The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-11-04
The AiIan;hus SilkWOrm.

There are two errors widely prevalent
which need correction, says the Brook
lyn EGgle. The first is, that the allan
thus tree is of no benefit, except to ere
ate an odor which is not at all welcome,
and which attacks nervous, asthmatic
persons with peculiar severity. The
second is, that it is impossible to raise
or cultivate the silkworm with any de-
gree of success in this latitude. The
| true or mulberry silkwOrm can not be
successfully raised in the Northern or
Eastern States, although it can be culti-
waited with admirable results in Cali
fornia, and in several of the Southern
States. But, if the true silkworm can
not be cultivated, another very valuable
silkworm can be reared with facility.
! The latter worm feeds only on the
leaves of the ailanthus tree, and has
| been cultivated with such success in
BROOKLYN as to suggest a new local in
dustry, which will give employment to
many persons and lay the foundation of
a great fortune for some far-seeing and
sagacious capitalist The mulberry silk
worm needs a warm climate for its
proper development, and therefore in
Maryland, parts of Virginia, California,
and probably Georgia and Florida, it
can be raised to advantage. In Cali
fornia it has been successfully cultivated
for many wears. NJ. Trevost, French
gentleman, who recently died, had an
extensive cocoonery in that State, where
he raised large quantities of silk. One
great drawback here to the manu-
facture of silk or the raising of the
silk worm is that there is no reeling
establishment or place where they
manufacture silk from the cocoon. If
this difficulty could be obviated silk
could be raised in this city in great
quantities. In fact, its production in
this and various parts of the United
States would exceed that of the great
silk-producing empire-China. If
method to reel the silk on an endless
thread, as in the case of the silkworm,
could be devised, the cultivation could
be carried on with great advantage.
Here is hint for the inventor to work
out, and which, if successfully devel-
oped, would repay him for his labor.
The cocoon is the silk receptacle which
the caterpillar weaYeS or spins around
him. 1t is of an oblong Or oval shape,
the size of a small pigeons egg. The
caterpillar spins or casts its skin four
times from the time it matches, at a
period of from five to eight days be-
tween each period of moulting. 1t be-
gins to spin its cocoon from twenty
four to thirty days from the time of
Matching. The moth or chrysalis makes
its appearance within eight or ten days
after the cocoons have been spun. 1t
is necessary where the silk is cultivated
as an article of commerce, in order to
obtain it, to expose the cocoon to a de-
gree of heat which kills the chrysalis.
As It is, even now, the cocoons of the
ailanthus silkworm can be cOmbed and
spun into thread or yarn which forms
a very beautiful and useful fabric, not
quite so glossy or brilliant as the true
silk. but extremely durable. This
product makes cloth that in its text
ure resembles a combination of wool
and silk and will wash like a piece of
linen cloth without shrinking. Num-
beTless attempts have been made to
raise this worm in England or France,
but they have proved futile in desirable
results in consequence of the unsuccess-
full cultivation of the ailanthus tree,
which will not flourish in either country.