The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-07-28

1
! i. the head of our agricultural de.
partment If there shall be any.
| thing growable which shall not soor
| be grown and developed into a profit.
able industry in these United States
Secretary Wilson is securing the ends
| Of the earth for valuable plants with
| which to enrich domestic agriculture
with much success.
The persistence with which he has
urged and promoted the experimental
culture of tea in certain well-silited
portions Of the South and the assiduity
with which he has insisted upon it that
we can grow in Connecticut and pos
sibly in other domestic tobacco grow
ing communities a quality Of wrapper
leaf as good as any that comes from
Sumatra are we'll known to readers Of
newspapers: and now he Is at work
upon new tack. Noticing that the
United States has in recent years be-
come the second largest silk manufac-
turing country in the world, but is yet
forced to import in the neighborhood
of $45,000,000 worth of raw silk every
year; and also perceiving that the
mulberry tree, upon which the silk
worm feeds, can be grown successfully
in almost every state in the Union,
Secretary Wilson lately prevailed upon
congress to allow his department a
$4,000 appropriation with which to in
itiate experiments in the raising of silk
worms and the production of raw silk.
In both France and Italy silk worm
raising forms a profitable occupation
for the women and children ON many
a thousand farm. In France alone 150,-
900 families are thus employed. The
work, while requiring unremitting at
tention, is not laborious and takes but
a small part of each day, leaving time
for other duties. Where conditions are
favorable the returns are large in pro-
portion to the requisite investment.
There have been a number of hap
hazard experiments in American silk
culture, but nothing like a scientific
study of soils and climatic conditions
with the purpose in view of determin-
ing where the best results can be OBJ
tained. With the facilities at the dis
posal of the agricultural department,
through it's chemical and bacteriolo-
gical branches and its widely distrib-
uted experiment stations, it should be
possible quite soon to arrive at definite
results in this matter. The chief trouble
heretofore has been in securing the
proper attention for the worms. It is
a kind of labor which does not come
natural to the average American. 1t
must be learned. Secretary Wilson has
hope that in the South conditions may
be prepared for the profitable intro
duction of silk culture on a large scale;
and he intends to give the matter
test.
That it is worth it may be inferred
from few figures compiled by w. Z.
Curtis for the Chicago Record Herald.
During the year 1900 10 per cent. of the
silk dress goods worn in the United
States We're manufactured here and S5
per cent of the ribbons. In 1900 we
produced $107,256,25S worth OF silk goods
and imported only $26,S03,54 Yet, as
said before, we had to import raw silk
equal in value to nearly one-half OF
the total product after it's manufacture.
The gain which would come through
the raising of the raw material or a |
part of it at home, is
obvious. To attain this end is we'll |
worth experimental costs far in excess
IF any yet proposed.
Now that the shouting has ceased,