The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-11-01
Silk Culture i'm the South.

Silk culture in the South, is almost new
industry, but we believe it will be gradually
developed until it will be ranked among
one of our most profitable industries.
1t ia an avocation that requires little or
no capital the labor can be carried on
mostly by women and children, and the in~
PRODUCTION and improvements of new kinds
of mulberry trees are destined to make it
one of our most profitable resources.
writer says on this subject 1.-The
United States being, like China, situated on
the eastern side of great continent, offers
peculiar advantages for the production of
silk. From the general predominance of
westerly winds in extra tropical regions,
the eastern side of continents in these pos~
sess dry and warm summer climate, PEI
culiarly adapted to the silk worm. Although
in every part of the Union the mulberry
can be reared, and the silk worm success
fully fed, still it cannot be doubted that the
Southern portion of the middle and all the
Southern States, afford peculiar advantages
to the silk cultuer. An agricultural re-
source, which in France and other coun-
tries is SO highly appreciated, and fostered
with SO much zeal by the government, by
the establishment of modern failures, and
the Jealous attention of men of skill and
science, should be regarded as well worthy
the protection of the General and State gov
rnments Of the Union. Still, in the Unit
ed States, fer a nunbsr of years, much in
tersst has been manifested in silk culture.
As late as 1s4l the little town Of Mansfield,
Connecticut, with small population of
1000 inhabitants, derived profit of not
less than $4,000 from this business. At
that time 1000 pounds of reeled silk were
produced in Ohio. One person sold 800
pounds of reeled silk for ST., 900. To show
the interest that was manifested in this en-
terprise at that time, we need only refer to
the works published on the subject.
P. s. Duponceau, of Philadelphia, pub
lished duodecimo on the subject, and sew
sral Chinese treatises were published in
1898, by P. Force. of Washington City,
also large book by Mr.. John Clarke, of
phia-besides several papers were
published advocating this interest alone.
Since that time the improvement and
propagation of the improved species of
Mulberry trees has awakened a new interest
among the people,
We are under obligations to DR.. Bailey,
of Jackson, for late circular on silk cul-
ture, from which We make few extracts
The Doctor expects to plant out an acre in
Mulberry trees, and we are glad to learn
will devote considerable attention ito this
new industry.
1t says: ''Jt has been proven that one
man can raise in very limited space
corner of his barn or cottage little
over POO pounds of eocoons. If there are
four children on an acre of Mulberries of
good stock, from the LIST of May to the 10Th
Of June. they would pick 400 pounds of
eocoons.n
1t is not more than fifteen years since
the silk growers of Cervennes, France, we're
spinning their own cocoons, and they we're
in prosperous condition. We might do
the same here; every farmer, for the sum
five OF ten dollars, might put up a spinning
wheel His sixteen year old daughter run it,
a ten or twelve year old girl could tend the
reel. and in three weeks they will run OF
four to six-then eight TO ten ounces per
day Il yellow OF white eoeoOns Of goOd
quaIiiy There We have three pounds
per week. I viii nat put the price 81 sI2
per pound, which was the price offered me