Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-02

OF the head, 1t forces passage through
and escapes from its prison, making its az
pearance usually in the morning. What
| splendid creation now do we behold
is beautiful butterfly, of grayish whit
color, with four wings and pair of deli
cate black, feather-like sntenna. Th
wealth of its own apparel is not NOR
amazing than the rich and lustrous silk il
the cocoon which it has woven and forsakel
for the use Of man.
REPRODUCTION OF THE sILK.woRM.
As soon, now, as the sexes meet copula
ton takes place. Almost immediatel,
after, the female begins to lay her eggs, il
| a regular circular order, from 200 to 400 il
number. Three hundred is the usual mum
Der for one layer. This done, the mission
| of this wondrous insect is ended. 1t ha
| given its life in labor for the adornment o
the human race. Its last act was pro
vision for the reproduction of its life tire,
hundred fold in new generation. 1t hal
now exhausted all its vitality. Not having
eaten anything, it dies.
TREATMENT OF THE EGGS AND cocooNs
The preservation of the eggs require.
attention. The Chinese use bits of Cantor
flannel or other material on which to re
ceive them from the worm. They are theI
laid away in cellars, or some cool place
and kept until needed for the purposes Of
sale, or for another Matching season. i
kept cool and preserved with care they
will maintain their excellence for Ions
period. As they are small, not larger than
a small pins head, many millions can be
kept IN very small compass. When the
worms have finished making their cocoons,
those which may be required for the deyel.
opmeut of the eggs should be selected
with care, and Immediately stored in some
convenient place having a temperature OF
about So. The chrysalide will then de-
velop in from thirty to forty days, as
already described. If, on the other hand,
the cocoons are to be used solely for reel
ing, either as part of the home work OF
the women and children of the family or
for sale, then the chysalides in the cocoons
must be destroyed. This can be done by
subjecting them to the heat of an oven,
the common method in Europe. But the
heat must not be too intense, as it would
injure the silk. In California the natural
heat of the sun is all sufficient Let the
cocoons be exposed to the scorching rays
of cur summers sun for two or three days,
from 10 to 4 o'clock. This will usually
destroy the cbrysahde and leave the CO.
coons free to be used for Keeling purposes,
at such times through the year as may be
convenient to devote to that delightful do
nestle employment.
PROFITS FROM SILK INDUSTRY.
It may seen premature to estimate the
profits of silk industry, but we have Ger.
tain data to guide us, and the people should
know what they may count upon as re-
turn for their labor. The prices for silk
manufactured goods are enormous. In the
manufacture of dress silks asgreat field is
open. These silks, when made IN Europe,
cannot enter the United States without
paying for freight, exchange, insurance
and a duty of 30 to 100 per cent. One
pound of raw silk is worth from 81 to 50.
The average is about 81 80. This will
make five or six yards of dress silk, sold in
San Francisco for from $50 to $25. The
European workman will make five or six
yards day. His wages are about 81 The
actual cost to the manufacturer in Europe
is about IS 80 to So Here is the liberal
margin of $40 in favor of home manu-
facture. We can pay double, treble, or
even qUadruple, in wages for the work
done here, and still have left one.quarter
of the present cost in our stores for our
profits. The statement seems astonishing,
but it is the truth. We have gone over
the calculation again and again, with the
same result. 1t is really astonishing that
such an industry as this should have been
so long neglected or overlooked by our
people-an industry full of pecuniary bless
ing to the State, and affording thousands
of the unemployed profitable labor.
THE PROFITS FROM GROWING RAW SILK
Are equally sure. One acre planted prop
erly with the mulberry tree will. in three
or four years, yield so 900 pounds of
to feed l,00C, 900 worms.
If the object be only to raise eggs, each
female will produce from 200 to 400. The
average is 300 Take the lowest number
for our calculation, and only one in ten of
the worms. One hundred thousand fe-
males yield 90, 900, 600 eggs. Forty thou.
sand eggs weigh an ounce. You thus have
500 ounces. The eggs sell readily for 81
an ource. The product, therefore, is
81, 600 an acre, on the lowest yield of eggs
from only one.tenth of the worms. If,
however, the cocoons are to be reeled off at
home, $500 cocoons yield one pound of
raw silk. The entire yield will therefore
be 400 pounds. The average price of the
raw silk is 81 so. This equals So, 1000.
The total for eggs and reeled silk is 81 900,
Deduct from this one-half for accidents and
all possible expenses, you still have net
profit of from 81, 500 to s., 600 per acre.
The statement looks large; but it is in the
fact and figures, and the proof that we are
correct is abundant. (See Provost's Silk
Growers Manual, published in San Fran.
cisco in 1867, pages 236 and 237.)
MARKETS FOR SILK PRODUCTS.
The demand for silk, raw and manufact-
ured products, is immense. The eggs
enter largely into the commerce of the
world. Europe seeks for its supplies in
various countries. Commissioners an
nually visit Australia, Japan and China for
this purpose. Every year millions of eggs
pass through San Francisco, crossing the
continent and making the voyage of two
oceans to reach their destination. In his
silk Gro xers' Manual" published in
California few years a ago, Mr.. Provost
says "Last year had an order for 100
pounds of silk-worm eggs from Italy" He
could not meet the demand. He sold all
he could spare at SO an ounce, keeping
only one ounce for himself. That order, at
wholesale, would have netted him So, GOO.
He had another order for 500 ounces from
Mexico, and smaller one from Italy for
60 ounces. There is always an ever-in-
creasing market for the silk-worm eggs,
and with the advance of civilization this
demand can never be less.
INFLUENCE OF SILK CULTURE ON NATIONAL
CHARACTER.
Dr. Curtiss said recently, in the Scientific
Monthly, "The interaction of land and
people on one another's character and des.
tiny is the prime motor but not men and
women alone-it is the great physical
power of nature, counting everything in
the game of life." Who can doubt that
Great Britain has been profoundly affected
by the existence and development of the
immense coal fields beneath her surface
Without coal and iron, utilized, her PEG.
pie must have been mere merchants, no;
manufacturers. The prosecution of any
industry, by any people, when it is pc
ouliarly adapted to their land and climate,
has great influence upon their character,
socially, morally and physically and
their destiny is inexorably welded &c
their industrial pursuits.
CALIFORNIA SUITED TO SILK CULTURE.