National Republican., 1881-04-26
SILK CULTURE.
THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE.
How the CocoOns Are KiIled-The Fineness Of SIM
gle Fibre-Reeled Silk-Late Inventions
Deiicaey Of the Worms American
Sewing Silks-Early Efforts.

gle Fibre-Reeled Silk-Late Inventions
Delicacy Of the Worms American
Sewing Silks-Early Efforts.
For The. Republican
During the first quarter of the present
century mania for silk culture sprung up in this
country, and many were the visions of prineely
fortunes that fitted before the sanguine eyes OF
would silk cuturists Mulberry trees were bought
and planted, houses built for the little spinners
help employed to care for them, and all who had
invested had the highest hopes of profit and sue
cess. But their project met with fearful blow
when widespread blight of the mulberry trees
left the silkwerm foodless and the owners of plan
tations where thousands of dollars had been spent
for the mulberry plants, in condition Of hopeless
despair and in many cases utterly ruined. The
industry has never revived in this country to any
extent at least not enough to make the production
of any commercial importance. American manu-
facturers rely solely on imported productions to
keep their looms and spinning frames in motion.
The product as it comes from its native country,
and in its first estate is known as raw silk. Much
of it is raised by country people and farmers in
Japan and China, and is by them prepared in large
hanks or skeins for market.
THE FIRST PROCESS
is to kill the dormant occupant of the cocoon. If
the silk is to be reeled at once this is done by a
bath of boiling water, which at the same time de-
stroys the occupant and loosens the outer end of
the fibre. In case it is desirable TO keep the coeoons
for length of time, the inmate must be destroyed
ii will soon eat itself out of its narrow prison
house and render the shell almost useless This
is generally accomplished by burying the eoeOons
in salt. When a sufficient number are collected
for reeling they are thrown into kettle of hot
water and stirred rapidly about for some moments,
until the heat nlelts the natural gum of the silk
and sets the ends free. when they are gathered up
by means of bit of brush or a whisk, the ends
twisted and tied to a reeling frame, which is care
fully turned, the closest watch being kept the
while to see that none of the eocoons stop moving
in which case there is a broken strand, which
must be united at once or the thread viii not be
even.
THE NUMBER OF CoCOoSS
in the dish of water atthe same time depends upon
the size of the thread desired. The fineness of a
single fibre is almost beyond belief Scraps of sim
gle threads will float upon the arlike spider webs.
In an ordinary strand as reeled for market are
many fbres. One sample of five-reeled threads
has five strands to the thread, making about twen
ty-fve single fibres in cord not larger than 200
cotton. In other words it takes twenty-five silk
worms to spin a sufficient number of threads
which, when twisted together, will make a cord of
he size mentioned. One of these strands of five
ibres is choice sample of firSt-class reeled silk.
Great care is necessary to have the fbres all of
quality else the silk will be irregular and unrelia
DIE. Much of
WHAT IS CALLED COUNTRY SILK
S reeled at the homes of the producers by very
primitive machinery, and is less desirable and
much more troublesome than that prepared at the
'flatures,'' or reeling establishments, where the
most delicate machinery is used and the thread
IS nearly perfect as could be imagined. 4 late in
7ention takes the thread from each cocoon, and,
inc it is the machine is exactly adjusted that
he breaking of single fibre stops the entire ope
alton, which cannot go on until it is reunited and
he number of strands complete. The Chinese are
cry slow about adopting new methods, and, as g
natter of course, the old hand reeled country silk
greatly inferior to that of Japan, where there
re many marks of desire to take advantage of
lew methods, and number of flatures are al
eady in operation and turning out excellent
FORK. The government owns the first flature |
Ihich was established there, and at the outset |
mplOyed skilled operatives from Europe; but the |
atiyes took to the new idea at once, and many |
re now able to do first-claSs work, and Japanese
aw silk ranks with the very best in the market.
THE DELICACY OF THE WORMS
nd their susceptibility to disease is remarkable,
nd the variation in the product of different years
lmost incredible. The difference of yield affects
lie consumer less than the dealers, who bundle !
le raw material. None save those who have given |
le subject close attention can form any idea of |
he difficulties encountered by those manufac- |
lrers of silk goods who made the first effort to in
oduce American-made goods into American |
affic. Within the last five years Washington I
erchants have sneered at any one who would ask |
their counters for American silk by the yard.
he sewing silks and twists by American manu-
cturers have gained place more readily; but to
ear domestic goods was absurd, and the adven-
lrous investor was pitied and pooh poohed" at
all extents.
THOSE WHO HAD STOCKS
domestic silks on hand in many cases were
reed to sell them as foreign or keep them, to
eir great disadvantage. Happily this prejudice
rapidly disappearing, and we have within the
st year or two so far advanced in our ideas that
e American brocades in low priced goods have
r outstrippcd the imported in popularity, dura-
lity and demand. American sewing silks and
Tists have practically driven foreign goods out
the market, and the skein silk has been almost
iclusively relegated to the merchant tailorS for
and sewing. Growing at last restive under the
Hing yoke of popular prejudice, and forced, in
lder the disguise of foreign labels the makers of
merican sewing silks met and formulated dec
ration of independence, in fashion as follows:
1S-Rcsolred That this convention
with regret that, i'll other kinds of American
it has hitherto been deemed necessary
attach foreign labels English, French and Italian,
the excellent servings and fabrics of our own silk
in order to command ready sale in
r city markets, superior these servings and fab
arr IN he in Ctr nCfh fnNv-u ur1d 1
ity TO the foreign articles
And we earnestly commend to our silk manufac-
rers now in the infancy of our enterprise, to set a
cd example to their brethren in other manufac-
res by attaching their to their own goods.
This interesting document hangs in a frame in
e counting room of large East India importing
use i'll New York and four of the leading silk I
anufactureS of that date affixed their trade |
arks to the corners of the memorial The preju- 1
ce in favor of Italian sewing silk was part of {
e nature of American women. Have other they
'uld not. and it was only after months and years
trial and dscouraging failure that these staunch
triots, not satisfied with the fact of making
nerican goods superior to the productions of l
'eign markets, but willing to take lower prices !
them and have them stand honorably before I
E world with an honest name, at last succeeded i
raising the standard of American industry and g
ating it at the masthead of the ship of home I
osperity. S
enny Lind's Requirements at Sixteen.
A paper in the May iScribner on Jenny
nd, presenting a beautiful portrait of 1.-The
edish nightingale" is contributed by Sir julius
nedict, the well-known composer, who was the 7
mist of her American tour in 1850. We quote S
: following: at would not be an easy matter \
wadays to discover young lady of sixteen able t
alrSrr a