New-York tribune., 1898-11-27
JAPAN'S SILK INDUSTRY.
A DIFFICULT AND DELICATE ART. RE-
QUIRING CONSTANT WATCHFULNESS.
vIsI, OF AN AMERICAN OBSERVER UNDER
FAVORABLE CONDITIONS Ns-DETAIIGs OF THE
wORK-JAPANEsE wOOLLENs,
CAN OBSERVER UNDER
Toxic, Japan. November i

beautiful Only few days ago l saw an
ignorant farmer, poor that his entire income
would not exceed $50 year. stop ten minutes
to admire flower that especially beautful.
They also excel all people in their ability 70
copy nature Even the poorest will have some
thing about his home indicative of a love and
knowledge of art
These characteristics attract the japanese to
the culture Of silk. and adapt them to the in
dustry. From start to finish it is fine art re-
quiring peculiar attention and delcacy in all
the several processes. The thrifty and tact'ul
wives of country farmers appear to love their
silkworms as their children. The mass or peo-
pie do not try to obtain eggs from their moths
1t Is an art by Itself to be able to have moths
lay eggs evenly upon paper. and the general
producers Of silk do not Undertake it, but pur-
chase carefully selected eggs of some trust
worthy dealer and store them Till the proper
season. These eggs are white at first, but IN
time they change color into a browrish black
As the spring sun warns the earth, generaHy
about May !, the color Of the eggs turns to blue
which indicates that the period Of hatcmng mas
arrived
From this time for forty days and nights
the caretakers of the silkworm do not remove
their clothing for rest, but sleep with one eye
anon II there should be sudden changes OF
weather after the eggs are hatched, OF damp
cool wind should strike them. some OF the
worms unless instant relief were given Woud
die.
II will he well to note the infinite pains these
women take to rear the caterpillars and produce
the best quality Of silk. After they are hatched
they are SO tiny and delicate that 1t requires
great care in transferring them TO another shee'
OF paper for feeding. This IS generally done Win
q soft feather and deftly that no shock or
injury comes to the worm. Then they are feo
mulberry leaves In small pieces eight times
day care being taken to put IN but sina"
quantity each time. On the fifth day they begin
To refuse to eat leaves and remain two or more
DAYS in a stupor. On the eighth day they re-
viye and are fed larger quantities OF leaves.
This continues for five days. and again they
become stupid for two days.
FIVE ALTERNATING PERIODS
The alternate activity and stupidity continue
for five periods, requiring constant care from
q m till IL p m. daily. The quality OF the
silk largely depends upon the vlgor OF the
xorns enabling them to consume a large guam
+i+v of leaves When the caterpillars are ma
tnre hundreds Of peculiar little bridges are
made. varying in form. but all aiming a' 'he
comfort Of the worm. on which they SPIN 'hei
cocoons Healthy worms will ordlLarly SPIN
their complete cocoons in twenty-lCur houi'
,ut tbese are generally left undisturbed for
xeek when the worm is pricked to destroy II
.,d tho cocoons are heated. The cocoons are
..neranv sold TO the factory which asserts them
.ocordine 10 quality and reels the silk The
.o,,rtrv weavers mostly purchase their raw SILK
a, the reeling factory. In this condition large
snantities are also exported More 'hah one
hslf of the raw silk exported goes to the Omteu
s,atas In 1893 the value over So'3oooVV'
IN 1894 s11 10000; In 1890. over Sl3Soo'oco
A visit to Nayano and Gunma procedures
two OF the principal silk producing provinces III
Jsnan gave me a conception OF the extent 10
which the silk industry has taken hold or all
classes A visit to any place OUTSIDE the regular
tourist routes presents difhcuities' Inc proles
.;onal guides know nothing about the lndus-
tr,es and do not understand enough Enghsh 10
tnterpret correctly. Further, manufacturers ob-
&ect TO visitors because 1t hinders the opera
t.yes and they are naturally suspicious Oh
4raneers Knowing my desire to visit the
homes Of the silk producers and weavers' Mr'
YoomIs of Yokohama secrred an invitation 10
v,s,, Mica Crosby a most estimabe lady. who
has established a mission school IN the SILK pro-
ducing section took the ecautioh 10 secure
. latter from the American Legation 10 the
nreJdent of the prefecture. MI Okawa' SILK
u.rnfacturer OF the neighborhood. offered TO ac-
ronnsnv us and the party was completed py Sc
.,,rtnr a. Interpreter one OF MISC crosby
Iapanese teachers, Miss Yuasa, VINO speahS
English Huently.
NEED OF WOMAN INTERPRETER