Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-09-20
THE KANSAS SILK STATION.
ONLY ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KIND
IN mar UNITED STATES.

lDiB G.0's Chronicle, " ~
Kansas buasts an unique institution
In ner state silk station at Peabody,
Marion county. IL Is veritable novel;
", aud kansans afe proud 0i it, ex.
istence. This station has been estab-
lished about eight years, and legislative
enactment provides that II be msln.
taincd by biennial appropriations from
the commonwealth. thus far nearly
1000 havs been expended upon II.
At the present time the treasury OF
this institution is Ia healthy condition,
aud indications p0int 10 a continued
prosperous situation. DR.. Buck IN thc
| superintendent now In charge Of the
Industry. He has filled this Office
during tue past siK years.
Regarding the modus opefandi ON.
| plOyud, he writes ~ follow;
"rhs station consists OF ten acres Of
land, on which are raised mulberry
trees and various other foOi-iufnishing
plAnts, and q two-stofy building about
10 81 feet, equipped with boiler, en-.
ginu and ten reel'. From four 10 ton
hands are employed Ia the station
throughout ~ great portion Of the
year As II necessary 20 work up all the
cOrOons that are purchased.
"Tne primary work Of the station IL
10 raise slikwOrm uggs TOT free dlstrl.
button TO such Kansas residents n. will
MAKE M honeft effort 10 grow worms.
From 90 to $50 ounces Of eggs are pro.
ducrd each year, which means vast
numbers u worms. Two years ago 1875
gu uu,s were sent out 10 forly.eight
counties aud large quantity oi co.
cOOns was purchased. After the co.
cOOns have bBen raised by those 10
whom the eggs are furnished, the sta.
ton buys them nj the rate Of 81 per
pouni and reels them, selling tne Gem.
mefcial silk,
"Thls teellng process Il a very ted.
Gus one, aud constitutes the bu K OF
the WORK donu at the station. There
has been absolutely no Improvement
IN silk rerllDg devicce during the past
200 years aud the machines are crude
Ia the extreme. TUE iutili 3lUncy VI
these rnuls ani ths nrce,sity u ptying
much higher wages for rcclufs than Ia
militatsh EgRiu.t the fiuAt cial
success OF this branch Of the sIs-
tion. Girls arc paid from $500 ~
81 per week, whereas IN Ffsnte, ar.
cOrding 10 n statement made rten y
10 me by the French silk commis,iJuoT,
90 cents a week Il the common pflcr.
fhe consequence Of this IL that II costs
81 20 per pound TO reel silk VT P,ab0dy,
against only 20 cents Ia Flaucc.
"rhe silkworm eggs ATE iufnh he'd 10
applicants In April, and the Work oi
haichiug aud raising the worms IA
done during the latter part Of APrll
anu May. Only about six weeks are
required 10 raise the worms, anu that
10 the only portion Of the year that eau
he employed In tho business. Keeling
the silk eau be carried on through ut
tue season, A. the cOoOons are not PER-
lshable. No great amount OF silk
N required In the successful grow b
OF tue worms, but great care
following easily understood instfuc.
lions Ia essential. The work consists
mainly la supplying tue vofAoious
worms with something TO eat, and
nRy be performed 10y women anu
children. claim that an ordinary
family OF children can produce 100
pounds OF cocOOna during the six
weeks season. These c0coona ale
worth 800. Any rough building, pro.
vldsd II has good root, IL adapted 10
the business OF worm raising. To pro-
duco 100 pounds VI oocOons requires
fully AS much room ~ /, contained Ia
four ordinary living rooms.
"Rus,ian mulberry leaves are the
food employed at tue station, but out.
slders who grow worms use osage
orange leaves almost exclusively. The
latter are ~ gOOd ~ mulberry leaves.
"rhe silk produced At the Peabody
station ~ Of exceptionally hne quality.
A prominent firm In New Yofk, among
the largest silk merchants OF the Uniteu
States, have Just written mo 10 the
effect that Kansas silk was thn beet
they ever had. The Peabody product
AlwAys commands from 90 cents TO 81 u
pound more than Ordinary commercial
silk. The price varies widely, ranging
from s3.26 to $3.50 per pound.
IAN effort Is being made 10 have the
government take hold OF the Peabody
station, with come show Of success. Re.
quests tor eggs and Instructions are ire
qusntly received from neighbofing
states, and II IL thought no more than
Just the scope OF this experimental
work be extended hey nd tue limits OF
Kansas by making II n government
institution. IA II Ia now, residents
outside Of Kansas have no easily avail
able means Of obtaining eggs and no
market for their cocoons, A., there IL no
other silk fllAtuTe than the one at Pea
body In the country"