The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-05-30
THE SILK woR MIN ITS HOME
/ site diseases. and one Of Paateur's early
triumphs was IN discovering its nature!
SOME APE LAZY

site diseases. and one Of Pasteur's early
triumphs was fl discovering its nature!
SOME ARE LAZY.
The worm is conservative and never at
temprs to move from his place until It is
time to begin spinning; he then becomes
distended with the silk juice and semi
transparent. like ripe yellow plum, and
can presently be observed lifting his head
and looking about for @ good site for his
cocoon-building, which has been furnished
by the e3coOn-grOwer in arches Of twlgs on
lattice work Some Of the worns are lazy
and the twig has to be applied. The spin
ner. with careful forecast. adjusts his body
in the best position for the cocoon and com
mences to throw the floss that forms its
outer coating. The material of the silk is
a gummy secretion In the sericterias two
large glands along each side OF the BODY,
terminating each in spinneret IN the
mouth. Each dDc- Of the thread proves on
microscopic examination to be double, one
strand coming from each spinneret-
The worm closes himself in tighter and
tighter. the interior thread being the finer
He fixes his body in place with his hooked
feet and throws his head here and there
as he spins. The thread is sometimes I, soc
feet long without a break. Good cOcoOns
should yield 300 yards; it takes at least
$500 worms to raise pond Of silk With
in FIVE or six days the spinning is com
pleted, and the moth presently makes
preparation to emerge, by the help Of
anO-her secretion, which softens or dis
solves the end OK the cocoon Since ia
piercing the cocoon the worm breaks the
continuity OF tho thread it is usually killed
just before this stage by exposing the
cocoOns TO the sun where the temperature
is above eighty-eigilt degrees, or by baking,
steaming or otherwise heating them care
fully SO that the fiber is not gummed to-
gether by the heat
The good cocOons' are fuzzy, oval balls
about the size Of pigeons eggs, white, vel
low-white or greenieh Cthese last from
japanese eggs). containing a long cOntin-
uOus thread of silk fiber and the body of the
dried chrysalis. The fuzz or floss lis
rough, impure silk which is taken off as
waste.
A CHANCE FOR WOMEN.
AT this stage the work Of the silk worm
I passes inro the ands of the artisan. To
enumerate the many processes ana machines
] u passes through before &c reaches the coun-
ter of the retail dry goods store would re-
quire several columns Of space. Besides
the silk worm is the most interesting, and
et this particular time. when women in all
parts of the land are hunting for paying v0-
cations. it might be we'll for them to study
up the question and figure on the profit Of
a SIX worm farm Women can do the work
as well as men. and many sections Of the
/ country are adapted to the culture as far as
climate is concerned. During the last fiscal
year the Government report shows that over
SZzs6oUsU0O worth Of silk in the raw state
was imported by this. country to be worked
up by the manufactures There is no more
reason foI this Importation than there is
fer the bringing over OF potatoes, wheat OF
corn.
Away back in 1929 Cortez had thousands
Of silk worm eggs sent TO Mexico 10 give
the people Of New Spain a paying industry,
and while he lived IL hOurished- King
James Of England endeavored to develop
ginia, end sent one John Bonoell as
special commissioner to instruct the Vir-
ginians in the work Farmers were fined
twenty pounds Of tobacco e they failed to