Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-09-04
SILK CULTURE.
Tho Ups and Downs OF a Wonderful In
dustry,

dustry.
From the American Journal Of Fabrics.l
Since the discovery of silk by the
Chinese Empress, nearly 5000 years
before the Christian era, it has enjoyed
undisputed supremacy among all ma
berials for clothing purposes, being the
strongest, the most beautiful, and the
costliest of fibers. Within very re-
cent period or three years past
that supremacy has been seriously
threatened for the first time, owing to
the rise of fashionable demand by
the gentler sex for the moro robust
materials hitherto almost ex, lusively
devoted to the garments of men. The
less Sc .luded life of women and their
increasing participation in the con cerns
of the world have at last secured q
permanent place in their requirements
for the better protecting fabrics of
wool, silk being more relegated to the
life within doors. There is again, how
ever, a revival of demand for silks, es-
pecially black silks, in connection with
the fashion for jet. Eow far this may
extend or how far it may lead to would
be difficult to conjecture. Suffice it to
say that manufacturers are better en-
ployed than for some time past, and
this fact, in conjunction with the near
approach of the new crop of raw silk,
makes o consideration OF the present
outlook both interesting and timely.
For more than 1900 years the secret
of silk production was jealous Y guard
ed in China, and it was only introduced
into Europe through the wiles of Per-
sian monks about $50 B. c., Greece
becoming the center of manufacture.
The industry did not reach Italy until
the twelfth century, when it located in
Palermo, Sicily; afterward in Venice
in the thirteenth century, and at Ly-
ons, in France, in the sixteenth centu-
ry. Although the common people of
China were clothed in silk, it was al-
ways costly article in Europe. In
the third century it was worth its
weight in gold at Rome, AMI was worn
only by the noblest families. The ex-
tension of silk culture, however, in
Europe, combined with improved meth
DDS of Keeling and manufacturing it, ul-
timately brought prices within the reach
of the many.
Southern Europe proved to be we'll
adapted for producing silk, and had
the conditions remained favorable in
every respect there would have been
little need now of large importations
from the East. But the silk-worm has
been attacked by disease that has cut
down the crop more than one-half, and
consequently the importations from
China and Japan have again increased.
But the disease did rot confine itself to
Europe. Since 1879 silk has fallen off
in China from the same cause. The
decline was large in 1882, and in 1883
the quantity fit for export was only
one-half of the average amount. Lyons
depends almost entirely upon Oriental
silk. The production of Europe and
Western Asia is now frequently less
than 100000 Kilograms, of which
France furnishes 100000 Kilograms
and Italy 100000, Syria, Persia, Aus
tria, and Algiers contributing most of
the rest. The importations from East
ern Asia by Europe average under
100000 kilograms, of which about
1000, 900 are from China, and the re-
mainder from Japan and Brit sh India.
The United States, like England in
this respect, are entirely dependent
upon foreign sources for raw silk, the
amount of native product being too
small to be felt. The importations
have increased from $1] 1886, sos in 1881
to $l5, l57, 400 in 1885. In the former
year considerably more than one-half
was brought from China, and but little
more than one third from Japan, the
rest being from Europe, but in the lat
ter year the proportions We're nearly
reversed, the amount from China being
less than half that from Japan, the
importation from the former even be-
ing exceeded by that from Europe.
The following, compiled from the Silk
Association reports, exhib is the
changes referred to: