The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-03-16
SILK CULTURE.


Silk Culture Association" which has
just closed in Philadelphia, has thor
oughly demonstrated the fact that it
needs only time, patience and perse-
verance to place the United States
among the foremost silk-growing ma
tions of the world. The cocoons ex-
hibited compared favorably with those
from other countries, beside which
they were placed; and the floss silk,
| after reeling, lost nothing by the same
comparison.
We have been finding out of late
years that we can manufacture silk
goods of superior quality in our own
country. Within ten years the silk
industry has trebled its product in the
United States. 1t is stated that "the
number of factories has increased from
eighty-siX to three hundred and
eighty-three within that period; the
hands employed are frOmsix thousand
six hundred to thirty-one thousand,
and the product from less than So, S,000,-
900 to more than 34,000,000. These
are surprising figures, showinga Won
derful record of growth. To meet the
demand for the raw material in these
factories we import S15,O00,000 worth
of floss from foreign lands. The ques-
tiOn will be asked, why should we not
as a matter of political economy, raise
this raw material at home? Before
the Revolutionary War Georgia and
North Carolina were regular feeders
to the silk factories of Marseilles;
therefore we do not need to demon
strate that such work can never be
done in this country. 1t is to give
practical answer to the question that
| the "Woman's Silk Culture Associa-
tion" was organized in PEb] adelphia
in May, 1880.
The exhibition which has just closed
proves that the association during the
Two years of its existence has eXerted
potential influence in stimulating
the culture of cOcoOns all over the
Union. Here We're specimens from
Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Penn
sylvania, New England and the West.
Three Jacquard looms wer kept in
operation during the entire i ,osition,
weaving respectively snk, satin and
manufacture, in beautiful variety, en-
riched the exhibition. Perhaps, how
ever, the most interesting feature was
the reel, before which sat an Italian
woman with tub of coco0ns in water
kept at boiling point by heating ap-
paratus below, and from which she
performed the delicate operation with
her skillful fingers of handling each
cocoon, and unraveling the end of the
gossamer silk thread and attaching
each in turn to the spindle from which
it was reeled to the larger wheels,
from which it was afterward taken i'll
| skeins.
The display of cocoons, varying
largely as they do in hue an d
size, was very fine and very interest
ing. One of the most noticeable col
lections was an exhibit by Mrs. Tay-
lor, of Kennett Square Pa, the aged
mother of Bayard Taylor. Her rcocoons
counted one hundred and fifty-seven
to the quarter pound, and won the LIST
prize of 5000. Mrs. Taylor is doing
this work at eighty-two years of age.
The Silk Culture Association aims to
spread this industry throughout the
country. Any woman with sufficient
land about her home to grow few
mulberry trees can, with no great out
lay of money, and with no exhausting
labor, add the rearing of the silk worm
to her daily cares, and find it q source
both of pleasure ndprofit. The work
occupies but small portion of the
year, and child can attend to the
daily gathering Of leaves and feeding
the worms. AS the result of one ex-
perience in Gwynedd, Pa, represent
ing six weeks care of one crop, there
were raised in one farmhouse thirty
pounds Of cocoons and fifteen ouncesOf
eggs. The market price of the cocoon
is 81 per pound, and the eggs are
worth So an ounce. Mulberry trees
| will grow wherever apple trees will.
A North Carolina farmer has gone at
the work in earnest, and expects to
raise one thousand barrels Of cocoons
this year. In Mississippi Silk Grow
farm purchased for their purposes.
They are going into the business on
large scale. From the circulars OF the
Association we append the following:
1.-THE culture Of silk particularly
commends itself to women and chill
dren in the rural districts as an occu-
patton not requiring constant duty or
interfering with household duties,
having an intelligent and moral bear
Ing. At the rooms of the Association,
corner Of Chestnut and Juniper streets,
Philadelphia, every thing can be pro-
cured to commence the work. a book
containing full instruction will cost
81. Eggs Of the silk-worm can be sent
by mail at the rate Of So an ounce. A
quarter Of all ounce is enough for be-
ginner to make the experiment. Null
berry trees may be purchased ut any
nursery at prices varying from IS to
SIS per hundred, according TO their
nfnoW