The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-09-28
NEW WORM TO MAKE
SILK CHEAP ASCAlICO.
Industry May Be Rev Mu:isnized
by Girls Experiments.

Tss Eesubns bureau.

The Reprhi, Bureau.
las Times ~Isuiidlsss
New York. Sept es-Os erhead and ter>aF
drawn hue of a September SKY: In the rS-
ley helCv. Swallowed by two long iness9f
gresn-clad hills. the stored Hudson. net
less blue than the sxy, and the ~S5ts
! houses and the smoking chlmneys and ne
red brickyards OF Haverstrav. In the brush
wood Of a mountain road a happy-faced sin
stringing 4 white ribbon snons the branch
IS OF a young ailsnthus tree
TIE scene WIS a beautiful picture ss1d
the ~hspPy-fsced gil. standing on ftpsnt.
! strinsinS her white ribbon from bougn ID
b0ugh % the young aslanthus. was aiss q
beautiful picture \ woodland priestess psf
forming her mysterious Druidical rites s1s
r:Sht have been. had she not spoken srd
/ snapped the spell of Illusion which tss
| c,niured w net less BY the harmony ofth~
surrounding landscape than by her osa
classic occupation.
-Yo see" said the girl. twfrliag the e..
Of the white ribbon and smiling throafh
the long fronded leaves, you see how vry
simple il all Is. and what fun. too. So LITTLE
work and 80 much money! -
All CT which would have been a. nscr,r ~
2 Drr!dical mystery as ever had u aos. III
4 ready been exclaimed that this dunS s&1r
vas the initial process Of silk cuitui>s sd
thst the ribbon vas In reality . stsiS ~
mosquito netting whereon had been d,.-f
tied the eggs OF those strange. patent -.
tie artisans who 1--we a brief existen.e a.
that they may spin one long silken tbs
All along I'll. roadside the ailanthUs Nv
and the young oaks were similarly f.s-
TONED and II cue examined Glossy tt.--.
trees dsnuded Of leaves. one might I'd
swinging or every boush a finished cS.1,
/ 0f the species of siikwo-n. the cuitivG f:--a
\ ot which Miss Sinone CIemencon aud ar
father are trying TO introduce into Amsr
lean soil
WORKED AT THE SILK
INDUSTRY AT LYONS
Sfr. Clemercor and his daughter a-s L~
onese French. and for generations thds
family has been engaged in divers branches
o. the six industry in and about Lyoes,
The mysteries of sericulture have descefds
ed from father TO son. and in the case
this young girl. who is barely .. they ux|
b said TO amount almost 70 a passion spa
growers. six dyers. silk spilners and val,
ers and weavers there have been In d
Clemercon family as long as Lyons ~
been celebrated for its rare textures. ak4
Tow TIE father and daughter have come q
I this country TO attempt TO do for this couk
us WHIT their craftsmen ancestors hay
! cove fer Lyons -
The IDEAS for sericulture held By TIA
] ?. s1chmar ard his daughter are widely diSy
fc-eut frun anv of the experiments whnh
have been made from time to time IA
/ AzsrfcA The purpose Is to breed q specN6t
49, @41 - SS1A
te aceBnatee TO the temperature Of oSq
| particular latitude. /: Is. moreover. q silk
worm which feeds ard thrives and prof.
duces ccpsoasiy from the leaves. not Of tho
delicate mulberry, erf the sturdy oak au6
the plesti<ui aiianthus tree u
As conceived by tie Clenenccns. thu idtSS
Of silk raising u a fascinating pro1ecl au4
so IA a, their experiments go hids fRir -
rs-osEdo5ize an ancient industry. ~ gAu
- &c establish a new one In this counts$.
The Successful propagation OF q moth th42
can subisist upor leaves other than the mr6J
hsrry solves the knottiest part Of the prob
lem which has always confronted <romO {
attempts OF this kind ;
yARME MAI IS A HARDY y
LITTLE INSECT. ,
In the first place. while every bit a. god }
a workman and fine a craftsman as HE
more highly organized brother. the Yarms
mai Is a hardy little insect. who viii Upres
himself greedily upon the big. thick SIX
leaf Of the long fern-shaped ailanthu0 and
listen with a vulgar compliance TO ths
largest thunderbolt that vas ever heard -.
He doesn't ask for n dollhouse shelter.
either. as does his arissocratic mulberfyS
| feeding brother. but Is happy and cora>ne5
TO spin his cocoon with democratic dnpfc<s
ity out IN the branches Of the trees Ihen-
selves
! In short IT would appear that he ba.
trouble TO nobody. and all he asks II that he
shall be put in a green ieafy tree. out Of
reach OF the small. bad boy. and OF the m6k7
den who might unknowingiy crush hans I
should he lose his hold and accidentally fzaa:z
TO the ground
The trees used by the Ciemencon, arr On
the quiet country road. some two miles
from Hsverstrsw. and the process already
described of pacing the eggs among the
boughs vas for a second generation % !
s2inners. something rarely ever possible IN Z
the same season with the nu~Iberry-kssd-x
Ing worm. The long. white mosquito net
strips we're obtained by cutting up the ease
in which the butterfly had been conlned
while Matching its eggs. which are brown
and look exactly like morning glory seed
The butterfly had placed them IN little clus-
tiers all over the netting. to the number ot /.
about 5a When the cage was torn apart =
the butterfly was released. q great xolaerS =
beautiful creature. with white and browa :
Patches On her wingsOa butterfly not IN re
least resembling her Insignificant little -mps.~
berry-leaf brother.
Eight weeks from the time Of the hatch-f
Ing Of the eggs the insect has zone thrpuxh
Its four variations of form. and In the shaps
OF a chrysaiis lies or-eaied IN the COCOON
Of finely spun silk. ~hich II has wound >
around and around itself a. q means OF
protection against the day when II shaifsr
eat its way out and escape as n bsautsfuf ;
butterfly. .a--S
INSECT GoRGEs ITSELF UPON
SPINNING MATERIAL -,
I'LL =
After the eggs are thus placed on zfhrx
branches there Is practically little 70 Aex.
done. except TO so from tree to trse.@ssvf-
once a day. and watch the spinning press
cess. which begins after the insect lkxsd>
passed out Of the larva state. wher ef5
gorges Itself with the spinning matertair,
Into the pupa- or actual working conditteasAs
After the pups has spun or an avere<R !.
about 5000 yards Of a bi-fiament thread--
OF a light bun or cream color the cocoon
thus formed wraps itself sutomsticsliy'fn mn I
nearby leaf so carefully as to defy eeseSref
ton by the casual observer. NeS ~
SO soon as the cocoon begins the Lei !
wrapping process then the harvest begins
All over the trees. on every branch. th4ss--
cunuingiy concealed obicnz balls OF silk
are hanging. and must be gathered QuisklyH
50 as not 70 give the chrysaIi. inside SUI :
hcient time to begin the process Of bor4ax :
out OF his seff-nade prison and thus de-,s-
stroytnx the cocoon. To this end the~ee-,o,
coons. as soon as gathered. are dropped int ;
boiling water. IN which has been poured . /,
strong dye or acid solution. and then boiled a
q SUFFICIENT length OF time TO insure the de-
struction OF the living chrysais within ri
On the other hand. coccons wanted forrr<
seed are laid away. and II the season IL fxrs
advanced the chrysaiis within will lie DOR
mont throughout the winter, and no at
tempt VIII be made 10 emerge from rs
prison until such time IN the fclIoufng <r.n