Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-09-04


this week was the address of Louis B.
Magis, Of Tallulah Falls. Ga, on silk
culture. His address In part follows:
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, Commits
sioners Of Agriculture:
1t Is indeed a great privilege and pleas
ure TO be with you today TO bring before
YOU a subject which no doubt will be Ia
ken up when you fully understand it.
/ suppose IL is well 10 relate that when
the noble General James Oglethorpe first
located the colony of Georgia with It's
new settlers, his aim and purpose to make
the colony prosperous and happy was 10
establish silk culture in their midst. Sue
cessfully had they planted the mulberry
tree, as before General Oglethorpe came
TO the southern coast of the United States
he heard that mulberry trees were grow
fng on the banks of the Savannah. From
the time the colony was started In 1913 to
the year 1772. silk culture was one Of the
principal products produced by the early
settlers SO earnest was the desire on
the part Of General Oglethorpe and King
George the First to establish silk culture
in the colony of Georgia rules were laid
down binding the colonists to plant 100
mulberry trees TO each 10 acres of land
they possessed, and when the colony be-
came a royal province in 1854 and pro-
vinclal assembly was created, one OF the
rules making a deputy eligible to repre-
sent his district was that female men,
Der Of his family be educated In the UNI
winding Of the silk cocoons, and certih-
cate 10 the effect that Is pounds OF SILK
was so produced by his family and actu-
ally sold. In those days there were no
silk mills, and consequently the raw SILK
was usually sent to England However,
with the beginning of the admittance OF
slavery in the colony of Georgia in 1S49
was the beginning of the destruction of
this industry and history now records the
fact that the Salzburgers in the settle
ment of Ebenezer fought against the adj
mission Of slavery, as they knew perfect
ly well that silk culture could not be prop
erly conducted by the negro labor, as he
especially I'm those days, was not mt Tor
such a work as the cultivation and care
Of the silk worm And with the increase
of slave labor and the introduction of
cotton in the southern states, the raising
of silk dwindled away to nothing. Yet
records show that as late as 1883 $4,000
worth of silk was exported from Savan-
nah to England.
Since then times have greatly changed.
The United States have become one of the
leading nations in the world, and are to-
day prosperous and use and consume one
half of the worlds silk crop.
The total worlds crop in 1900 was about
81. 100000 pounds. From this amount the
United States purchased in foreign lands
600 pounds which is nearly one-third OF
the worlds crop, at a cost of $45,OO0OOO,
free from duty. In addition we have i'm
ported SOS, 900 worth of manufactured
silk in the form of dress goods, ribbons,
velvets and pushes. and the United
States government collected $l5,0OO,OCO duty
on top Of the original cost. In weight
the imported manufactured silks amount
ed to 100000 pounds. Adding to that the
1000, 600 Of raw silk imported, it gives us
a total Of nearly 100000 pounds, which
goes to show that we are using more than
one-half Of the worlds production, and,
while being the largest users. we produce
none.
The small but progressive country Of
Japan produces annually more than $40
100000 worth Of silk, cultivating $4,000
acres of mulberry orchards, against, as
matter Of comparison, the state of Geor-
gia, cultivating 3,513,O00 acres in cotton,
which only brings $4s. 900. The average
income per acre Is not more than 1884 in
Georgia, while Japan gets for every acre
planted in mulberry trees and then fed
to the silkwOrms, an average of $3.50 per
acre. There are 10000 farms in the state
of Georgia alone which raise cotton and
their average gross income is not more
than $685. From that they must spend
$S4 for fertilizers and $50 for labor. giving
them a net income of s204 There is no rea-
culture Of sill for I'm a period Of six or
eight weeks they can produce twice the
amount of what a whole years labor in
the cotton field would bring them.
silk culture Is an ----ustry that offers
labor to the unemployed. such members
that are not able to go to the field, even
children and members who are too feeble
10 do any field work can give their atten-
ton TO the noble, interesting, fascinating
work of feeding the silk worm, and in
return Il produces and gives up the beau
tiful fibre that has added great wealth to
many nations.
II is a well-known fact that French
statemen pride themselves that the great
France Of today is what the silk industry
has made her.
Perhaps II would be interesting to re-
view the history of silk in France, being
a nation with a government based on the
same principles Of ours, and as progress
sive as ours. It is now almost 800 years
since silk was first introduced in France
and in the year 1871 France contributed
81 per ment. of the worlds raw silk pro-
duction. However, the effects of the cruel
Franco-Prussian war has devastated her
mulberry orchards, and has also had the
effect Of bringing and leaving disease
amongst the trees, which has reduced the
annual silk crops of France TO eighteen
and one-half per cent of the total worlds
crop IN the year 1919. Inc disease con-
tinued TO hurt her silk crop, and the far
mers getting discouraged, the government
Immediately stepped in and created what
Is known as the scientific commission, the
object OF which was to discover the dis
ease that has been killing her mulberry
trees. II was unsuccessful in discovering
the disease. but successful in finding a
remedy, and now her silk crop is steadily
increasing. In the manufacture of silk
France leads with an annual production
of $l22,O)0,CO0. while that of the United
States, according to the annual report of
the silk Association of America, amounts
to S107, COO, 600; or in other words the Uni
ted States manufactures IS per cent for
her home consumption. In the year 1850
the United States produced only 81, 800, 000
or Is per cent. home consumption of man
ufactured silks, she at the same time inn
ported manufactured silks from foreign
countries to the amount of ST 100000. With
the increase Of the United States con-
sumption the worlds raw silk production
has also largely increased.
In 1870 the worlds crop was only 49,
600. 600 pounds, while In the year 1882 the
worlds crop amounted to 20,O0O,00O pounds
and in the last thirty years the worlds
crop has doubled.
All during this progressive period of silk
culture I'm the world the great progressive
America stood and looked on and did moth
ing, while foreign economists ridiculed us
for our neglect in properly taking up silk
culture as IL is a fact that we have every
thing necessary to raise silk. Two-thirds