Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-02-20
PRODUCTION OF SILK.
The Amount of Material Required in q
Plain SILK Dress.


Plain SILK Dress.
1t may interest some of our readers
not familiar with the subject if we give
Few particulars regarding the produc-
ton of the silk necessary to form a silk
dress.
The raw material of wool or cotton
fabrics is cheap and easily procurable.
The former is shorn from the backs of
countless flocks of sheep, which produce
abundantly with little help or attention,
from man. The latter is gathered
abundantly from the cotton-plant, which
is cultivated extensively in many parts
of the world. 1t is sold at marvelously
low price.
The production of silk is an entirely
different affair. The raw material can
only be obtained in very small guam
titles, and thousands of silk worms must
be killed before one pound of pure silk
can be got.
To produce sufficient silk to make a
dress requires more time and capital
than most people would imagine. II
we take one and one-quarter pounds as
thu weight of pure silk required this
would be equal to two pounds OF raw
silk. To produce two pounds of raw
silk would require the entire silk OBJ
aimed from 1000 to 5000 worms, allow
ing percentage for death by disease
and other casualties. 1t may be inter-
esting to state that these young worms
when newly Matched would scarcely
weigh one-quarter of an ounce, yet in the
course of their life, which only lasts some
thirty to thirty-five days, they will con-
sumo about 800 to 400 pounds of leaves
and increase in weight about 8, 900 times.
Consumers of silk will not wonder at its
high value when they consider that to
raise two pounds of raw silk so much
time and money is required. Besides
the original cost of the eggs or young
worms, they require feeding at regular
intervals daily with mulberry leaves
and consume the above weight Of leaves
during their life. This is a large item
of expense if the cultivator does not
grow and gather his own leaves, but is
compelled to purchase them.
With unremitting care and attention
the worms arrive at maturity and
commence spinning their cocoons
about thirty to thirty-fve days from
Matching, producing gross weight OF
twenty to twenty-five pounds dncluding
both silk and worms), this being reduced
to two pounds after Keeling.
When the worms are ready for spin
ming bushes of broom or other light ma
terial are placed near, into which the
worms ascend and spin the cccoons
among the branches.
A few days after the cocoons are
gathered and sorted into various quail
ties, then placed in steam-box or sub
jected to great heat to kill all the
worms This prevents the silk moths
from escaping by piercing the cocoons
which would spoil them for reeling pur
poses.
After killing the worms the Keeling
begins, which consists in placing mum
Der of cocoons in hot water, and ther
Joining the threads of four or five
cocoons together, the whole being
wound round reel, and thus made into
SLIPS" or hanks of fine silk in the raw
state. The process of reeling is very
slow, one reeler only being able to at
tend two lots of cocoons, and in thi!
manner reeling eight to twelve ounces
of raw silk per day or two pounds fol
three days.
Two threads are wound around the
cocoon by the worm simultaneously
these are attached together by the gun
in the silk, and are very fine-fron
1900 to 1000 single threads can be lait
side by side in one inch; but although
SO fine one single thread will supper
about half an ounce without breaking
and SO light that fifteen pounds of the
single fiber would encircle the world.
The strictest attention, the gentles
care and extreme cleanliness are re
CURED during the time of rearing thu
worms or disease may appear and carr!
off the whole brood.
Under the foregoing conditions of pro
duction the cost of silk can not be re
garded as excessive, considering tn,
cost of production to obtain the small
quantity required to produce sill
ress.-Chicago Times.
OuINEcE ENOMnkaN