The daily gazette., 1882-02-24
YOUTHFUL snLK sr1NNERa.
WHAT THREE BOYS AccoMPLisHFRp
IN THE WAY OF SILK CULTURE.

| AA@A DOAS ACLOMFLlbHEED
IN THE WAY OF SILK CULTURE.
The passers-hy who notice iu the
window Of the second story front room
NJ The northwest corner of Eighth
street and Fairmount avenue, the sign,
"Boys' Silk Culture Association OF
the United StAtes," have, as a rule.
Dut little suspicion of the practical
AND business-like industry which ID
carried on within; and, indeed, out
side OF the circle Immediately inter
ested in silk culture, comparatively
lew persons are aware of the existence
OF the association. 1t only boasts OF
three members, the eldest but seven
teen years OF age, but all are active
workers, and in the eight months of
its existence the society has deLion.
strated the power Of mere boys in the
heart of tho city to raise worms and
prepare raw silk of the best grades
and at a financial profit. In May,
1881, Elwood Matlack, of No. 763
North Eighth street, q fifteen-year
old student in the class admitted to
the Boys Central High School In the
summer of 1879, and George +. Field,
sixteen year old, residing at No. TAG
Fairmount avenue, who still attends
the Wyoming Grammar School, Or
ganized the association. Both were
amateur naturalists, had become i'm
teresied in silk culture during the
Centennial year and had no opportu.
nifty after that time to study the hab-
its of the worms and the manufactule q
OF the silk. The new firm as soon az
organized prepared for an energetic
campaign, leased their room and set
about their preparations. Eggs were
obtained from all quarters, and during
the season ten thousand worms were
raised. The boys with their own
hands prepared the trays on which the
worms were placed before spinning,
the receptacles for the cocoons, and
after repeated unsuccessful effOrtssuc-
ceeded in perfecting an improved reel.
They compiled and publishedia PAM
phlet containing An account OF the
habits, changes and diseases Of the
common silk worm, rules for silk cul-
ture and instructions in. reeling.
Under permit from Superintendent
Thayer the boys foraged in the Park
for white mulberry leaves until the
latter part Of July, when their permit
was suddenly revoked, and the worms
almost starved before their frantic
proprietors could obtain from Com
missioner Remak q renewal of priyi-
leges. The season, however, passed
over prosperously, and the silk from
the cocoons was fully reeled, together
with several lots from oocoons raised
by outside parties.
At present the boys are employing
all the time which they can spare
from their studies to the reeling of the
cocoons raised by the mother of Bay
ard Taylor, the lady who won a prize
for one of the best exhibits at the re-
cent display of the Women Silk Gull
ture Association. Mrs. Taylor uses
the silk for sewing and has given it to
the boys to ascertain the smallest pos,
sible waste which can result from
careful reeling. Sixteen of the fbres
are being united Into a single thread,
thirty-two cocoons being reeled at the
same time. The reel upon which the
work is being done is the especial
pride OF the association. 1t Is seventy
two inches in circumference, was
made by the boys alone, and ihas, as
they claim, two important improve
ments over every other machine of the
kind. Tho arms OF the reelTafe so
Joined that they can be readily closed
together, affording opportunity to re-
move 1he reeled silk, and the thread
from the cocoOBs passes in its way to
the reel over a shifting lbar, which
moves regularly to land fro whenever
the crank which operates the wheel is
turned. 1t is expected that the reeled
silk from Mrs. 1aylOr's cocoons will
amount to more than one-half of their
entire weight. The association re-
Gently recently received an accession
in the person Of g. II. Baton, another
sixteen-year-old Philadelphia school
boy, residing at No. 623 Marshall
street, who will start branch CO.
coonery at Swedesboro, New Jersey,
during the coming season, which will
begin about the 10Th of May, For
this season elaborate preparations
have been made at the main cocoOnery.
Over two hundred thousand eggs, of
French, Japanese, Biuoltin and native
elk worms are now in MatIack's cell
lar, and the cocoonery is already pre-
pared for the raising of one hundred
thousand worms. The netting frames
or trays are arranged in long rows, one
above the other, with wires connect
ing them with the ground to carry off
the electricity from the worms, as the
breeders say. The eggs are kept on
ice during the warm weather until it
is time for them TO be Matched, and
great care is taken to keep the trays
properly labeled and to see that all the
worms on each arc of the same age.
A large number of little paper tunnels,
each with hole near the bottom for
ventilation, have been made, and it is
in these thai the worms are placed
when they begin to spin their cocoons.
At least fifty thousand of these cones
will be made during the season. The
boys give lessons in reeling and rear
ing the worms and drive an energetic
and moderately profitable trade in