Wichita eagle., 1888-12-12
Boston Store.

question. why cannot we grow it, and
what stands in the way OF our saving TINS
immense wealth The department OF agrl-
culture sent me last spring for experiment
One-fourth an ounce of the yellow variety
of silk worm eggs which all Matched out
about the first of May. They were so
small then that | did not undertake to
count Them but estimated them Subse-
Guently to be about 5000. They Matched
out at the time the Usage hedge leaves
commenced to grow and feed them three
times a dav for thrty-four dayS-ail the
leaves they would eat. The first day they
did not consume over one handful of leaves
and occupied "A space on a newspaper spread
on the table about one foot square. The
next day | fed them two handfuls and
spread them out by scattering the leaves
over a larger space until the table was
covered and finally al the floor OF the
room, being fed on the surface of newspa-
pers it WIS easy to divide and handle them
as they never attempt to crawl oil
when well fed.
The leaves | gathered in the morning
after the sun had dried the dew off, enough
leaves for each days feed, which ! put III
paper -four sacks and kept the
mouth closed to keep them from dryingout
gathering each succeeding day double
what did the day before the last day 1t
required eleven sacks full. The shoots are
then quite large and III Il measure make up
the amount required, 10y taking only the
new growth | experienced no difficulty in
getting scratched with the thornS, coca
Sionaliy a worm will get pierced by Il
thorn but this is a triiiing loss. In feed
ing the leaves are scattered evenly on the
backs of the worms when they immediate
" crawl on top and commence feeding.
The noise the worms make in eating re
sembles the continued falling OF fine ram.
Each time they climb onto the leaves 30
4 e Is.nY az.
with the fingers on to clean papers, s" the
litter can be exposed, which should be
thrown on the ground under the hedges to
keep up the fertility of the soil. In feeding
silk worms bear in mind the better you
feed them the larger and stronger the silk
will be. and if allowed TO hatch, the larger
and more numerous the eggs Will be
When the worms have finished their
growth they remain quiet for IA few hours
to digest ali the food IN their bodies, then
hunt for a suitable place to spin their
Sllken cases or COcOOnS, which occupies
them about three DAYS time. During the
next seven days they transform into Il
butterfly or miller. During that time, if
the silk is to be ruled, the chrysaiis should
be destroyed, which can be done by suS-
pending them in an open bag, over boil
ing water some thirty minutes.
1t required about half an hour each day
dav TO gather the leaves and half an hour
to feed and remove the litter-in all about
forty hours. or four days time OF ten
hours, having nine pounds of cOcoons,
worth 81 a pound. | feceived - a day for
my tiiile spent and 81 for the eggs used.
Being mostly all profit, and but small in
the amount il occurred to me that ii |
could extend this labor over all the season
il would be quite profitable. Certainly
the hedges keep growing all summer,
especially when pTuned for leaves, AID
1 H.. Il,
unit, needed and hatch them out as re
Quirea. ] wrote to Aon. Philip Walker, of
the department Of agriculture, ana he in
/ formed me that there was no difficulty III
that respect provided the eggs were kept at
/ temperature Of 40 degrees-they viii not
/ hatch until placed under higher temper
! allure.
As mulberry IS principally grown in
European countries ana completes its
annual growth early in the season, this
method cannot be adopted there at present.
! II we can grow five TO ten crops in one sea
son we need no duty placed on cocOons.
In hand ruling silk SIX TO eight cocoOnS
are placed in a saucer of warm water and
the ends secured together on 4 reel, which
/ i turned with one hand while the other
hand adds new coCoonS as they are TN
wound leo of which are unwound in a
day for ten ounces OF reeied silk.
the Wichita board OF trade having on some
coo cOcOons each were cent 10 Cincinnati
and while on exhibition somc were given
To the depar ment of agriculture to reel
and they pronounced them of superior
quality. Near the close Of the exposition
MIR Pierce employed an expert French
lady 10 reel portion OF the coCoous. She
sad il was a pleasure 10 reel such cOcoons
as they were the strongest aud best silk
she ever reeled. From - ounces she
reeled - ounces of silk, Just one-third
weight pure silk. while IL the old country
ii takes 81, toss pounds TO make pound
of reeled silk. Beiden Bros. pay $3.50 to
500 Il pound for reeled silk. Fer the silk
reeled at Pea body they paid premium OF
l. cents a pound. Comparatively no silk
Is reeled in America because no duty was
ever put on imported reeled silk. though
Is much time and labor Is put ca reeling
as in weaving il into plain goods which
are protected by duty of - per cent.
had duty of p per cent been placed on
and - per cent on reeled silk AT the time
~ per cent was placed on manufactured
silk goods, We wo2ld have had today le1.-
900 people engaged in silk culture and
iV1.o00 manufacturing silk thread, rib
5ous ana dress goods. Had national silk
culture been encouraged and developed IL
/ haNe taken SUPREMACY from coouon ami
9oub,sesS have averted the late civil war
W tn proper announcement noy IN very
rev years Il may ba made tht. leading anu
most profitable Industry in Kansas
II my new plan Of growing silk Succ aadS
as believe * VIII, 800 pounds represent