The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-06-24
SILK CULTURE.

y
States. The conditions all seem
favorable. We're it not for the fact |
that people in silk manufacture are
rather slow to branch out, its de- |
velopment as an industry would
now be far advanced. The proper
spirit is aroused, and it is certain to
come to a satisfactory outburst. 1t
is alleged that in France and Italy
disease seems to be spreading rap
Idly among the worms, which is not
only running the industry there in q
direct manner, but is seriously i'm
pairing it in an indirect way, by the
injury to the quality and decreasing
the value in silk. 1t is alleged that
light, dry atmosphere is best ad-
adapted to this indu try, and in this
regard many portions of the United
States are singularly favored.
theoretically Utah could not be
better situated than she is. nor
could the conditions be more desir-
able than they are, fer the manu-
facture of silk and raising silk
worm eggs for expectation. The
correctness of this theory has been
fully established in the experiments
so far made; and these have been
sufficient to warrant much more ex-
tensive undertakings in the same
direction. The climate is dry and
bracing, the altitude high, and the
absence Of excessive moisture Sc
cures immunity to the worms to a
very large degree from many of the
diseases which silk worms are heir
to. The mulberry tree is as thrifty
as though it were indigenous to the
country, and is not only useful but
extremely ornamental. 1t will
grow wherever any other tree
grows, and requires even less care
than many others. Healthy and
vigorous trees are essential
to pare, inYigorating food,
upon which the quality of silk
solely depends. Unless the worms
are healthy, the silk will be Of
inferior texture and prOportionately
less in value. Reeled silk produced
in Utah and taken to the east,
has been scrutinized in New York
and Philadelphia, by men of prom
inence in the industry, who have
passed their lives in the pursuit,
and it has been spoken Of with I'M
bounded admiration, and proved to
be so excellent that some could
hardly credit that it was raised here.
1t is undoubtedly profitable, and
under all these favorable eircum-
stances, it seems little strange that
so important an industry should be
so tardy in development. 1t would
prove constant and practically I'M
failing source Of wealth. source
of wealth without any extravagant
outlay either in starting or main
tanning it, Thousands and thousands
Of dollars are saved yearly to the
territory through the efforts Of
women and children in saving and
drying fruit during the summer
season. A vast deal more could be
saved or made to the country at
large and to individuals in particular
with less care, time and anxiety in
the care Of silkworms. Nearly all
the labor attached to it can be done
by children, to whom it would prove
pleasurabIe and profitable at the
same time, and with the number of
children in this territory, the results
that could be obtained from the
proper direction in useful channels
Of this energy, would, if computed,
be so enormous that itwOuld aStonish
nearly every one. Thrift is what
makes nations as well as people
wealthy, and in a country ike Utah
where industry is the watchwOrd,
it. is surprising that SO important
and valuable a pursuit should not
have made more rand nrorresS.