Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-10-10
sIbKoULruRB AND M 4SUFA orUsB

h Editor Gdgstto % Journal: As the above
caption expresses the objects OF the Del
virmer Silk Association, and as to many
minds the word ''silk" suggests only the
mulberry witchcraft of so years ago, q
few words as to the radically changed
conditions of the silk industry in this
country, but Of which 80 many people
are still oblivious, may not be uninter-
esting to your readers. When told that
between 400 and 800 silk manufactures
of various grades are now hourishing in
the United States, nine in every ten per.
sons receive the abatement with wids-eyed
wonder.
But rs supply cannot keep pace with
demand, in any part of the world, in
Bericeous productions, those familiar with
the worlds leading industries are not
surprised that this most interesting ore
is rapidly increasing in this country, and
must continue to do 80 for many years to
come.
There arc no more beautiful products
of human skill, taste and inventive genius
than those which depend upon that won.
derful insect, the silk worm, and none in
which our own people and climate may
more hopefully compete with the world.
The widespread prejudice born OF the
misses an opportunity to hurl q stone ut
''Hilk Culture in America" 1t ia oil
right in China, Japan, Italy, France,
Germany, Siberia, anywhere on the face
OF the earth, except this country, where,
forsooth, our grandfather once made q
bad venture, in agricultural For the
speculation referred to was almost purely
an agricultural one. Trees had been
cold at So piece. Why, wasn't that
better than raising wheat and corD2
Ideas OF permanent demand for null
berry trees, and their ultimate utility,
were exceedingly misty. There was no
demand for silk couoons in this
,ountry; and the three essential cognates,
mulberry trees, oocoons and silk manu-
actories were scarcely thought OF in con-
iection. Now the American market is
wholly changed. Millions OF dollnra
worth Of raw silk ia annually imported;
ard there Is an actual scarcity Of it Gil
over the world! It is o product OF such
intrinsic value, so easily portable, and
requiring withsl, such combination OF
skill and intelligence Tor it's production,
that there never can DO, undar any cir.
cumstances. surplus of It. We should
as soon think OF general surplus of
gold, diamonds, prime butter or 'oysters.
But the browning fallaoy on this sub
feet, is the impression that silk produc-
tion can nowhere be profitable, except
where the masses are ignorant, and can
live on FIVE cents day.
Those who entertain this notion may
not understand that it is not the people,
but silk worms that produce the silk. In
the care and management of these, the
oonntry people OF Asia and Europe follow
out their national habits of unreasoning,
routine end crude methods.
The worm, under ordinary care, is the
came everywhere, and, in spite of human
awkwardness, produces his one cocoon as
perfectly as Americas higher intelli
Rence, through improved mechanical Rp.
plianees, can enable millions to produce
them, and no more SO. Where the essen
tial conditions, good eggs, good food
pure air and intelligent management car
produce one pound of coooons, the SAINT
conditions will produce millions Of
pounds. That is the axiom upon which
the Delvirmar Silk Association bases IT.
plan for co.ordinating silk culture will
silk manufacture. In this unique eifor
we are not ignoring any of the teaching
% history, nor the existence Of any ascer
tanned facts or principles. On the con
trary, we are deliberately aiming t
utilize, as far as possible, all these.
SILK ANALYSIS.
When that beautiful, animated bottl
OF liquid silk, the mature worm, com
mences to weave his Hilken tomb, tn
liquid RAINING through q fine canal Oh
each side of his body, is spun out b,
two wonderful little spinnerets on tn
sides Of his mouth into two delicate fila
ments which Immediately unite and ad
here in one double thread Of extreme fine
ness.
When analysed, each OF these minut
flaments ia found to consist of centrn
< core OF ''fibrin" and covering o
4 ''sericin" or silk albumen, with it'll
waxy and coloring matter. The cor
stituents of fbrin are: Carbon 15
hydrogen 90, nitrogen s, and oxygen
by weight. This constitutes 60 per cen
M Of the filament.
The constituents Of the covering, sci
N icin, are: Carbon, Is; hydrogen, 2E
nitrogen, 8, and oxygen, 8; forming 3
per cent of the silk hbrin; leaving 2 pc
cent Of waxy and coloring matter TO max
up the total 100 pcr cent of each Rlsmer
OF silk.
This spinning ond doubling and glr
4 ing together of the two tllaments in ont
silk manufacture.
W. In Keeling from the cocoon, the huina
Ell hand or an automatic machine unite
from three to FIVE CT these double fibre
& in the understandable article, raw reele
6# silk-oalled raw because UNFINISHED.
The next step in manufacture, Gale
throwing" consists in first winding IL
~ raw fibre on bobbins; second, twisting
in 'singles" or "tram" (once doubled
or "organzine" doubled second time
M While "single" the raw silk is tho
oughly secured to remove tho gun
Reeled silk is taken from perfe
cocoons. Imperfect and pierced oocool
(from which the butterfly has forced h
way out), and waste silk IRE carded
w combed and the heeoy product spul
i6k One ounce of % grams OF the eggs
s the yellow annual race, preferrt
" in this country, contains 81 900 egg
These are Matched about the 18th
e May, and the worms feed Rbont So day
They then seek a corner and spin Il
coooons around themselves, sealing Il
inner surface over with wax, oceupyin
@ five or six deys in completing this tom
vs. The cocoon is OF the size, shape OIL
color OF large peanut. In this, what
left OF the worm quickly assumes Il
2 form of the chrysalis, smooth, round, Ion
# pointed, brown in color, which in eig
to ten days develops into a white butte
W fly, and ejecting an alkaline hnid again
the head end of the cocoon pushes itst
out into the world again, for the &c
IM ,,urnnua 0} rAnrnduntfoT, fNha-y not not