The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-10-04
TO FOUND
SILK INDUSTRY
WHEN BUSINESS is DEVELOPED
NORTH CAROLINA WILL PRO-
DUCE SILK COCOONs.

A problem that may now be well on
the road to solution, despite the fact
that similar efforts have failed for loo
years, is the raising of raw silk in this
country, the marketing of 1t to Amer
lean manufacturers, and the growing
of the silk worms on large scale. To-
day not one ounce of raw silk is being
produced in the United States. From
China, Japan, France, Italy and the
Levant $45,000,00 worth is yearly inn
ported.
The temptation to build up a great,
new industry in America is enticing,
and one man now comes forward. a
scientist attached to the department of
agriculture of North Carolina, Gen.
Mccarthy, the biologist of the board,
saying that silk culture may certainly
be made practical and commercially
profitable here, and that he has already
started it off in his state.
Much additional interest is given to
what he says from the fact that the
national government has been induced
to appropriate $4,000 for a new series
of silk worm experiments. ore of their
experts Dr. l.. o. Howard, declared
several years ago that the silk-grOw-
ing industry could not be made to pay
here. Yet there is now being organ
lied a Company capitalized at $780, 600
to establish Keeling plants to make the
cocoons ready for the manufacturers.
Arrayed on the other side and in
credulous are the silk manufacturers
of the United States, who believe all
the above to be but a dream. In the
history of American silk manufacture,
they say, they have seen .he same eX
element grow to white heat time ana
again, and later subside With the
wages of Chinese and Japanese grow
ers at and 10 cents a day, and the
most expert reelers of Italy getting
scarcely more than 20 cents, they do
not see how American labor can COM
pete. Extensive Keeling plants would
need to be set up they continue, not
one now being in existence in any of
the states, and these, if put into oper-
alton, could not succeed comm srcially.
For all of these arguments Biologist
Mccarthy has an answer and the bat
tie of words has been waging briskly
this summer. Early last spring he inn
ported silk worm seed from Italy and
distributed it as widely as possible
among the farmers wives of North Ca
rolina. Nearly one hundred women and
children he interested altogether and
induced to make the experiment. But
very small percentage, he reports,
failed in the work, and now on these
farms there is awaiting a market a
quantity of cOcoOnS, the raw product
of q very fine grade of American silk
And he has procured a market for
this initial quality, he further reports.
over his name and under the authority
of the North Carolina department of
agriculture there has recently been
gone out g circular to all these farms,
directing them to send on to the de-
partment in Raleigh all the silk each
has; that manufacturer who is about
to erect a reeling plant has agreed to
buy it all. These cocoons are to reach
the department by Sept. l No price is
spoken of in the circular but Mr.. Nc
Carthy says the figure will be fair and
profitable.
He calculates that when the indus
try is developed North Carolina can
produce 100000 worth annually of silk
cocoons and he recommends that the
department purchase 10000 mulberry
trees this fall and distribute them
among the farms of the state.
This silk growing is work that should
not be undertaken he goes on to say,
by men and women who are already
receiving a goodly wage. He suggests
that those who have regular work at
so cents or more a day take it up only
as a side issue. 1t is work especially
fitted for old people who can no long
err do hard and steady work, and for
children None of these, it is true, can
acquire fortunes at silk worm growing
But for those who tend the worms
faithfully there is almost certainly a
profit of $50 to $40 for summers work
of about two months, a sum worth con-
sidering by the people on farms in the
South.-New York Times.