The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-26
CONCERNING SILK CULTURE.


New York Sun.
about once in twenty-five years the pos
sibilities Of silk culture in America are seri-
ously considered and find enthusiastic pro-
motors, and 1 see there bids fair to be an
other revival" remarked a philanthropic
woman recently. II was enthusiastic about
1T myself years ago, and had visions of es-
tablishing happy village industry in the
neighborhood of my suburban home that
would bring remunerative occupation to aid
people and children and prove blessing to
the community. Perhaps my experience
may prove of some use in helping to deter
mine the real value of such an industry In
this country, so / give it for what it is
worth. About that time a number of Phil
adelphia women had taken up the idea en-
Enthusiastically and had obtained a subsidy
from the government to aid them in their
experiments and to get the best eggs etc.
and 1t was from their society that / bought
the eggs and later on sent the cocoons to be
valued. OF course, the first thing to find
was suitable food. and then 1 came across
some rather curious ancient history. 1t
seems that in about 1890 there was such a
wave of widespread conviction that there
would be an immense field for silk culture
in America that there was a sort of corner
in mulberry saplings. one variety especially,
the M. multicaulis which was said to be es-
pecially prolific Of leaves and adapted to
the culture of silk worms. reaching unheard
of prices. The craze in small way was not
in the way of a popular delusion.
1t seems, however, that il was
only the mulberry trees that had excited
public attention, for by the time those
which were planted had attained maturity
the tickle public forgot the why and the
wherefore of their propagation, and their
made inquiries about mulberry trees for
my proposed experiments l found few
ancient survivors of the multicaulis craze
and heard from the oldest inhabitant of
the way they were planted.
Having found the food they would re-
quire, took couple of rooms in the i'm
mediate vicinity, engaged an intelligent
girl to care for them, and sent word to the
society / spoke OF for the eggs and book
of directions. | cannot remember the num-
Der of eggs 1 ordered. but 1 explained the
send me as many as could be accommo-
dated. Everything seemed to go on sue
cessfully. In due time the eggs Matched
out. and the little wrigglers ate voraciously
and grew amazingly. and from tiny specks
no bigger than pins point developed into
large. greedy caterpillars. the noise OF
whose eating at meal time sounded like a
sawmill. Finally they ate until they could
eat no more, the two mulberry trees in the
neighborhood being nearly stripped for
their use. Then they climbed up on the
contingency and spun themselves into CO.
coons. Ii was a great success-everything
had gore we'll There had been no disease
| or trouble, and the society to which we
| sent the cocoons wrote that they were Of
| the finest quality, and that after they had
been reeled they would let know how
much money we would be allowed for our
consignment OF course, / was perfectly
| delighted with the result. and was making
| plans for an extensive plant for silk worm
| culture, when the check arrived for our
| three months work-it wis S5.-barely COW
| ering the cost OF the eggs. 1t may be that
on an extended scale silk worm culture
might pay, but as a small family industry
| IL certainly, in my opinion. will never sue
| coed I'm America, where labor is high, liy-
| ing is dear and the shelter required is
| costly"