The Washington critic., 1890-02-11
SILK WORM CULTURE.
INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF A NEW
AMERICAN INDUSTRY.
NJ takes $1,000, 900 Pounds of Coooons
to Produce the Raw SILK Used in
This Country hnuaiiy-SeCretary
Rusk's Busy Department.


60 Produce the Raw SILK Used in
Ihis Country AhnuaIiy-Secretary
Husk's Busy Department
Tie sum of $4,000 was appropri.
alCd for the use of the Agricultural
Department this year, for the
encouragement and advancement of
silk culture in America a large
consignment of silk.worm eggs, just re-
ccivod from abroad, will be distributed
graiuitously to all persons desiring
them who make proper application to
the Secretary of Agriculture The dis
tribulion of these eggs takes place in
the spring, just at the time when the
food plants are lcaiing out silk worms
can be successfully fed only upon the
leaves of the Usage orange (thc common
hedge plant of the West or those of
the mulberry. Persons who have neither
of these at their disposal should not ap-
ply, as il is impossible to raise the worm
without them. Accompanying each
shipment of eggs will be supply of
pamphlets and circulars of instruction
upon the subject. so that the best re.
suits obiainablc may he realized from
the Efforts Of the Department in this
behalf
The silk division of the Agricul
tural Department is situated in the In
dustrial Annex, on Twelfth street, aud
is well worth visit Ii is in charge of
Mr.. Philip Walker, gentleman of
thorough experience in the business,
both theoretically and practically, hay.
ing seen q number of years service in
some of the largest silk mills Of France.
The division was inaugurated in 1891,
and It's establishment was the first active
step taken in America toward the prac-
teal encouragement of silk culture. at
first but $4,000 was appropriated an.
nually for the purpose. This amount
has since been doubled but Is still in.
significantly small when the Importance
of the object is seriously considered.
Regarding the future of the silk in
dustry in this country, Mr.. Walker
said that he had recently been before
the Committee of Ways and Means
giving his views on matters concerning
tariff regulations ON silk and that he
would rather not touch upon the point,
as he desired that nothing he might say
would be construed as intended to influ-
encc or anticipate the conclusions of
that committee. The fact is we'll
known. however, that there is no tariff
on raw silk while the manufacturers are
heavily protected.
Mr.. Walker said: This division is
more in the nature of an expert
mental manufacturing concern than
anything else. 1t was established
principally with view to perfecting
machinery for the automatic reeling of
raw silk from the cocoon. We think
that we arc in Il fair way to get good
machine, and, If we do, it will be the
first one ever successfully operated in
the world. The principle of the ma
chine VIC got from an American named
Serrell, living in France Our i'm.
provemcuis have been entirely in the
mechanical details of the machine.
We have had running since 1886 a silk
iilaturc. which is open TO the public.
"Wc buy American cocoons from all
over the country They are raised a
little bit in almost every State and
Territory. We bought this year from
forty-two States aud Territories. The
principal States, however, arc Kansas,
Missouri, Ohio and Illinois, in the order
named, Kansas has State appropria
tion for the encouragement of silk cul
turc, which is the cause of its promi
ncnce in the industry.
I'VE produced this year about 10000
pounds of silk cocoons in the country,
whereas ii would take about GA, ,000, ,00C
of pounds TO produce the raw silk we
consume in this country annually.
we all begin raising silkwormF
here this year about the middle of April
and for month after that we shall have
silkworms on exhibition down stairs
This will be the first time worms have
been placed down stairs where people
can see them and in all ages. A place
has been arranged for them. Hereto
fore only afew have been raised for on
own experimental purposes and they
were not exhibited.
When the silk section of the Depart
mcnt was first started 81. 10 per pount
was the ruling price in America 70
silk cocoons. The Department estah
lished that price at the time, and hav
paid il ever since. The price here doe
not huctuate like it does in some coun
tries because Of the limited market, bu
nevertheless it has gone far below 81, 10
and remained there much of the time
but il is now slightly in advance of tn
Government price. The object of tn
Department is to maintain good AM
steady price for cocoons, but not sucI
price as will be considered bounty.
A cocoon is small globular fuzz
object about the size and shape of a
ordinary double. iointed peanut, whic
ii very much resembles few feet away
Cocoons arc either a light cream colo
or white, and it is the shell of tin
cocoon OF peanut that is silk and
woven by the worm from one singl
thread. The end of this thread, whic
is no bigger than that of a spiders wei
is placed around a wheel and the she
unraveled like our grandmothers Ill
rayclcd old fashioned wOolen stockings
When a reel Is filled the skein
doubled and twisted, and then the ra'
silk is ready for market. The cream
colOred cocoon produces raw silk of th
same color, while the others produC
white skeins. The natural cream colo
of the silk is not fast, and soon change
to white. Cocoons must be assorted
cleaned and the fuzzy taken from thel
before they are ready to be unraveled {
wound into skcins.
A new room has recently been pr
pared for Matching eggs, where worn
will soon be rapidly produced. I'll
place is very light and well ventilated
and to this room the public is not az
mitted.
A new fiftcen.horse engine and larl
boiler were put in during last SUNNI,
and supply ample power for the IN
chiDery and heat for all the Offices
the Industrial Annex. All the raw sill
produced in Washington is sold in Ne
York and made into sewing silk.
MERRY MAKING MAsKERs.