The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-26
AN INDIANA OUN
Tippecanoe County Offers One for Silk
Worm Culture.

Lafayette Qnd.) Journal.
Speaking of bounties,'' said a county
officer the other day. "do you know that
a bounty on silk production is offered right
here in Tippecanoe? Well. it's a fact. Let
me tell you"
He lighted a cigar Of his own, and be-
gan:
THE law authorizes the county commits
sioners to pay Is cents a pound for CO.
coons and % cents a pound for reeled silk,
providing the cocoons have been raised in
the county, or the silk raised in the State
and reeled in the county. And the county
commissioners once adopted a resolution
putting that bounty into effect. 1t is stand
ing now, and if you know of any one who is
producing cocoons or silk, they can get
money for it,"
L couldn't find any record of that reso-
luton. 1t may exist. however. But the
law is a curiosity. 1t was approved May
Is, 1852, and went into force May 6 Of the
following year. TIL text provides that
The person producing either reeled silk
or cocoons may present it to any JUS
tice of the peace in the county, and II
resident shall, either by his own oath or
that OF any other credible person. estab-
lish to the satisfaction of said justice that
the cocoons presented were raised in said
county, or the silk reeled in such county
from cocoons raised within the State, and
that no portion of said ,,ocoons or silk has
before been presented TO any justice for ex-
animation and certificate, such justice shall
issue his official certiticate'-and thereon
the county commissioners shall issue war
rant.
There are counties in which some silk
has been produced. In Posey, particularly,
the Economics undertook to make quite
an industry of IL before they sold out
TO the elder Owen and removed to Penn
sylvania. Bulk silk producers have never
taken very much interest in that bounty
law-not even enough TO induce legislators
to repeal it.
But they have taken some interest in silk
culture, none the less-independent of
bountieS. For xampl one good woman,
now resident of Lafayette, formerly en-
joying her home on a farm. caught the
silk raising fever ten or fifteen years ago,
and embarked In the business. She sent
TO a New Jersey man who had eggs for
sale, and paid him good money. The eggs
hatched and she had a lot of silkworms.
She was to raise some silk and sell more
eggs. The price assured was simply mag
nificent. 1t was better than dollar corn,
or anything. The silkworms multiply rap
idly. and the good woman saw her treas
ure grow until she had nearly 10000 worms,
Just about ready to wind themselves into
cocoons. and spin a fortune for her.
Wealth was not more than a month away.
She had tended that silkworm plant so
steadily that the strain told on her n lit
tie. and one Saturday night she concluded
TO run over to her mothers house and
leave the feeding of her silk producers TO
the hired manor her husband. or some
one else who, she NIGH have known,
would not do 1T right, and so she took the
brief vacation.
Mulberry leaves are commonly the food
OF silkworms. but it has long ago been as
certained that the leaves of Usage orange
are quite as good in every way. And that
was the material in this case. The leaves
had to be gathered and slightly warmed
before feeding. Then they were turned
over the crawling, squirming, slightly re-
pulsive green worms, and the latter would
eat their way to the top again.
Well, the hired manor the husband, or
whoever-put too much heat in the leaves.
and scattered them over the worms. and
by morning the 10000 promising silkworms
were dead. That is all. They were Just
as good as worth $1,000 Saturday night
In themselves n in what they could do.
And the next day they were worth con-
siderably less than nothing.
Not to mention a hard summers work.
But I wouldn't tell her name for any
money.