New-York tribune., 1879-05-05
SILK RAISIYG 4 PROPER INDUSTRY

entomolOqst, and his writings are especially Nalu-
able for their practical bearings upon important
branches of human industry For many years Pro-
feSSOr Riley has gwen much attention to the habits
of the silkwOrm and since he became connected
with the Agricultural Department he has been con-
Quoting extensive experiments i'll slk-wOrm cul-
ture. He has now put forth a report embodylng
the result of his studies, IN which he takes the
ground that the culture of the worm and the manu-
facture Of silk may be made an extensive and
profitable industry IN the United States This re-
port has been published for free distribution by the
Agricultural Department. In the introduction Pro-
fessor Riley says:
Whatever opinions may be held as to tho Feasibility
as The profits OF six culture IN t1is country, inc
desire for information IN the subject ana the ambition
u tmhiIh lh the INDUSTRY el lu,tu ID!
the Department demonstrate the ldct that there VIII
t.ntoif " ihou Going iuto details as to tue history
of past attempts 1t silk culture III Nosth Ahcilci' 10
that the causes of failure have ever been transient ones
They may ne summed up ia The statement, lAat' u)
mc and (2l that th0re has been no home market Tor
the coclOus. At tine present time the first sidtrnru no
As means Of meeting the difficulty have urg d ani
means 90 purchase, erect aud appoint Win ehll'u
hands, On the Department grounds small NATURE or
recug establishment In sucH an establishment TeelcIs
could be trained and he cocOous, az hfs Ial't i3h
eggs distributed by the Department coua be shlHIhy
ed and dspOsed OF 10 manufacturers. maikt,
would thus Dee formed for the cocDons raised III dhIcn
parts OF tae c9antay, ana suaIfG o' & Eg'I r ti Time @
would be thrown away. All industries should be
encouraged their infancy and for the first few years
or until tnc SIX industry could he consitered well
established the cocOOus should be pald Tor az the
which would ringe from 80 cents to Is cents
per pound Of chOked cocoons This last should
Government 10 the faisers in order to stimulate the
industry until such the reelng might be safely
ef, to private enterprise when Government encourage
ment could DE WllhdiaWA' . -,
drc S rs a M wors IN ts eSanry a for profit have
three truaycs, either o. To ship the chOkcd cpcnou
these Tna the children ana more feeble persons in
household may find prohtah'@ employment ln raising
Mr. l. Fasuach, OF Raleigh. G.. who has for several
years been IN me Haht oi ms tIIuE @ ~, d, fat
IN size aud avcrag gng abort forty pounds OF s,l co.
coohs, Tor WilcH ne Hs '.lLtu & as ~ ru gu 'I,i1 e.
fWecn Rl8ich and Mlrsciiics. Mr.. b. l. Weberof Rock
ford H. ast year raised forty pounds of cJcoous, and
others done likewise; but would advise 20 one 10
invest capital tins basis Nor would t be safe Tor IN
dviduais to RELY on reong tIcir own silk The rt OF
rtelng IN molern 1atures and with steam appliances
hos been brought 70 such perfection that lc
cannot hope produce a tIst-cass article Inc only
way winch silk rceins can he managed pIoh'4oy q.
present Is where colony o. SIZE lastIS c3nnc W W P @
p and operate common nl0ure, as III tle case OF hc
settement al sye kynsts dHe fGoP Gl IN Igi' s4G
or the Italian settlemfn mt at Vineland. y. j.
Under existing CT cumstanccs more money mas Dreh
made Inv tIc sae OF cgAs than by either OF the other
means and SIX worm growers IN this country have
Lggs raised IN this country free from disease ana
the fact high SG and - per ounce nave beci
paid for them, and that France paid IN 1876 ll4,oO9
francs and ID 1877 G9 400 francs for eggs exported
from he United States is as eloquent III SHOWING he
remarkable adaptation OF our country 10 SIN cutu,
as that other fact not generally known that the chic Of
the French Commission TO our Gentleman CohIessou
was there exhibition and grown III North Calohha
The production Of certain number 0f eggs doe- NOT
prevent The production the same time or
choed cocOons reeed silk, and tie pierced cocOohs
that have been used Tor breeding puiposes nav nlfU
feIf plrlf V4i
at Paterson, y. J. This egg producing DlInc1 oI tAe
industry can. however, only admit Oi hmied eAPa"-
The reader must bear in mind that the silk industry
1iLe aiI ,Ejnsyies viii have It's ups and downs, its
periods Of buOyancy and depression. II Is Just now
cong through one of the last SILK culture never was
ed reVT ISi1 he an exceedingly profitable business,
but il adds vast wealth the nations engaged III Tor
The simple reason that 1t can be pursued by the NUM-
hest aid poorest and requires little outlay. The
0eston OF its establishment the United states is, as
Ghavc elsewhere sald question OF au'uug 10 our
productive resources There hundreds oi thousands
of families I'm the United states to-day VINO WOGd De
most willing 10 add few dollars to their annual income
by giving light and easy employment IOi ie" months
each wear 10 the more aged TO the young and especially
70 the OF the family VINO may nave no plHsr ps
means of prohtably employing their ume. ms nous hods
especially true OF the people OF the southern States
most OF which pIeeminenily adapSd - sun cItuIe.
The girls OF the farm who devote niue uc e'c y'ar
10 he raising OF may not earn as nuch as Jhrl
brothers in the field, but they NAV earn sOmtthl dh
that something represents an lucfeasI oI hoi' & % &c
cause it provides labor 10 those members oi society
who present too often have none that Is remnnera
tive Further the raising OF Few pounHS o' ~ ~coeoDns
each year does not and need not materially INTERFERE
hOus -uOld due Otncr uuues tldl now cusuEc
their time, ana u Is DE tach houselou I"inS ,S o. IN
pounds tha silk culture must I'D tht emu pc
carried in tnis a. Il has always been III Othef
countries. Large rearing establishments seldom pay
The pamphlet, which contains 81 pages Is Illus
trated with numerous engrayings, and gives all the
information necessary to enable those desiring TO
do so 10 enter upon the culture of the silk worm,
and the preparation of the product for market.
One of the chief obstacles in the way OF the success
full prosecution of tins industry hitherto has been
the difficulty of finding the proper food for the In
sects With regard to this matter. Professor Riley
saws that "the traditional food plant of he silk Is
the mulberry botanical genus moru5l. There are
two species of mulberry indigenous to the United
States namely, the red mulberry (morus rubra) aud
tbe small-eayed mulberry (mOrus paryiioliab
neither of which IS suitable silk worm food. lhave
fried in vain to rear the worms upon rubra, but
tbcv either refuse leaves entirely. or dwindle
and soon die upon it. The imported species which
are most used are the white M alba, the multicaus
and the black M nigral. This last is inferior to the
otber two as silk worm food. The mulberry grows
readily being easily propagated by cuttings or
Ioyers. or from the seed. The white mulberry In
narticular grows we'll from cuttings and tins is
narban, the readiest and most economical method
of planting 10 secure Stock"
Tn tbe course of an extended series OF tests, Pro-
sossor Riley finds that the mulberry may be entirely
a,sno,sed with and the leaves of the Usage orange,
. rery common hedge plant in sections where the
climate is favorable TO the SILK worm culture may
he substituted without in any degree lnpalfha ths
result