The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-07-20
SILK CULTURE.
A Great Industry which Could be
Made Profitable In Texas.

A Great Industry Which Could be
Made Profitable In Texas.
Silk culture in the south is becoming
an industry of much importance, and a
subject of general discussion by the
newspapers. We are convinced that a
smart, active, energetic woman in this
state can realize fully as much from this
industry as can her husband or brother
from his labor in the field As means
of adding greatly to the home comforts
and independence of our southern wo-
men, and of enabling them to acquire a
support beneath their own roofs, / know
of no feminine occupation that will ap-
proach this in the comparative lightness
of the work and care required, as well as
in the certainty of rewards. 1t is to be
hoped that the success of those now en-.
| gagged in this culture will be of such a
character as to attract hundreds of imita-
tors in the future. Apropos of this subject
we reprint the following from well
ana intelligently written letter from
Florida
''In Florida all the varieties eff the null
berry attain perfection, and grow with
singular rapidity. A twig, cut at ran.
dom, and inserted carelessIy into the
earth, requires no other attention than a
supply of water for few days, and will
soon become a vigorous shade tree.
Around Jacksonville they are planted
for that purpose merely. Here also the
leaves appear early in the spring, and are
fit for the food of the youLg worms in
February. This is marked and impor
tant advantage, as it permits several sue
cessive crops of the worms to be raised
during the same season. AS you car
obtain a certain amount of pork by the
use of fixed quantity of corn, so you
can expect a known weight of cocOons
from so many pounds of leaves. This
calculation has been reduced to a very
| fine point.
I'm addition to the steady demand fol
the cocoons, the raw silk, it will be remu
nerative to raise the eggs for transporta
ton to Europe, as the eggs produced II
that country are not reliable. Japan now
controls this trade, and the shipments
from that remote region, via San Fran
cisco, reap hundreds of thousands of dol
lars annually. This nice little item could
be left here by the exercise of a little
skill and industry.
There is full time yet for those who
/
ment, and at least obtain a sufficient
supply of eggs for the next season, for
which they can readily obtain a mark ct.
France purchased in 1877 $500, 900 worth
of eggs from this country.
''It is said that one person can tend
40, 900 worms, and that this number will
produce one hundred and twenty.
five pounds of cocoons worth from
$3.50 to $3.50 according to quality
Averaging these at two dollars a pound,
the handsome sum is obtained of $3.50 in
six weeks, as it requires that length of
| time for the worms TO reach maturity al
ter being Matched. As three crops can
be made during the season, it will be
| thus seen that woman can realize $3.50
during the summer, an amount not at
tainable from any other occupation. She
cannot earn this sum as a teacher, or in
factory, or by standing behind the
| counter of a store, or with the needle,
| and it can be made within the privacy of
home, an inestimable advantage to the
majority of women.
"Several ladies in this state are now
| giving this industry fair trial, and their
success, which can scarcely be re-
garded as problematical, will have
the effect of inducing many next
year to initiate their example. A man
in Florida, who could make fifteen bales
of cotton by his own labor would be con-
sidered a pretty smart and industrious
fellow. His crop at fifty dollars per
bale would bring him just seven hundred
and fifty dollars, out of which must be
| deducted various expenses. This would
| just equal the silk crop of his wife, pro-
duced almost without cost, and with in
considerable trouble. A comparison be.
tween the results would show very
large balance in favor of the good house
wife.
From a valuable article in a recent
issue of the Louisville C0uTter-JOuTnGI
make the following extracts:
"'Several ladies, who represent the
| Women's Silk Culture ASSOCIATION, visited
| Washington last week and exhibited the
dress of American brocade which they
intend to present to Mrs Garfield. The
association is two years old, and is de
signed for CHARITY, or rather to fur
nish employment for women and chill
dren in the country. If the wives and
children of farmers would interest them.
selves in raising silk worms, they would
find an occupation which would diver.
sify their employment, and break the
monotony of raising eggs, chickens and
butter. The association upon apphca
ton furnishes mulberry trees and gives
instruction in regard to the culture OF
silk. This branch of industry in Italy is
entirely carried on by women ard chill
dren, and appears TO be peculiarly
adapted to them. Now, any industry OF
occupation, which will keep women and
children from tiocking to the cities fol
employment will prove a boon there
fore, the Philadelphia association is anx
ious to establish auxiliary branches in
every state. This country imports
eighty-two million dollars worth
of silk every year, and six
teen millions of raw silk which is
used by the silk manufacturers in
this country. 1t would certainly be pa
triotlc thing to raise our own cocoOns
and distribute the SIG, 900, 900 among oul
own countrymen.
IAN element of permanence belongs
also to such movements, and the estab
lishment of silk factories all over the
country demands that our people should
prepare themselves to provide the raw
material. These industries deserve the
encouragement of the state and the ma.
ton. The cotton, wool and silk factories
bring to our shores thousands Of skilled
workmen, who in turn transmit to sue
ceeding generations their talent and skill
| The silk industry, which take to be the
| true significance of the words silk cul
ture, is the third great industry of the
textile class in this country, amounting
| to $50, OO0, 900, as compared with $780,
| 100000 in cotton and $500, 000, 900 in
value in wool manufactures. The i'm
portation of silk goods is about $35, 000,.
600 in value, making, with home
manufactures, $S5, 100000 the
value of silk goods entering
into consumption in this country fol
one year. The industry of silk manu-
features has grown very rapidly, from
very moderate proportions ten or fifteen
years ago, to $45, 900, 900 at least, &C
coIding TO the census of 1880. In cot
ton and wool we produce the raw mate
rial of these vast industries here, but in
silk we stand in the anomalous condition
of producing, as yet, nothing of conse-
| quence in this country, and as great as
the demand is, we allow our superior ad-
vantages to remain unimproved.
1--WE import 4, 600, 900 pounds of raw
silk for manufacture here, nearly 5000,
100 pounds of reeled and 100000
pounds of spun silk.
"Any one who may wish TO open com
muuication with the society can do so by
addressing The Woman's Silk Culture
| Association of the United States south