The morning call., 1892-03-21
SILKWORM CULTURE.
A New Impetus Given to a Worthy
State Industry.
The Worlds Fair Commission Asks the Ladies'
Society for Silk Culture Exhibit
at Chicago.

The announcement that the contracts
have been let for the erection of new
satisfactory at Petaluma naturally lends
interest to the renewed agitation fer State
and national recognition Of the exceptional
advantages of California for the production
OF the raw material, which is now almost
exclusively imported from China and Japan.
Among a number of ladies who have
taken lively interest i'll the matter is
Mrs. w. i. Ever of this city. In con-
yersation with a CALL reporter Mrs.
Ever said: I'VE as a society are striving
to develop silk culture in the State. We
have about eight acres Of land at Piedmont
planted in mulberry trees which are thriv-
ing well. Every year we renew our expert
ments. We raise quantities of as fine
eocoons as are raised anywhere in the
world. Among the ladies engag ed III the
WORK are: Mrs. William Kirk OF Oakland,
president OF the society; Mrs. f. p. Keeney,
secretary; Mrs Theodore Hittell, Mrs.
Harry Il. Williams, Mrs. Barclay, Mrs.
Paris Kilburn and quite a number OF others.
The organization is called the Ladies
Silk Culture Society,"
ENCOURAGEMENT
eve encourage farmers wives, people liv-
ing in the country places and who have
grounds, to 20 into the business of raising
cOcOOns, which can easily be done IN about
six weeks Or two months. The work comes
In between planting and harvesting and does
not interfere with farm work at all. 1t is
light and pleasant work and children can en-
gage in it.
For the last two years we have had no
appropriation from the regular Government
or the State and this has limited our work.
We have applied Tor help aud made every
effort TO get assistance Of this kind. Among
other things we are trying to get the reels
now locked up in the basement of the Phelan
building. There was a State Board of Silk
Culture few years ago, but when it went
out Of existence the reels were stored away.
You would be surprised to hear how
many people In the southern part of the
State are interested in silk culture, and only
want encouragement TO take uD the work
Systematically. They want to get these
reels. but 10 one can get them without OF
fetal sanction. The Worlds Fair Commits
sion at Chicago has written. asking us what
we are going to do in the matter. Governor
Mark ham and Mr.. Waite have promised us
that the subject shall receive prompt atten-
t!0n, but so far we have heard nothing.
EXPERIMENTS TO BE RESUMED.
cit is very near the time when our expert
ments will be resumed. By the way, there
is silk factory now IN operation on Steven
son street, in this city. Some Of our mem
bers visited it and gave very interesting
account of il. The proprietor does not
weave the silk from the cocoons, but I'M
ports it on reels from China and Japan.
1t is about ten years since Mrs. HitteH
suggested the Introduction Of silk culture
so as to get poor women something to do.
We have planted some ramie at Oakland to
sea If the worms will eat il. | am sorry to
be obliged to say that if the State does not
help us we cannot advise people 10 raise
cocoOns when there is no market for them.
So long as the State helped us and bought
the cocoons and sent them 10 Washington
we could get along. but up to the present
time the matter seems 10 have dropped en-
tirey.
The climate of California is exactly
suited to silk-raising and there ought to be
no question about the cost of labor. 1t is
women and children's work"
Among those who hold a prominent place
in the annals of California silk-raising is
MIR. Joseph Newman OF this city, He is the
pioneer of The movement aud has paid
special attention to the culture of the native
silkwO