Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-17
A SILK CULTURIST'S
ExperIenee-The Promise OF the Owner
OF the Pioneer SILK Mills, of
Memphis,
HOtwithstaBd1ng Care, Labor, Anxiety
and Money, are Not Realised by
Considerable Sight.
To the Editors Of the Appeal:

To the Editors of the Appeal:
| TusCUMBIA ALA Dacanahax 12.-So much
has been said lately in the APPEAL and
| other Southern journals in regard to silk
| culture, that am tempted to give my ex.
perience in the same, trusting that come
nrar-ssngniRe may read szxIsi-- FJrrsft
thereby. In March last purchased half an
| ounce (about 100000 silkworm eggs, or seed,
from a party in Memphis calling himself
proprietor Of Pioneer Silk Mills" lido you
know of any such establishment in your
city?) for the sum OF S12 so. With this
amount and a small outlay for trays, ETC.,
was assured that would raise, at the lowest
calculation, eight pounds to the thousand,
allowing loss of twenty per cent, which
would net 160 pounds, at the market price OF
S2 90 per pound, thus m king the handsome
sum of $400 on the original investment OF
SI2 so.
Twas told that the "season" lasted only
five weeks, and the labor and care was bat
trifing. This was mild way of putting il,
as you must admit, when / say that posi-
lively it was eight weeks from the time the
6rst egg hAtched until the last worm spun
its cocoon; and the meantime was devoted to
the most assiduous care of feeding and at
tending them. They are
voRAcIoUs EATERS,
and at times it seemed almost i'm possible to
give them surfsit of leaves, according TO
directions. / do not exaggerate when say
that for six weeks, day after day, and ofteu-
times far into the night, did I work in the
vain endeayor TO give that :army of 10000
worms sufhciency of Usage orange leaves,
and this, too, with the assistance of several
helping hands. Then, again, they must be
protectsd from the depredations of enemies,
such aEmice, reaches, ants and bugs OF vari-
Gus kinds, each of which tribe seemed to
have fee simple TO prey upon them.
Finally, my worms began to "spin," and
great was my rejoicing, for they then cease
eating and produce the silky fiber, which is
SO much valued as an article of merchau-
disc. But nv trouble did not erd here.
great many died just at this important stage,
until, as my husband facetiously remarked,
"Wife, you would have made money by
establishing a soap-factory and using them
for soap-fat." Nevertheless, 1 struggled
bravely on, determined 10 give the experi-
ment fair trial, more for my own satisf &C.
ton than for the hope of any pecuniary
gain. At length my worms b ad all "spua
up" in technical phrase, and / counted by
actual weighi-eigM pounds and some ounces.
Sill / reckoned that this would repay me
my small capital invested, SO 1 shipped
them to
THE PIONEER SILK MILLS, NJ EMPHIs, TENN,
and received in returH the valuable informa-
tion that they were not available for prae-
tical purposes, but would pay me ST per
pound" This, after the glittering promise
of - so per pound, and perhaps more. OF
the ten or twelve parties in our town who
gave the experiment a fair trial, have yet
10 hear of the one who realized any profit on
the Investment; and yet hope TO see the
day when silk culture will be cassed, as il
should, on account of our unrivaled soil ansi
clim ate, with the frstlindustries of the South;
but this will not be until we have an estab-
lished market for the cocoons at our own
doors, and purchase our seed from reliable
parties, instead of any Scotch-Irish adven-
iurer who may call himself proprietor of
silk mill" ANNIE GRACE DIDLAKE