The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-26

or course the best raw silk is furnished
by Italy, but that supply is limited, and
there are no other important sources Of
supply, save Japan and China.
They've tried To start the industry in
other countries, but it doesn't 20. The
worms don't get enough OF the right kind
OF mulberry leaves, | believe. At any
rate, they don't thrive.
The experiment has been made in the
United States, but with no success. Other
experiments are TO be made, | believe.
Secretary Wilson has the silk culture bee
in his bonnet, but I'm not optimistic.
Il expect well have to keep on getting
our raw silk from the Far East and Italy.
Why not? The raw material doesn't pay
duty and labor costs nothing in Japan.
| can't see the inducement TO compete,
even II w could plant the country with
mulberry. trees and get silk worms down
to work"
What about mercerized goods9 Have
they affected the silk MARKET"
Not a bit, Men have always tried to
make cotton take the place Of silk literally
and hguratiVely, but they haven't sue
ceeded. Mercer has come as near TO il
as any one. This process is, Of course.
kept secret, but In some way the separate
threads are highly polished before being
woven.
Here's piece Of mercerized goods. Look
at these threads when they are travelled.
You see each one Of them is shiny on all
sides; When they are woven they are
ound TO make a fairly lustrous material,
far superior TO the surface lustre materials
that were the result of earlier experiment
along the same line.
There is a large quantity OF mercer
lied goods sold, but the fad isn't as pro-
nounced as at first, and | believe 1t affects
the cotton goods trade more than the silk.
The women who want silk and can afford
II will buy IL anyway, but some women
like the silk-finished cottons better than
the ordinary cottons.
The mercerized goods and the other
now silk substitutes may cut into the silk
lining trade slightly, but they don't make
enougn difference to worry US. The women
who couldn't buy silk are better OF than
they were, for they have something muc
more satisfactory, in appearance than
plain cotton; but the women who can have
silk still have il. Nothing quite takes its
place.
New uses for silk are constantly arising
20 help the trade along. suppose you've
no idea how the mania for dust cloaks made
the silk manufacturers jump. Theatre
cloaks, long carriage cloakr, elaborate
silk cloaks Of every sort have been more
common this last year than ever before.
but the tafeta long cloak for travelling,
driving. &C. was the thing hat touched
up the silk business last spring.
This spring it will be epidemic. Nat
urally the color most in demand for this
purpose will be black. but biscuit Inc the
shades Of mode will be very popular.
Biscuit Is a strong note In all silk output
this year. but the manufacturers expect
another white season. Next to the black,
which II always In excess. the largest silk
supplies are being mad In white, ivory
and ecru. MORE in those shades b heavily
called for.
After the whites and ecrus come biscuit,
beige and their kindred, and then the usual
gamut of green. blue. rose, &c. Thera
are a good many fancy silks, some OF theil
rather startling in their frank coloriIg
after the reign u pastel shades.
The foulards are not especially different
from those Of last season. BLU and white,
white and black, green and white and
biscuit and white aro the most popular
combinations
The cuisines and other weaves intro.
ducod M an effort to rival tafeta hold some
vogue They are beautiful, but the VIZ
men are not enthusiastic over them The
for instance. Slips That h, 10,
thread h. not woven tightly enough TO holt
fru, aud, particularly in undergoing clean
iug. viii separate and leave ugly spotS.
III" end of The reign 81 ta1eta lsn't Yet N