The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-06-05
LOYAL WOMlNS WORK
Silk Culture Experience Meeting.
Relief Corps Notes
EcOnducled BY Kate B. sacr,oooda

Silk culture for women is becoming an Inn
poFtant industry throughout the United States,
the Women's Silk Culture Association, 1928
Chestnut street, Philadelphia, having done
great good in disseminating knowledge of the
subject and ia stimulating industrial workers
TO give it careful and systematic attention. In
California particularly, where all the conditions
of soil and climate are most favorable, wonderful
results have been accomplished, while in the
South and East many are prosecuting the work
with much encouragement.
The fact having been early established that
cocoons can be produced In paying quantities,
the problem that presented itself was how to
have these reeled in sufficient quantities to keep
pace with the supply, there being no steam
flatures in this section of the country, and the
hand-reels used being inadequate to the in
creasing task. AT this juneture the firm OF
Strawbridge 81 Clothier, Philadelphia, came to
the aid of the association, and introduced into
Horticultural Hall, Philadelphia, a foreign
steam reel, whose operations have been VII
messed by curious thousands at the silk culture
exhibition held there. By means of this inge-
nious piece of mechanism the continuous de-
velopment of the silk from the worm through
the successive STAGES OF the cocoon, the reeled
silk and the woven fabric becomes an assured
fact, and promises TO be great American in
duStTy, in which women shall play the leading
part
The Women's Silk Culture Association, at
the exhibition named, announced the award OF
the third annual premiums. offered by the firm
named, TO silk culturists throughout the United
States and it is significant To note that while,
on the first OCCASION the number of contestants
was twenty-six from four States on the sec
ond, thirty-three from eleven States; this year
there were seventy-seven competitors from
twenty States. And now, the association has
prepared a memorial TO Congress indorsing the
nf Gill
and establishing silk culture stations under the
direction of the National Government. Should
this be done, it viii go far towards answering
the important question, What shall we do with
our superiiuous worms?
The premiums awarded for the year 1888
were ten in number, of which two went TO New
jersey, three TO Pennsylvania, one to Indiana,
one 10 Ohio, one to Missouri, and two TO Cali
fornia. White mulberry was used in feeding,
except in Indiana, and one point in New Jersey,
where Usage orange alone was used, and IN Ohio
Usage orange and White mulberry together.
The following are the awards: First premium,
$l0a Miss L. Woolston. Pemberten, n. j.. sec
Ond premium, SO, Messrs. Rienze Mantz,
San JOse Cal; third premium, s75 Mrs. A. III.
Williams, Riverton. n j.; fourth premium,
$50. Miss Anna IL MantZ San jose, Cal; fifth,
premium, $50 Miss Clara S. Lewis. Virgil City,
no; sixth premium, $50. Mrs George Derr,
Germantown, Pa; seventh premium, 8,
Mrs. W. Hayes, Chester. Pa; eighth premium,
$50, Nrs. Augostoria, Philadelphia, Pa; ninth
premium, Ss5, Mrs Anna Husted, Liberty, Ind;
tenth premium, $40, Mrs. II. B. Lowery. Ports
moEih, Ohio. Ia making the awards there was
taken into consideration the number of cocOons
to the quarter pound, the yield in reeling, and
the ounces of waste.
Correspondents of TIE TRIBUNE who have
made inquiries as 10 the methods and statistics
Of the new industry, would do wei to place
themselves in correspondence with the assoeia-
tion named. the officers OF which, without sala-
res or profits, are doing so much for this prom.
( isiBg field Of women's work, and in ultimately
securing sure employment and certain profit
/ in a pleasant and rapidly -enlaTging field o.
/ labor.