New-York tribune., 1883-12-10
II nearest town and disposed Of to the agent OF

Reeed in this way the silk was neltneT uhhOiH'
| nor generally OF very good quality. Bat chahge
was soon to take place-a change that aimee az
uniting the industry on firm commercial oasis'
and at the same time improving the qnallty OF 'he
| nroduct. Up to 1880 have shown that silk culture
| ,vos simply q method of slightly increasing the
revenues of the farm 1t had distinct effect upon
| the value of the and nor was il of prime inpor-
tance anywhere. rhe amount gained by each
farmer was on the average from $50 10 eoO per
annum from one little crop representing the
women and chdren's work for part Of the TINE
| dprinp two months of the year As the labor was
! nerformed at intervals Of leisure the amount was
| clear gain.
When flatures were established. the almost I'M
| mediate result q great Improvement III the
nna,itv Of the silk produced and of the price paid
for it. It was not the result of improved processes OF
of greatly improved appliances for reelng but grew
| ont of better organization and more constant
practice. The reeling of silk became regular
trade instead of temporary occupation OF farmers
wives The success Of the flatures showed the I'M
| portance of the manufacturing system. They be-
| came immensely remuneratve. The owners, having
no expensive machinery to purchase laN-
| ished their profits upon the buildings ana
general appliances. There exist at the pres
eut day in the south Of France hundreds
OF buildings which for extent, soidity and ele-
gance can scarcely be matched by any factories
elsewhere For years the whole country was en-
rched The price of land doubled, and the vaine
of the factories was such that the contributions
paid by them materially eased the burdens OF the
taxpayers. Sericuture became. the leading III
dnstrv throughout this part of France. Every
available spot vas planted with mulberry trees hill
sides which had before been unprOduetive were
terraced and men carried up dirt on their shoulders
TO make place for the trees. To keep the wid
rains from washing away the earth palntuliy COZ
lccted, stone walls were raised on the mountain
side The farm-h houses became insufficient ID holu
the worms during the growing season. ana eXteh-
sive buildings were constructed especially adapted
to the rearing of cocoons, and in these buildings
the worms were fed by men and women hired ior
the work In the season thousands from the noun
tains of Lozere and other districts came to take
part in the work.
Every means was taken to force the worms
through their season of breeding and growth, III
order that they might consume little leaf as
noss,ble For wears all went well the product OF
the cocoons was enormous. reaching at one time 10
80 600 900 Kilograms lG6,000000 pOunds) year
The Gatures multiplied, furnished employment TO
the country people. and disbursed large sums OF
money in their midst Home markets were created
for food supplies. and the prosperity was general
The value of each pound of cocoons was raised Oy
every piece of land III this part OF France IN lew
wears was actually doubled by the establishment
of these hlatnreS. -, ..;,.
go surc and II was being pushed 80 rapidly that me
race Of worms showed signs OF drterloratou-hte
for many generations in too clOse quarters ana III
too great quantities. Ia lS4S came the hrst signs
of trouble and bv 1852 the trouble became serious
Efforts were made 10 avert the approaching cat
am,tv and Italy Turkey Greece China and japan
we're searched for sound and healthy eggs when
were brought TO France and supplied TO tns IalseI'
of cocoOns But 10 no purpose lhc telTlbIc maj
adv increased and threatened the extinction oi
French seTculture. , ,
The Government took the matter IN hanI. ana
after several years Of research the great faSteut
discovered method by which he was able tn check
the disease now become distinctly hereditary. Sun
several wears elapsed before his process was gener-
sIIs rccETUized and it was subjected to the tercest
opposition the part OF some oi the most eminent
men in France, who we're possessed OF theories OPP
posed to those upon which NJ. PasteuTs system was
based By degrees the percentage OF the disease
was reduced, and to-day 1t is no longer uncontToi-
Had the flatnres been able to withstand the long
strain upon them, had they been m any way ludIe
io1sy %, coSId he made a. protabIe rs il
ever was; but during all this time the owners Of
the reeling mills have been struggling against icar
ful odds. As have shown, the whole existence OF
the industry was based upon the superiority or
their product the ordinary country reeled SIX
there was no economy OF labor IN that process. TN
the contrary, "a Ieeler to-day working III "A factory
does not produce much silk per week as the
country women used each TO produce in the olden
times.
Tie early struggle between the country woman
and the filature one of quality, not Of quantity
silk was produced Of fncncss and quality never
before known and this greatly to the advantage OF
I,vons whose manufacture based upon the
consumption of the finest aud best silks ohtanable
The foreign were not so good as the Ftelch
and the latures finally obliged to reduces their
amount of product III order to preserve the qualities
| to which their customers had become Abitnated
| and Oh which they insisted. Finally the profits
l.pau to disappear altogether, until they became
| borrowers of their customers, tho Lyons mannfae-
| turrrs From this position they have never been
| allie 10 free themselves, for the disease of the
worm in France gradually Disappeared -thronsh the
efforts of Pasteur, other difc9ltiess presented
| themselves Italy had constructed ilatnrcs which
| i'm some respects were even better than those of
| France, having been built later Japan had inn
proved her system OF reelIng, and coniinercia inter
| course with Asia general had become organized.
| Worse than all however, for the French Teeeis,
thee had COME into use machinery aud processes of
| dyeing adapted to make snowy but inferior goods
| from poor silk and this silk could be supplied from
| China chcaper than it could be- made IN France.
| The impnrtant lesson to be- derived from this
history of silk-reeug ia France IS iIat, the great
advantage of this manufacture To the farming III
terests Of the South of France Tho mere organza-
! ton Of the industry without any great improve
Incut i'm manufacturing process doubled the wealth
! of tLc commonwealth of thc whole region. Had
| the llaturo been properly protected II seems
legitimate conclusion that after disaster like the
disease of the worms had been overcome, IN" man
ufctuIers would have been able to regain tler lost
QTUnnd and force ont the cheap and poorer SILK ~
| connecting countries. At present ~ France hnd
the farmers all as ready as ever 10 make SIX co
coons and had the bttnrcs. the local manuiactnrlhg
Interests been protected. they would be ready at
tLis moment to offer the old prices for the farmers
crops; but they have fallen into financial straits
and general decay, and athe result IS directly eyi-
dent upon the price of cOcOUns In this year 1889
The ds0fganizati0n Of the reeling industry has re-
smited in a direct loss to the silk rasers Of over
$4,000 900, aud this lrcanso the hlninles. bur
deucd with debt, open 10 foreign competition, dS-
| organzcd and discouraged. could barely afford to
nav for cocOOns the actual price of raising them II
wOuld he dliiicnt 10 ind in all economic history "A
| more evident and simple eXempli6caIon oi the law
that the prosperity Of the manufacturing part 0t
the community is necessary for the wrlIhrIng "t
| the agricultural
There is mach of interest in this region besides the
! inquiry into this important economic question Not