Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-13
SILK SPINNERS.
An "AppeaP' Reporters Visit to the
Model CoeOOnery OF Miss Annie Par.
ham on Tennessee Street.
Something About this Growing Industry
from New Point Of View-Ex-
eellent Prospects.

is one of the best 10 the country. These four
posted racks hold the trays upon which the
silkworms rest and the leaves upon which
they feed. The room is we'll ventilated, as
you see, and even with all the fresh air zd-
mite1 the odor of deciyinZ leaves is very
plain. II is impossible 10 keep the atmos-
phere entirely pure and sweet. You would
not think, 10 lock at these little wriggling
strings, that each one OF them
"HAs ELEVEN LUNGS
on either eide. Bat it is fact, and it will
be readily seen that fresh air is prime
necessity. Multiply twenty-five lungs by
the whole number Of worms here, about
$4,000, and the question of plenty Of air in
cocoonery becomes very plain one. These
sancers Of water in which you see the legs of
the racks rest is little scheme / have for
b. ing the ants. They are great pests and
seem 10 have special fpndness for the elk
worms, which have no wsy Of defending them
selves. A few nights since they carried off
three trays of them. First they sting the
little fellows, wait mil the last faintw rigsl lie
has passed away, then pick them up and
scurry away fer feast. They have dsstroJed
thousands for me. / think there is not an
| insect that does not
''pREY upon THEM.
do not dare take light into the cocoon
little sanctuary horde of winged hrigands
who murder aud steal by the wholesale.
Insect powder does no good, but the saucers
| of water have so far proved complete safe
guard, and since L began using them l have
| lost very little. Now this tray contains very
| young worms who must be fed with tender
| leaves. But this contains the adults and
| stronger foof Is required Tor them. 10 give
them tender iesv5s is TO N axe them sick, and
this has TO be CAREFUL y avoided. | could
not sc. my assistants to bring the kind of
| leaves l wanted this moruing and was obliged
10 go out and gather them myself. l have
"a GREAT DEAL OF TROUBLE
in the way Of help. No sooner does an en-
ploye learn little about the business Than
| they demand higher wages, and girls VINO
are content TO WORK in dry goods store Tor
half SOLAR dsy are not willing TO do the
| light duty required OF them here for less
than twice that amouut. l am perfectly
wiling 10 pay good hsnd 10 a week, but
there seems 10 be something in Che busy
hAhiis OF the silkworm TO make tboss -sYs..
are employed TO care for them indoieni. l
| have two very goos -a-sistants noW-a negro
| girl and boy-Who. with little overseeing,
do the work very II. One thing, however,
annoys me more Than all the anita and bugs
and mice 10 the world. / spssk Of the oat-
| u SIN CuaAutE ny Eegpt6 hliO nave
never made real earnest effort to succee 1
in it.
"LADiEs OF FASHION
or persons who have plenty ard are inds-
| pendent OF the result of their experiment, dc
more TO ipjure the industry than anyone else
| They neither hsve a knowledge OF the many
details necessity TO success, or even the mos
| superficial idss Of how 10 go to work.
| have very small trade IN the city, and am
glad of il Oh this account. Why, one of the
! ladies to whom I sold a few ounces OF egg,
the other day, came ack in a day or two anc
remarked that she had forgotten TO ask me
| regarding one very important matter-what
to do with he dead worms.
"MAKE SOUP OF THEM
| was about to reply, but refrsined, spd tolC
her, OF course, that dead worms could no
spiD silE, and must De thrown away. Thss,
people do not succeed, and blame the pool
little worms with failure to DO their duty
Tney never dresm Of blaming themseIvrs
Why, there are some thing4 that quire IN,
grsa.est ara. Inc seemingly simple mstte
Of removing the eggs trons The cloth upor
which they laid il 4eEy difficult anS
delicate process. There was no one her,
who could do it successfully, and / made
| Wait to an old and rich elk euiturist in Soutl
Carolina purpossly 10 learn from him
method by which he bad made his fortune
This is a process at which l an now an ex
pert. Thos- who take most interest and d,
most good with the eggs l send them are
"THE FARMERS,
many of whom are taking great interest il
silk culture. The idea of growing cotton il
the South was secuted at first, but time his
proven how we'll it csn be done, and vii
prove it ia the case Of elk culture No;
do not count the eggs. Tbst would he 81
impossibility. This box, which iooka like
box of mustard sted, contains about 5000
eggs, or two ounces. They are weighed an
estimated al 10000 10 the ounce. At first
was customary TO guess at the number upo
given piece OF the cloth upon which the
were laid, cut off piece with the require
number and ship that. OF course this wa
: the wildes. kiud OF guessworE, and 1t is nc
now the practice 10 til orders in that way
They are cold
! ENTIRELY BY WEIGHT
at fifty cents IN ounce. There is great d.
, maud in France for American eggs, and
received 81 an ounce for fifty ounces
shipped there to one firm not very long eiac,
There was a disease among the silkworms j
l that country, and the culturists are all do
;. s'royiag their old stands aud beginning ane
with American eggs. The egg in westhe
like this must be carefully kept. The refrie
= orator here holds all OF NINE, and the
!, mometer ls kfpI with them 10 see that II
!, temperature may be evenly maintained Tn
: temperature of this. box is 40o, ct 500 the
{ Wouli hatch. Where do l ship mot?
a canuot say exscIlv, but l have trade
: every State 10 the Union. One OF my orde
0 TO d y was
e FROM NEW MEXICO.
s L sm kept very busy with ny correspond
| Nsh5-b "a ii h.
y up to fifty or sixty day. L have receive
good reports from everywhere, particular
from the East, which is constantly seniin
the Cocoons of silk spun from eggs 81 n ther
n Most outurist7 are glad to eacaie with d
loss of twenty-five per cent. OF their worm
but have not lost anything like so man
+ But then those ihatSre left are very bus'
!. 1t il hard to believe that this little cocoa
contains 600 yards OF silk IL is, of cours
like gosssmer. Il Is made from the Leaf
tas Usage orasge, which is equally as GOO
as the mulberry. / recommend the osss
because il lie cheap--it can be Obtained B
Z poor women, nst-srsrtfng in the, bD@ines
!, nithsut cost, "a ii grows everywhere. Poop
> who have nq ground upon which to Guilty al
J. The mulberry can have the cszgs at az
! time The japanese mulberry is, hoveve
:, the best, and believing that, l have plants
Il a grove of 900 trees at place we have ne'
the city. AN just now
"PREPARING FOR AN EXHIBIT
which l expect TO make the 1ndu
trial Exposi ion 10 be held in Cinci
na.i in S5piember next. ] shall endeav;
. to make showing worthy OF the industr
and the Managers Of The Exposition are rssd
10 do everything 10 their power. A numb
o of silk apdkerchiefs, hosiery, gloves, etc
4 are nov being woven for me, gratu'rousiy, /
a New York firm from raw material furnisi
! ed by me. l sm having two dresses mad
v one at Lyons, which will add greatly 10 Ii
: exhibit. Tee whole proc IS, from the incl
r baton to the manufactured goods, will
J shosp. First, | snail have rack wit
trays placed one above the othsr, as you sa
\ them in the cocoonery. These trays WI
contsin the worms in every stage of srowt
, Then shsll show the cocoons, wrapped
) the flock and stripped, The moths, and The
> the reel. This is OF Freuch patent and II
e only one in The country. Edison, the ele
/ trielen, whom / have known from childhoo
! now mas it in New York and promised
;. have il
CUNNING BY ELECTRICITY
! BY the time the EXPOSITION opens. Lastly,
y shan display the manufactured goods mei
! toned and, probably, silk flowers, which
a ana learning 10 make under the instruction
of a Franch 10 scher III pozsibie, i sbAll ,