Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-11-02
SILK CULTURE.
The Progress of the Industry in the
State,

The progress OF tne industry IN tue
State.
The Silk Filature of the State Board OF
Silk Culture was formally opened at the
rooms, 534 Commercial street, San Francisco,
yesterday. There were q large number of
visitors present. Three young ladies were
engaged in reeling silk from cocoons. and
large number Of hanks of silk were dis
played. President Buckbee opened the fila.
ture with some informal remarks. He stated
that the filsture was the missing link in the
silk industry, standing between the producer
and the manufacturer as the -four mill stands
between the farmer and the baker. The hls-
ture takes the cocoons from the producer,
grades them, classifes them, reels the silk
and prepares it for the manufacturer. Ihe
present filsture has been in operation short
time and has given Instructions to Fix young
ladies, and before the close of the season four
more will have been instructed.
In the report of the Superintendent OF the
flature for October, he says:
have now six Young ladies under instruction,
and they are all making excellent progress in the
art of silk reeng Some of them prove to be un-
usually apt. and will soon become expert ana aoe
to instruct others. From present indications De-
leve the crop OF cocoons next year Will require ten
or twelve reelers. Before the school closes nope
to be able to instruct four additional girls This
will give us a force Of twelve, including Madam
Soldavni and another expert who is ready to enter
upon the work whenever she may be needed
Our steam reel will soon be much improved oy
some expensive attachments from Italy. The hand
reel only for the lowest grades of cocoons
and for scholars while taking their first lessons
In order to give as much instruction as possible
to the ten pupils for the present term, propose,
IN haV hai
in the morning and three others IN the afternoon,
under the constant supervision of Madam Soldaylnl,
until all the pupils have become able to manage the
reel with fair measure of expertness.
When the present term OF instruction closes 1t is
my desire to present, through the Board, at my
own expense. gold medal to the scholar who shall
prove herself to have become most expert IN the art
OF reeling. As it will be no expense to the Board
but will be an incentive to earnest endeavor on
the part Of all the pupils hope that you viii ac-
cept from me the proposed medal and arrange for
fair competition in making the award
am confident that you will need six or eight ad-
ditiona steam reels for next years operations You
can procure eight such reels, with the best modern
appliances from Italy, to test the elasticity and
weight Of the silk according to the international
system, and have them put up in San Francisco for
$780, l understand that the funds at your disposal
are limited and you are obliged to be economical in
all your expenditures But silk culture can never
become established in this State unless its tlature
has sufficient capacity for receiving and operating
may be raised by the people
Through my correspondents in Italy l expect to
receive in short time cuttings of several varie-
ties of the domestic mulberry of that country, in
cluding some choice specimens of the rosa. l will
cheerfully cooperate with the Board in their
judicous distribution and give instruction as to the
best method of grating them upon trees now grown
in this State. Allow me, in this connection, to urge
the Importance of making speedy provision for an
ample supply Of the choicest silkworm eggs for use
next spring. You will need nos less than sixty
ounces. Those that come to us from Italy are more
reliable than those from Japan
As an evidence of the good progress made by the
pupils il the lature, submit for your inspection
some OF the silk reeled by them during the present
month. IL is the product of some OF the poorest
cocOons on hand-cocoons that may be properly
classed as refuse some of which, indeed, have been
pierced but the silk obtained and the character Of
the reene is worthy Of high praise.
There was a statement made, in the correspond
ence read at Your last meeting, that needs TO be
corrected. If understood him correctly, Professor
Gilet, of Nevada City, stated that he had raised
good cocoons from worms fed only twice in every
twenty-fOur hours. It would not be safe fol Cali
fornla silk cuturists TO follow such example with
any good hope for success The best siIk-producing
worms need to be fed least four times il would
be better to feed them even six times every twenty
four hours. Good, fresh and perfectly clean food
should be supplied frequently. This viii insure
strong healthy worms and if the leaves are of the
Japonica or morus alba variety the silk will be of
the best grade. A chemical analysis of the Moretu
and the CitrOnella var cites shows that they have
very little sugar and resin in their composition.
These varieties may be of use but for the pro-
duction of the best silk the Japonica and morus alba
should be used
The bulletin issued by the State Board
contains the following:
The first reeling was executed August 14th In
about an hour nearly half pound of beautiful silk
was produced. The Superintendent Of the flature,
Paul Consonne, is a gentleman of lifelong expert
ence in silk culture and filature work He was edu-
Gated to the industry in Italy, the land OF his BIRTH
has visited many silk.growiug countries, including
Turkey, France, Brazil and Mexico, and made eX-
periments in silk culture in all these lands. Thir
teen years ago he visited California. He very soon
formed thu opinion that we could produce as fine
quality Of silk here as could be raised elsewhere,
" Now, he says, 81 kAOao it The silk Just reeled
is stronger, more elastic and better than l
reeled in my native country" All the thoroughly
dried, unpierced cocoons that our cultursts in Cal
iforna may have on hsnd may be sent to the Fila
ture, No. 534 Commercial street, San Francisco.
They will be carefully examined and paid for in
cash. according TO their grade For the best quality
the price this season Is 81 % per pound. Those
who send cOcoons should be careful to notify the
Chairman of the Committee on Cccoons, MTs. E. B.
Barker, No IA Stanley place, San Frsr cisco; and,
with the notice Of shipment any facts of interest
should be communicated.