The Newtown bee., 1880-10-27
The SIX Industry of America.


 generation in Massachusetts 8 silk cocoonery. would be a novel sight; but there are many older persons who re- member the time when numerous farm CTS and several enterprising clergymen throughout the State had a few silk l worms in their houses or barns, whose care was sometimes intrusted to the women and children of the family. For, although at the beginning of this cen tury the silk culture in this country had almost died out, yet strong efforts were made to revive it. Indeed, for 25O years this branch of industry has been seeking | foothold in America through series of periodical and enthusiastic revivals | each of which has been followed by a reactive failure. Such a revival took place some fifty years ago. It extended over all the Eastern and Middle States. 1 Congress even was affected by it, and appointed committee to report on the culture of the mulberry with reference to the silkworm. Massachusetts took fire. Its legislature, in 1881, appropriated of manual on silk which was prepared l by Jonathan H. Cobb, of Dedham, who was one of the most earnest silk cultur. 1 ists in the State. We are reminded of the enthusiasm of the author of the "Virginian Silk Worm," when we read in the report of the legislative committee that they were satisfied beyond doubt that we have power to produce and ] manufacture silk in this commonwealth ! to an immense extent, and that no diff culty is to be encountered either from soil or climate" The argument for the 1 cultivation of silk was enforced by the alarming fact that about this time, 1925, l the export of breadstuffs was only about 1 one-half the value of the silk imported.
 Silk culture soon took the form of a 1 feverish speculation, and grew into a surprisingly large bubble. This inds- tion was brought abo1t through the l purported discovery that the morus 1 multicaulis, or many-branched mul- l berry, was the best of all trees for silk. worms. An intense rage for this tree sprang up. The most extravagant prices were demanded. Dr. Crockett the Silk Trade" that young trees or cut tings came to be worth S25, $50, SlOO, $200, and even $500 hundred. Im- mense numbers were imported from France. But suddenly. in 1889, the bubble burst. Not a few nursery men were utterly ruined, and the next spring multicaulis trees were offered in vain to the neighboring farmers at dollar a hundred for pea brush" This branch Of the industry has never recovered from that disaster, and to-day there is less silk raised in the United States than there was in Georgia I2o years ago.
 The result of many experiments in silk culture in this country has been tC prove that as fine quality of silk can bt raised in the United States as in any part of the world. But it has also as positively proven that the silk cannot be raised here and reeled as cheaply 8: the raw silk can be eimported from Chins and Japan It may be done in " "ulti mate America, but with the present re latlons of labor and capital it canno preferably be confined to countries whaaf there is a dense population. In the feed ing season it requires an immens amount of labor, which comes all a once. To give wages for feeding silk worms anything like the wages that ar given for work in our mills, would no pay any more than 1t would to set mel to feeding chickens. Wherever the ex pertinent of raising silkworms on $ larg scale has been tried, it has failed: The, are too liable to get diseased. They d, better in isolated communities or faml lies. The only way in which silk rais ing can be carried on without loss in thl country is for each farmer, where tn climate will permit, to raise a moderat quantity of cocoons yearly, sending then to large filatures, where they may b successfully reeled. Years ago, reelin was done in the family where the sill was raised. IL is now, fortunately, sepsrate branch of the business. Eve in China and Japan this has come to b the case, the large filatures, with i'm . proved machinery, doing the work bet ter than it could be done at home.- s. J. Barrocs, in 4JGnic Monthty.