The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-04-08
SILK WORM AND IT'S SILK
FEATURE OF THE SOUTHERN PAClF-
iC INDUSTRIAL EXHIBIT.
Silk Can Be Produced in South Texas.
Climate Is Such that Insect Thrvcs
Wonderfully Well.

While II may not be The most important.
certainly the silk department IN tho South.
ern Pacific industrial exhibit is one Of fhe
most Interesting features II has it's prac-
Teal side. just as the other features of
the exhibit have and it would indeed be n
skcptic who could look upon and examine
the specimens Of Texas produced silks,
which Prof. Atlwater. the manager Of the
exhibit, shows, and sim believe that tho
profitable production of the airy tlament
IN Texas is visionary and impracticnble.
Prof Attwatcr got his idea Of Il silk de.
partmeut for his exhibit Of the undevelpode
resources of Texas from his association
with Prof. John Dem, the acknowleds d
American authority on silk, at the Waco
cotton palace in 1894. Prof. Dean was at
the palace with an extensive collection Of
silks. He was representing the large silk
house of Bedding Bros of Brooklyn, y. ~,
and had been employed by the managers Of
the cotton palace to make an exhibition
Of SILK and silk products Prof Attwatcr
was there with his collection Of Texas pos
sbilitles. The gentlemen became inu-
matcly acquainted, aud they decided 10 try
an experiment with the silk worm in South
Texas.
when he went back to New York had II
number of varieties of silk worms sent to
Prof Attwutcr at Rockpurt, Texas. In the
meantime the latter had planted some nut
berry trees upon which to raise the worms,
aud when the Insects arrived at Rockpurt
they were put to work.
The result was that In comparatively
short time Prof, Attwatcr had fine ns
sortment Of cocoons, which he forwarded
TO Prof DCau In Brooklyn, n. y. Prof.
he gi prOnOnnppl
To be MS fine quality ms hc had ever zen,
aud was very much gratihcd with Prof.
AttWator's success with the worms.
The Southern Pacific exhibit has Inc
collection of silks In the various stages
of development from the cocoon to me
damtiest aud most elegant manufactured
article. The silk exhibit proves that the
South Texas climate is MS well suited for
the propagation of the silk worm as that
of any of the Oriental countries. and the
proof is given In an actual demonstrate II
of the fact
Louis Coholinl, cultured and progressive
Italian of Rockport, who has given the SIX
Industry much thought and invcstigatvc
attention declares that the South Texas
climate can nor he surpassed for the prot
table production Of silk. This gentleman
has studied the industry In his own sunny
Italy and South Texas as well. He says
the silk worm thrlycs here even better
than In most of the SILK producing cnun-
tries of the old world. As proof of the Sc
remarks made by man who is thoroughly
acquainted with silk production through
out the world. 1t Is only necessary to see
the display In the Southern Pacific indus
trial exhibit
The United States department OF agrl-
culture has recently conducted experiments
on quite large scale with silk worms In
Utah and other section OF the West aud
the official reports of the experiments are
far from being discouraging, II is the H.
lief Of those best posted on tho production
of silk that II can he prohtnhly produced
In several sections Of the United States,
and that being the case the opportunities
offered by South Texas for profit in the
industry are simply wonderful
Prof, Attwater says that In engaging In
the silk industry. one should not expect
to make u fortune in single year, for 1t
can not he done anywhere In fact. the
first year Is generally discouraging In lis
results. Even the second year may not
bring the returns expected The third year
VIII be much better, however, and the
fourth may bring surprising results The
nth year one is engaged in the industry
generally makes fabulous returns of prohts.
Aud SO on; as the years pass the silk farm
becomes more and more valuable, and
very few years would he sufficient to yield
one an Independent fortune.