The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-11-17
The SIX Industry in America.

To most of children Of the present
generation in Massachusetts, q silk
cocoonery would be a novel sight
but there ere many older persons
who remember the time when nu-
merous farmers and several enter
prising clergymen throughout the
State had few silk worms in their
houses or barns, whose care was
sometimes entrusted 20 the woman
and children Of the family For ST.
though at the beginning Of this
century the silk culture in this
country had almost died out, yet
strong efforts We're made to revive
it. Indeed, for two hundred and
fiftv wears this branch Of industry
has been seeking a ioothold IN
America through a series Of period
ical and enthusiastic rcyiyals, each
of which has been followed by re-
active failure. such revival took
place some fifty years ago. 1t eX-
tended over all the Eastern and
Middle States. Congress even was
affected by it, and reported 4 com
mittee to report on the culture OF
the mulberry with reference to the
silk-worm. Massachusetts, took fire.
Its legislation in 1881 appropriated
$500 for the publication and distri-
button Of manual on silk, which
was prepared by Jonathan II. Cobb,
of Dedham. who was one OF the
most earnest silk culturists in the
State. We are reminded of the
enthusiasm of the author OF the
Virginia Silk-Worm when he read
in the report of the legislative COM
mittec that they were satisfied be
yond doubt that we have power to
produce and manufacture silk in
this commonwealth to an immense
extent. and that no difficulty Is to be
encountered either from soil OF eli
mate. The argument for the culti-
walton Of silk was enforced about this
time. 1926. the export OF brcadstulis
was only about one-half the yalueot
the silk imported.
silk culturuc soon took the form
Of tcvcrish speculation. and grew
into surprisingly large bubble.
This initiation was brought about
through the purported discovery
that the MCrgs mHiiicIHis. OF many
mancned mulberry, was the best Of
all trees for silk-worms. Au intense
rage Tor this tree sprang up. The
most extrayagant prices were de
mandcd. Dr.. Brockett tells Us, IN
his Centennial History OF tine silk
Trade. that young trees Of cuttings
came 10 be worth twenty-five, fifty,
one hundred. two hundred and even
FIVE hundred dollars a hundred.
In.mcgz. numbers were imported
from France. Rut suddenlyin 1889
the bubble burst. Net q ieT nursery
men were utterly ruined, and the
spring "mUlticaulis trees were OF
fered in vain 30 the neighboring
farmers at a dollar a hundred, for
pea brush. This branch Of indus
try has hcycr recovered from that
disaster. and to-day there is less silk
raised in all the United States than
there waR ia Georgia one hundred
and twenty years ago.
The result Of many experiments
in culture in this country has been
to prove that as fine quality of silk
can be raised in the United States as
in any part of the world. But il
has also as positively proven that
the raw silk cannot be raised here
and feole1 rs cheaply as the raw silk
can be imported from China. 1t
may be done in Ultimate Amerl-
ca" but with the present relations
Of labor and capital it cannot easily
be done. silk raising must pref
erably be confined to countries
Whefe there is q dense population.
In the feeding season 1t requires an
immense amount of labor which
comes all at once. To give wages
for feeding silk-worms, anything
like the wages that are given fol
work in our mills, would not pay
any more than it would to set men
raising chickens. Wherever the
experience of raising silk-worms on
a large scale has been tried, it has
failed. They are too liable to get
diseased. They do better in isolat-
ed communities or families. The
only way in which silk raising can
be carried Oh without loss IN this
country is for each farmer, where
the climate viii permit, to raise a
moderate quantity of cOcoons year
ly, sending them to larger tilatures,
where they may be successfully
reeled. Years ago reeling was done
IN the family where the silk was
raised. 1t is now, fortunately, q
separate branch of the business.
Even in China and Japan this has
came 10 he the case, the large fila
lures, with improved machinery,
doing the work better than it could
be done at homc.-.iHdntic H0athlu