The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-01

Otan Dix
Sericulture is practically a new in
dustry in Utah, the art of producing
silk having only been taken up within
the last few years. It is true that
more or less silk has been produced
for several ear past, but it is only
within the last two or three years that
the subject has been taken up to any
great extent. The efforts of those in
terested in sericulture finally resulted
in the passing by the legislature of a
law placing a bounty of % cents per
pound on all cocoons raised, regardless
OF quality. This was an important
step, and greatly aided in h encour-
agement of silk-raising.
The bill passed by the legislature also
provided for the appointment OF a SILK
commission to examine all cocoons for
which a bounty is claimed, furnish eggs
to the people, provide a market for the
silk produced in h state, and to fur
nish reliable information to the people
in all branches of silk culture. ind
this provision the following commits
sion was appointed:
Mrs. Zina d. H. Young, president;
Mrs. Ann C. Woodbury. of St George,
vice president; Mrs. c. w. Bennett,
treasurer; Mrs. Margaret A Game,
secretary, and Mrs. elizabeth w.
Packard Of Springville.
Utah is we'll adapted for the produc-
ton of silk, as the mulberry tree -four
ishes throughout the whole length ana
breadth of the state. Then, too, the
- 1f TTfoh ic Of GT1Oh a n0fIrR
as to be free from disease, which Is
| so fatal to the worm in damp
/ The raising of the worms IS a task
| which can easily be undertaken, and
| the most successful results accom-
plished are by women and children IN
fact. it might be said that
is particularly adapted to women, chill
dren n those who, through old age
| or infrmities, are unable TO perform
more arduous labor.
The raising of silk is an industry
that belongs principally to the homes
1t requires but little outlay, n the
profits are very great. The mere gath-
ering of the foliage and feeding OF the
worms is a task that any child a
perform, and in the spare hours about
home one can attend to the worms n
! the result is highly remunerative- The
mulberry tree will grow in almost any
| soil. and will, besides making a nice
| shade tree, furnish all the food which
is so necessary for the production Of
the silk.
IS VERY PROFITABLE.
The Importance of silk culture and
manufacture is immense and the profits
| are When it is considered
that the annual importation of npr
pared silk alone in the United States
amounts to over $780, 600. 600, it a be
readily seen what a benefit it will be
- - TT%,t ;F -HA aan nm
ply part of this emand The grade OF
the silk produced in Utah compares IA
vorably with the best silk produced in
| the world. It has been examined by
experts, who attest to its excellence;
and, besides having gained a market
in many manufactures in the United =
States, a few years ago during the
failure of silk worms in France, both
cocoOnS and eggs shipped from Utah
brought a high price.
It has been supposed hat the beauty
and lustre in oriental silk was due to
some secret process in the dyeing, but
this has been prOVe a mistake, and It
has been found that the quality of the
silk produces this lustre. AS the eli
mate has so much to do with h quail
ity and lustre of silk. n the climate
of Utah is particularly adapted to the
raising of the forms. it is natural to
suppose that the silk would be of a
fine quality. In fact, the prediction Of
those who are at present interested in
sericulture is hat Utah will, in the
future, prove. to be one of the greatest
silk-producing centers in America.
So far the work of the Utah silk
commission has been mainly in an edu-
cational line. They nave secured the
best eggs from France, Italy and other
silk-producing countries, and have dis
tributed them among the people OF
Utah who are interested. The results
so far are very satisfactory. 1t has
been shown that where silk worms
nave been imported and nave become
acclimated in Utah, they produce CO.
cOOnS which yield about a thousand
yards more silk than they did in the
country from which they came.
CLASSES IN SERICULTURE.
The commission has organized classes
in sericulture throughout the state, n
the work accomplished by them has
been satisfactory indeed. Not only are
the people learning to produce the silk,
but they are also learning to reel the
fibers into thread Il weave it into
cloth. There are some women in the
state who ave become very good reel
ers, and. with a little more experience,
will become experts. The reeling,
which is so essential to the production
of perfect cloth, is imperfect in Utah at
present, but it is improving. Most Of
the silk produced now is used by the
families in the state for knitting, sew
ing, etc. In ~Springville and st. George
there is some weaving being done, n
the classes are producing fair samples
of cloth.
At the Omaha exposition the Utah
silk commission made an exhibit OF
silk, n it was spoken of very highly.
In fact, some thought that the silk
shown was a fine sample of oriental
silk. There are some factories in Utah
! which are engaged in manufacturing
silk goods from what is called Utah
silk" but most of these goods are not
made from native, but from u~nprepared
silk, imported from foreign countries.
The amount paid out for bOuntieS
last year Svas about $500, a much larger
amount hat that paid out in 1897.
From this it is found that about 1000
pounds of the cOcoOns have been raised
in the state within the past year This
is "a good showing and predicts a
larger and better crop next year.