The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-23
SUCCESS IN SILK CULTURE.

oil the Blk pfOuuCl anu thab poV'Oi
system Of turning the agricultural
product into commercial raw silk pre-
vailed. New officers we're elected, all
Of them women. The statistics OF the
country show that, as the States grow
older, there is an increase OF the
female population over that Of the
males. The statistics also show that
there is q large increase OF I'M
married women. These facts indicate
that rs the country grows older there
will be an increase in the number OF
women forced to support themselves.
The culture Of silk is peculiarly wo-
mans work, and this branch OF indus
try should be encouraged for
their benefit In many portions
OF the South considerable inter
est has been taken in silk
culture, and an annually increasing
number OF men, women ADD children
have engaged in planting mulberry
trees and In raising silkwotms. As
yet but little has been accomplished
in the South in the direction Of the
manufacture, the principal reaeon be-
ing that the supply Of cocoons Is yet
too small and pIecarions to justify it.
There ia reason, however, to believe
that elk culture will soon bee ome a
leading industry for women in the
Southern States. The interest in silk
culture has grown steadily and with
increasing promise. In 1850 there
were sixly-ssveu silk manufacturing
establishments in the whole country,
producing goods valued at Sl,SO9,476'
BY 1860 the number Of factories had
increased TO 1870, and the value Of pro-
ducts to $6,6O7,77l. From 1869 to
1870, the decade Of the war, the mum
Der Of factories decreased, but the
value Of the output increased again to
l2,2l0,e62 in 1870. In the census
year of 1880 there were 1872 establish
ments in the United States, which
produced finished goods worth $34,-
$40 1913, or 3S per cent. OF al the silk
goods consumed by the nation.
As by far the maio part Of the raw
material used IN this native manu-
iacture was imported, and as there
does not appear any good reason why
cocoons and reeled silk should not be
rs well and az cheaply supplied here
as abroad, it is not difficult TO infer a
promising future for our home silk
farms. 1t is worth noting that in de-
voting their attention to this subject
maj ority Ct our silk experlmenters in
the South fancy chat they are pion-
eering new Southern industry, The
fac is that the productio OF silk was
among the very earliest industrial ei-
forts OF the colony Of Virginia. L.
1909 King james Of England con
signed silk worm eggs to jamestown
which failed to arrive, owing TO ship
| wreck. Later his majesty succeeded
in supplying the colonies, and the
production was stimulated at va
rious times aiterward by fines fol
not planting mulberry treeP, or by
bounties for introducing cocoont
and raw silk. A Swiss colony, which
settled in South Carolina in 1888
made some progress in raising silk
and there 10 record Of the expectation
of 25l pounds OF raw silk from NORTH
and South Carolina between 1871 anC
1855. But il cannot be said tina. tn,
industry Aourished. The condition
were favorable TO an extensive pro
duchou, but the policy Of the mothe
country forbade colonial manufacture
in the interest Of British weavsrs, ant
subsidies aud finos were alike Insult
cient TO keep Il on Its legs, Eirly i
the eighteenth century silk culture o
the Mississippi WAS a part of job
, Laws Mississippi Company scheme
, AID, in 1917, eggs and seeds for mu
, berry trees were sent to Ne
, Orleans In and about the cit
a good many trees were grown
and tradition has il that the pro-
poets for the industry were bri
, liant until the collapse of the "Sout
4 Sea bubble" produced co
Z lapse OF all the infant interests OF tn
a early town. silk culture was intr,
n duced in Georgia in 1882, and mad
some progress Queen Caroline is a
legged 10 have worn a gown OF Georg
silk on a certain state occasion, and
l. Bsvarian colony, near Savannah, a.
d pear TO have produced quite a goo
e dea' Of raw elk, as in l77l-72 il g,
II ported S7S pounds Of raw silk to En-
e land, In 1850 Georgia produced 6SI
n pounds Of coooons, aud 10000 poun,
Il in 1906 From 1850 to 1854, the sam
J. colony exported raw silk valued
1t $780, II is not necessary at this tin
e /, write Of the mulberry and elk wor
4 excitene Of later period. Il
T. here intended only to point the ia
l. that the industrial phenomen
IT which mark the organization an
Ie early history Of the Ne
II South, are largely rspstitions 9
2 a greater sclle Of the industrial ph
Is nomena Of early days in the old col
It nial South. The poor little Virgin
o hloomary whose workmen were ma
Is sacred by the indians IN 1922 has n
<. bic descendants in the guise OF gre
e furnaces and rolling.mills all over Il
It South, and let us hope that Southel
,, efforts Of the present day 10 promo
a- the elk industry may result in the e
70 tablishment Of an interest bearing