The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-09-18
rAE MoRus MuLrl6AuLIe MAMA.
A Day When the People Went Wild Over
the Question of ''sIIk- Culture
[Harper's MagazinsJ

Day When the People Went Wild Over
the Question of 'sIIk- Culture"
LHarper's Magazines
The year 1925 marked the origin of
the Morus Multicaulis mania, which
ragged as fever from 1880 until it cu1-
minated and collapsed in 1889. Con-
gress had referred an inquiry, on silk
culture, in 1925, to the committee on
agriculture, which, in 1928, reported in
favor of its promotion, stating in the
report that the imports of silk goods
ports of breadstuffs-a fact scarcely
credible now. The same Iyear Gideon
B. Smith, of Baltimore, planted there
what is claimed to have been the first
Morus Multicaulis tree in America. The
secretary of the treasury Richard Rush,
was directed to provide a manual on
silk-culture, and the famous Crush Let
ter" was accordingly issued in 1923, to-
gether with several other treatises, and
circulated broadcast. In 1880 an arti-
Gle by a DR.. PascaliS, on the Morus
Multicaulis, in The American Journal of
Science, directly started the mulberry
fever. The Massachusetts, legislature in
1881 provided for manual of silk-cult-
ure, which was made by manufact-
urer of Dedham, Mr.. Cobb, and most of
premiums on trees, cOcoonS and reeled
Silk-commonly 10 cents a pound on
cocoons and 90 cents on silk.
A report to congress in 1880 proposed
a grant of $40, 600 to one NJ OHIO
mergue for the establishment of a nor
NAL school of flature at Philadelphia,
whore sixty young men might have gra-
tuitous instruction for two years, and
for travelling about the country to teach
silk growing to farmers; and this silk
bill, F" though defeated in 1892, and re-
ported against as unconstitutional in
1885, would not down till 1887, when
still another committee reported as
substitute scheme to lease public lands
without rent for the cultivation of the
mulberry tree or the sugar beet
The whole country now went wild.
The fever seemed only to get fresh fuel
of excitement from the panic of 1887.
Orchards of the Multicaulis were
planted in every state; farmers every
where set their wives and children to
feeding worms; multitudinOus books,
public documents, periodicals on silk
culture constituted the bulk of the read
ing Of the day; stock companies for
raising and manufacturing silk sprang
up like puff balls; silk conventions were
held and United States Silk society
was organized.
A thrifty nurseryman on Long Island
gave help to the excitement by a canny
plan. After selling considerable sup
ply of the trees to New England dealers,
he started off one night by the Provi-
eagerness made the rounds of all his
customers, excitedly offering so cents
apiece for trees. OF course he didn't
get them, but he presently was able to
sell all he had for 81 instead Of so cents
apiece. In Burlington, n. j., over $780,
900 trees were raised and sold; in De-
cember, 1888, offerings at 81 per tree or
per tWig were refused at Boston sales,
and So was sometimes got for trees one
season old.
1t was satisfactorily proved-again on
paper-that an acre OF trees was good
for 81 900 worth Of silk, but the price
of trees had no relation to fig
ures, even the most rose-colored.
One farmer sold S., 900 worth of trees
from three-quarters of an acre. In a
single week in Pennsylvania $500, 900
worth were sold. In 1889 the bubble
Among them was the speculative Long
Islander. He had caught the disease by
which he had profted, and had sent an
agent to France with $50, 900 to buy
1000, 900 more trees. When they came
they were worth part of cent apiece
for pea-brush.
Some spectators endeavored to get !
even with fate by shipping cargo from
the east to Indiana by way of New |
Orleans in an unseaworthy ship heavily |
insured, but the goods unfortunately
reached their destination Multitudes |
of men were ruined by the crash. But |
Americans have a faculty of falling on |
their feet, and some of the unhappy |
mulberry growers of the thirties became
the successful manufacturers of later |
days.
Tohar,4,v,,r :, 4 ooid.utoI Hrork