a malady prevailin,
\ among the mulberry trees, the con
, clusion is inevitable that the tim
is ripe for the general inauguration
E of sericulture in North Carolina a
t a common household industry.