The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-04-13
Silk Culture i'm America.

ago that the culture of silk was be-
gun in this country, IN the Colony OF
Virginia.
James l, who hated tobacco, be-
Ieved that the cultivation ofthe silk
worm would succeed in the genial
climate of Virginia, and if so, 1t
would supersede the Iaising OF to
bacco. Although great effort was
made to encourage the cultivation OF
silk bv the British Government, the
result was failure. Tobacco was
more profitable. Enough raw silk
had been raised in the colonies,
however, 10 make the coronation
robe of Charles ii.
The effort was Eagaln made In
Georgia. and from 1866 to IVA the
annual export of reeled silk "a reellng
Establishment had been opened at
Savannahl amounting to, from 5Oo
to 1000 pounds. But as cotton be-
came vastly more profitable, the cul-
ture OF silk in Georgia was aban-
doned. In 1850 silk culture was be-
gun in Connecticut and continued tor
eighty or more years. About halt a
century ago, a general revival IN be-
half Of silk culture, extended over
all the Eastern and Western States,
and a great rage for the MOrus mail,
ticdutis, (many branched mulberry
sprang up, SO much so that as high as
$500 a hundred were paid for cut
linqs. But the enthusiasm proved
to be bubble, which burst a short
time before 1889, since which time
there has been less silk raised i'll the
entire country, than there was in
Georgia 120 years ago.
The success of every valuable in
dustry has its period OF probation,
and there seems to be no reason now,
why the culture OF silk in this country
cannot be made very profitable en-
ployment. Heretofore, there has
been no home market for the cocoons
and TO machinery for reeling the silk;
now the immense silk mill OF the
Cheney Brothers at South Manches-
ter, and the seventy.seven silk fac.
tories in Patterson beside lao others
in various places furnishes market
for all the silk that can be raised in
America for some years at the least.
American silk has reached such de-
gree of texture and beauty, that in
creasing orders come for it even from
France, the land OF the silk worm
and of silk manufacture.
In tie neighborhood of Philadel-
phiat here has recently been consider
able experiment by various intelli-
gent persons, in silk culture, in order
10 test the feasibility of cultivatIng
the silk worm and the results have
been so successful and entirely re-
plete with encouragement, that
various philanthropic women have
formed an association known as. the
"Women's Silk Culture Association
of the United States" Perhaps l
should add that this society is not the
outgrowth Of experiments in Pensyl-
vania alone but also of belief in the
theory in many other places.
However, people always have most
faith III that with which they are per-
sonally acquainted. Persons who
have attended the Pennsylvania State
Fairs, tor the past two years, know
something OF the work being done
by this association from its exhibit in
the Exhibition Building.
AS $12,O00,000 yearly go from
American manufacturers to foreign
countries tor raw silk, it certainly was
both a philanthropic and patriotic
idea to endeavor to keep as much OF
that goodly sum as possible at home
to enrich the pockets OF thousands OF
our own counlrywomeni thrifty, am
bilious women and girls in rural dis
tricts, who rack their brains for some
way in which they may earn 'little
money"-by interesting and engag-
ing them in the culture of silk. 1t
ls a work for which women are en-
tirely fitted, and also has the adyan>
tage over many occupations of beng
carried on at home. 1t is capital for
children, too who become intensely
interested in the curious and wonder
tul cocoon makers.
The practical features OF the Asso
citation consists OF school in which
persons are taught to care tor the
silk worms through all their stages
OF development and to reel the CO.
coons-tor American artisans are
now endeavoring to make the best
possible apparatus for reeling silk,
so that tilature Of it may torn part OF
the silk culturisL's winter work-to
finnish silk worm eggs and trees and