Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-01


The silk industry of California is still in
its infancy. Enough, however, has been
done to show that there are millions of
dollars in it for those who will intelli-
gently and patiently prosecute. European
silk culturists who have made California
their home are enthusiastic in respect to
our soil and climate They find our condi.
tions for silk culture preferable to Italy or
France. Oar freedom from thunder storms
is highly favorable to the growth and
health of the silkworm. There are critical
periods in the life Of this wonderful insect,
when a violent thunderstorm will destroy
millions of them in moment. Families
in Europe, whose chief support is derived
from this industry, will sometimes lose an
entire brood, worth hundreds of dollars,
during the progress of a sudden and vio-
lent thunderstorm. Our California cult
urists are happily exempt from danger on
account of these electrical disturbances.
During the months of May and June, the
best period for silk culture in California,
the sound of thunder is rarely ever heard
in any part of the State.
PAST EXPERIMENTS AND LEGISLATIVE AID.
Nearly thirty years ago the Importance
Of this industry began to press its claims.
In 1856 Louis Provost, at San Jose, COM
menced the planting of mulberry tr ees.
He was the pioneer in this great work, and
before his death he published manual, in
1867, on silk culture, the effect of which
was to induce many persons to engage in
the enterprise Another silk culture pio-
neer was Adolph Mueller, also of San Jose.
He began the work about the same time
with Mr.. Provost. He continued it until
his death, in 1869, and his success was
great encouragement to others. In 1865,
eighteen years ago, the Legislature of Cali
fornia recognized the Importance of silk
culture to the welfare of the State by offer
ing a bounty of $3.50 to any person who
should plant 5000 mulberry trees, and an
other bounty of $500 to any one who
should produce 100, 600 cocoons. 1t was
patriotic and we'll. meant purpose on the part
of the Legislature. If it had at the same
time provided means for a flature for the
purpose of extracting the raw silk from the
cocoons, silk culture would long ago have
become
AN ESTABLISHED INDUSTRY
In the Golden State. But it was a work
so entirely new to rulers and people at
that time that this necessity for success
was neither understood nor provided for.
Still, the generous offer of the Legislature
was not in vain. a large number of per-
sons were induced to plant trees and raise
cocoons. In Sacramento, Santa Clara,
Sonoma, Nevada, Naps, Contra Costa,
Marin, Alameda, Los Angeles and other
counties thousands of mulberry trees were
planted and IN two years cocoons began
to be raised in considerable quantities, in
creasing during the next three years until
the product amounted to several hundred
Thousand. In 1865 W. NJ. Haynie and l.
n. Hoag, of Sacramento, raised over $780,
900 cocoons, and received the States
bounty. In 1870 a company at Davisville
IS reported to have produced A. 900 pounds
of cocoons, worth s. 600. The expense of
the experiment is said to have been not
more than 81, 500. In the same year T.
B. Flint, of Sacramento, it is stated, raised
900 pounds. The product of Mr.. Hoag
was ESQ 600 cocoons 1t is estimated that
20, 600 ounces OF silk-worm eggs were pro-
duced that year in California. There being
no market for the cocoons, the main OBJ
iact Of producers, from 1865 to 1870, was
TO secure the bounty of the State for trees
and cocoons, and to raiae silk.worm eggs
for culturists in Europe. The war be-
tween France and Germany unfortunately
H. lot for ho Ia Of
The product of 1870,
WORTH NOT LESS THAN 500, 000
Was thus left on the hands of the pro-
ducers, and there being 40 market In the
United States for their cocoons, our pio-
neer silk culturists became discouraged.
Tens Of thousands Of valuable trees were
destroyed. The infant INDUSTRY, after such
a hopeful beginning, was left to anguish
for years. Still there were few persons
intelligent and patriotic enough to con-
tinue their experiments, At Nevada City,
Mr.. Muller, Mr.. Gillet and Mrs. E. p.
Keeney quietly prosecuted the work to
some profit, and found it pleasant and
paying industry. The family of Mr.. Gar.
barini in Amador county made several hun.
dred dollars a year by producing silk
county, and some others kept their trees,
and produced, from year to year, few
cocoons of a very superior quality. Mr..
ConsonnO, an Italian expert, now Superin-
tendent of the State Fllature and Keeling
School, made experiments in different
parts of the State, satisfying himself that
the industry could be established almost
anywhere in California. Mr.. Joseph Neu-
mann, of San Francisco, made several ex-
periments with gratifying results. In
1871 he raised 800 600 cocoons in Sonoma
county The work required his time for
two months, in which he had the aid of
his son all the time, and two men during
the last two weeks, for gathering leaves.
OUR SILK AT THE CENTENNIAL.
At the Centennial Exhibition, held in
Philadelphia in 1876, California was repre-
scented by silk culture display. Mr.. Neu-
mann and Mrs. Keeney collected specimens
of our cocoons, and took with them to the
East two flags made by Mr.. Neumann Of
American grown silk, and some skeins OF
reeled silk, and illustrated the industry by
a display of silk-worms, in their various
stages of development. Our cocoons, it is
said, were examined by Professor Henry,
of the Smithsonian Institution at Wash
ington, who pronounced them superior to
any that ne had ever seen. The President
of the United States is also reported to
have been go favorably impressed with the
conviction that this industry should be
built up in California that he was willing
to favor an appropriation of $50 600 from
the agricultural gifts to the States for the
encouragement Of silk culture in California
But the most happy result of the exhibit
at the Centennial was the interest created
in the minds OF a number OF influential Ia
dies, They were subsequently, induced to
organize the Women's Six Culture Asso-
citation of the United States, having for its
object the gratuitous dissemination OF in
formation en- this subject, and the building
up of silk culture as an American industry
for the benefit of American women.
CALIFORNIA SILK CULTURE ASSOCIATION.
While women at the East are moving to
build up this new industry, large number
of patriotic ladies IN California are moving
in the same direction. 1t will be remem-
bersd that the years 1879 and 1850 saw
thousands Of our people unemployed. Men
paraded the streets of our cities asking for
work. Hungry women and children were
begging for bread. Mrs. 7. II. Hittsll, Of
San Francisco, read = paper before the
Horticultural Society, showing the import
ance of silk culture. Another article on