St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-07
SILK WORMS WORK.
How They Spin the Rich Cocoon
for Wife, Sweetheart and
Child.
A Fascinating Industry Now in
Full Blast at Field, Mailer
& Co.'s.

A large plumber of visitors yesterday
witnessed remarkably interesting ex-
hiDition of silk-making at Field, Mailer
& Co.'s store by an expert from the
Natchaug Silk company. A still larger
number of even more interesting spec
tators examined the extremely complete
display of silk worms in every stage of
existence and silk in every stage Of de-
velopment, from the tiny tilament to
the woven fabric ready to stand alone"
the supreme test of excellence.
The exhibit was prepared by Prof.
Dean, Of Brooklyn, who prepared the
one for the Smithsonian institute, and
is very entertainlngly eXpounded 10y
Mr.. McAvoy, of the Natcnaug COM
pany. 1t is fair to state that all the
FieId-Mahler people from L. A. Field
in his palatial store and Frank Schlick
Jr., who is now chasing alligatorS in the
WildS of Southern Florida, down to the
the little kid who checks the umbrellas
at the door on rainy day, are becoming
experts in all that pertains to silk
worms, mulberry leaves. cocoons and
raw stock.
The silk worm is fascinating little
creature. and his progress from the egg
to the silk loom can be noted III the
cases now arranged IN one of the broad
aiSles in the north end of Field Mahler'S
establishment.
Here in glass cases are shown the silk
worm from day old up to the fortieth
day. when it has attained its full
growth and must spin or go out OF bust
ness.
1t then crawls on a branch near its
nd q fa yu
tilmy stays to hold its house, and begins
to spin It's sllken palace, which,Iater
becomes its tomb, from which, if undis-
turbed, comes beautiful. gay and
froIicsome butterfly. But to secure the
silk the worm must be killed by gas be-
fore the butterfly stage.
The exhibit of cOcOonS in every stage
is very interesting. On single branches
are shown hundreds of them, thick as
they can stick Oh.
The finished silk from Japan is shown
in excellent hanks, white as snow; the
Italian silk is of a rich yellowiSh ecru.
The Chinese silk is coarSer than either
of the others. An interesting hank of
silk produced at Willimatic. Conn, is
beautiful example of the silk product.
The scientific people say that 100 newly
Matched worms weigh one grain; when
ready to spin they weigh $500 grains;
while spinning the silk tilament at the
rate of four to six inches per minute,
the worm making in that time Sixty-five
elliptical motions of its head, or a total
of 100000 in all average cocoon, which
requires from three to five days to COM
plete. In about ten days the moth
energies from its cocoon, deposits about
$50 eggs and in few days dies. There
are about 10000 eggs in an ounce.
Sixty thousand eggs, Matched and ma
tured. would produce sufficient silk to
girdle the earth at the equator. CO.
eoons vary in length from 800 to 1900
yards in one continuous thread, COM
posed of two tiberS. Ten or twelve
pounds of leaves consumed by the
worms produce one pound OF cocoons.
and three and three tiarters pounds OF
cocoons yield one pound of raw silk.
The product of 100000 worms is
used by the company, weekly Ill the
manufacture of dress silks, etc.
The purpose of this exhibit is to in
terest ladies in silk manufacture by
showing them what pure silk is and
what inferior silk is. Black silk fabrics
can be adulterated 500 per cent. When
pure silk is used in making dress fab
RIGS it is almost indestructible.
An inspection of this exhibit by the
ladies of st. Paul will prove full of in
tereSt and instruction., and very seldom
is such all opportunity offered the pub
lie.