The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-12
SILK CULTURE SHOWS
FINE PROMISE.
Secretary Wilson Striving to Make
1t General.
BY Robert Martin Larner.

1t General.
BY Robert Martin Larner.
Washington, April 11.-Silk culture
in the United States promises to be-
come a profitable industry. The Sec
rotary of Agriculture is watching with
keen interest the investigation of this
subject, now in progress in Georgia,
South Carolina, Louisiana, Southern
California, Utah, and Western New
York
Last year, Secretary Wilson sent L.
o. Howard, chief entomologist of the
make a personal investigation of the
silk growing industry. Mr.. Howard
cleaned much valuable information on
the subject, and the result is that
systematic effort will be made to fos-
ter and encourage silk culture in this
country.
At present Secretary wilson's at
tention is, to a large extent, centered
in an individual enterprise recently
started at Tallulah Falls, by Louis B.
Magid, a naturalized Italian, of con-
siderable means and experience in
silk culture Mr.. Magid recently ac-
quired land in the vicinity of Tallulah
Falls, which is peculiarly adapted for
the growth Of the silk worm.
1t is the intention of Mr.. Magid to
establish a colony of Italians and
Syrians, experienced in silk culture, at
Tallulah Falls, and endeavor to build
up a self-supporting silk industry. lie
has already bought a large tract of
land and planted it in white mulberry
trees. 1t is his purpose to cultivate
an interest in silk culture, with the aid
of experienced men, women and chill
dren from sunny Italy. He has already
organized a company, of which he is
the principal stakeholder Eventually
he will develop silk Keeling and later
construct a mill for the production of
raw silk.
Secretary Wilson and his assistants
in the Department of Agriculture have
been cultivating the production of raw
silk on a small scale in this city, and
the Secretary displays with consider
able pride, excellent samples of raw
silk grown in the building adjacent to
his office. 1t may take long time to
develop silk culture in this country
upon a profitable basis. Silk cocoons
are imported into this country so
cheaply that the silk producing coun-
tries abroad have no fear of American
competition for many years to come.
The subject of silk culture in this
country has been under serious con-
sideration by the Department of Agri-
thorized by Congress, have encour-
aged Secretary Wilson and those as
ISOLATED with him, to proceed to de-
velop the industry in every locality
where mulberry trees abound. InveS-
tivation has demonstrated that null
berry trees will thrive in almost every
section of the United States. Secre-
tary Wilson is now distributing silk
work eggs to every one who has null
berry trees, and takes an interest in
silk culture To those who have not
trees, he is sending cuttings, accom-
panied by official manuals upon how
to grow mulberry trees and silk worms.
With some of the funds furnished by
Congress the Secretary is importing
silk weaving machinery, with a view
to educating the American people on
the subject of this promising industry.
So gratifying were the results previous
ly obtained that Congress, at its last
session, appropriated $4,000 to enable
Secretary Wilson to continue his in
vestigations concerning the production
of silk in this country.
AT present Georgia and the Carolinas
are displaying the greatest interest in
| silk culture. Investigation has shown
| that certain sections of Georgia and
| South Carolina, and also North Caro-
| lima, closely compare with the best silk
| producing regions of Lombardy, Italy.
| There are other sections of the United
| States, notably Western New York,
and other New England states. Louis
lana has silk growing colony COM
| posed largely of Italian and Syrian
families. They are teaching the color
| ed women and children how to earn
| comfortable living picking mulber-
| ry leaves, and acquiring other practi-
cal knowledge in connection with the
production of silk.
1t may require many years of patient
toll and the expenditure of large sums
of money to get the silk industry estab-
lished in this country on a substantial
basis. At present it can only be con-
sidered as side industry, to be foster
ed and encouraged along with other al
ready established lines of production.
1t is an industry in which the whole
families may find employment at odd
times, and carried on in conjunction
with other household duties, and be-
fore and after school hours. Secretary
Wilson does not hesitate to assert that
it is an infant industry of fair trial
and liberal encouragement from every
patriotic and practical point of view.
He says it has already been demon
strated that the cocoons raised in the
department and other parts of this
country produce an excellent quality
of ell