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

delay as possible. 1t began its work In
May last, too late to give all the assurance
to culturists throughout the State that
they needed, that there would be market
for their product but in time to remuner-
ate all who prosecuted the work. The
State Board, fortunately, is not limited to
any one department of the enterprise.
Whatever will contribute to encourage and
establish this great industry receives en-
couragement It procures seed, cuttings
and young rooted mulberry trees, and the
best varieties of silk.worm eggs, which II
supplies gratuitously or for a nominal
price, in limited quantities, to all appn'
cants. 1t collects and sends abroad IN
formation of great value to the people, IL
has opened its
PILATURE AND sILK.REELING SCHOOL,
And given instruction in the art of Keeling
to ten Young ladies' who will be able next
year to act as independent reelers. 1t is
intended to educate and prepare teachers
for the orphan and charitable institutions
of California, go that their inmates may
help to support themselves by means OF
silk culture and silk reeling 1t Is the
hope of the State Board that 1t may be
able to Law foundations for hlatures IN Los
Angeles, San Jose, Stockton, Sacramento
and perhaps other parts of the State. 1t
has already received and paid for 59l
pounds of cocoons and produced about
thirty pounds of beautiful silk, which Is
said by manufacturers to be of an excellent
quality. In addition to what has been re-
ceived at the filature, 100 pounds of CO.
coons have been sent East by one of our
silk raisers in San Jose. Not less than 700
pounds of cocoons were raised this year.
EXPERIMENTAL STATION.
An experimental station is one of the
projects of the State Board, where null
berry trees adapted to any climate shall be
planted and cultivated according to the
best known principles, the different varie-
ties of the silk-worms be treated, suitable
cocoonery created as a model for the State,
and where parties wishing instruction in
silk culture are to be taught in all the mys-
tery of this wonderful industry. For such
a station not less than 100 acres, suitably
located and accessible by railroad, will be
requisite. Those who have a suita be tract
of such land W )uld be benefactors, not only
to California but to our whole country, by
donati it to the State Board for such pa
triotic object The number of persons who
will enter upon the work next year is not
known, but the applications for aid are
many. Not less than twenty thousand
cuttings and trees will be needed to supply
those whose requests are already on file.
A SELF SUSTAINING FILATURE.
The State Filature already established
has two steam reels and one hand reel. 1t
is estimated that six or eight new reels will
be needed for next years operations. Now
that this institution has been established
by the State, and the product of the people
can be utilized, there is no reason why
every farmer should not encourage his fam
lily to engage in the work. As soon as the
product of the State will be sufficient to
keep forty reels in operation, the flature
will have become self-sustaining, and the
generosity of the State will have made silk
culture one Of our most profitable indus
tries.
THE BEST SILK. RAISERS,
Silk culture is the special work of
women, girls, young boys, the intirm and
aged persons. There are so few industries
for women that this great enterprise would
seem to be a godsend to them. We are
assured that any mother, with the aid of
two or three children, can earn $50 in the
six weeks required for raising silk-worms.
She can do this without interfering with
her ordinary household duties. There is no
hard work about it. After two or three
years successful experiments she can in
crease the sum earned to $500 or $500. But
for earning such sum, she would need the
help of one or two men for couple of
weeks.
HOW To BEGIN THE WORK.
As so many are now anxious to enter
upon silk culture, we think it best, in this,
our New Years greeting to state few
facts that may contribute to their success.
The first thing is to plant a few mulberry
trees. The best kind is the mOrlts abb,
or white mulberry, of which there are
many varieties. They should be get out as
a hedge, about ten feet apart, near the
house, around the garden or In rows by
the roadside. In two years the first expe-
riment in raising silk can be made. Fifty
trees are enough to begin with. Cuttings
are better than seed they root easily and
grow rapidly. They should be trimmed
down, and not allowed to grow higher than
ten feet, SO that the leaves can be easily
picked by young persons. As the indus
trees should be grown as near to the home
as possible. The next step in preparation
is a suitable room for cocoonery, airy and
clean. In Europe housewives often use
garrett, or some other part of their houses
but it is better to have cocoonery. A
building 20x40 feet would suffice to rear
100, 900 worms. The building can be used
ten months in the year as storeroom,
carriage house, or for some other farm pur-
pose. For silk culture it could only be
needed in May and June.
ADVANTAGES OF SILK CULTURE.
This industry is capable of giving en-
ployment to every unemployed woman and
girl in the State. 1t is pleasant and profit
able, and just suited to fill up leisure
hours in all our rural homes. The women
and children of the family can earn a nice
little sum of money for themselves. They
can thus contribute something to the pro-
ductive wealth of the State; they can
make themselves rich and their homes
happier for industrious homes are happier
than the homes of the idle. Vast numbers
of our boys and girls are proftatly en-
ployed a few weeks in the year in fruit
canning; but this gives no steady work
w uGn Gin CulbuiG OGCOlllcS StDbIAI III lib
State it will give work for two months to
all these idle hands. Then when the can.
ming season is over the rest of the year can
be proftably employed in silk reeling,
either at home, or in come filature for
failures must eventually become estsb-
lshed institutions in different parts of the
State, in which tens OF thousands of our
daughters will find permanent, pleasant
and profitable employment. The best
ladies in France and other European
countries may be found engaged in silk
culture every year. France and Italy
make nearly one hundred millions of dollars
annually by this industry and nearly all
the work is performed by women and
Young people. The demand for raw silk is
immense. The manufactures of the world
require about four hundred million dollars
worth every year, and this demand is in
creasing. The factories in the United
States produce eighty milliond dollars worth
OF silk fabrics annually.
OUR AMERICAN SILKS
Are becoming popular in Europe, and Cal
ifornia- grown silk is attracting favorable
attention in all parts of the civilized world.
The women of the State have it in their
Al