The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-07-27

showing renewed interest in silk cult
ure, says press dispatch from Wash
ington. At the agricultural depart
ment it is said that majority of re-
quests for silk worm eggs have come
from Georgia, South Carolina and Ala.
bama. 1t is also said at the depart
ment that some of the best specimens
OF cocoons have been received from
the farm of the late Rear Admiral
Beardsley at Beaufort. S. G.
With a view to stimulating the silk
industry congress at its last session
appropriated $4,000 to be expended in
the distri button of mulberry trees, up
on which the silk worms feed, silk
worm eggs and the purchase of silk
cocoons.
The department. purchased 100
ounces of silk worm eggs. There are
10000 eggs to each ounce. Not more
than from One-third to two ounces of
eggs are distributed to any one person.
The supply on hand has already been
exhausted, and requests for eggs are
still coming in at the agricultural de-
partment.
DR.. L. O.. Howard, entomologist of
the agricultural department., says it is
not intended by the department to Gre
ate the impression that silk culture, as
an independent occupation, can at this
time be carried on probably in this
country. 1t will require time and the
expenditure of considerable money to
educate our people to become success
full cultivators of silk. We are just
now going through the experimental
stage.
Silk culture was carried on to some
extent by the early cOlonists of Vir.
ginia, South Carolina and Georgia.
Some of the Keeling was done by hand
reels, and both reeled silk and cocOons
were exported to Europe. A few peo'
pie retained their interest in the in
dustry during the present century and
at various periods congress made
small appropriations to encourage
those who were willing to engage IN
it,
Since 1880 there have been sporadic
attempts by the department of agri-
culture to arouse public interest in
the industry. The provisions made by
congress have been very meager and
at long intervals, so that it has been
difficult to produce such results as
would induce persons TO engage extern
sively IN the business of silk produc-
tion.
Recently the secretary OF agriculture
| imported from France two four basin
Berthaud reels of the latest and most
approved style. One of these reels
was set up at the department of agri-
culture and has been operated success
fully with American grown elk. The
other reel was loaned to a silk manu-
featuring company at Tallulah Falls,
Ca This company, however, has
never set up the reel, and in fact has
never unpacked it. When this lnfor-
nation reached the department the
Georgia company was asked to return
the reel. It is now proposed to set up
both the government reels at the ex-
perimental farm of the agricultural
department near Arlington.
Within few weeks these reels will
be in operation and will be producing
American grown silk. Already the
department has on hand large sup
ply of cocoons produced in the south
! ern states and other sections, where
! the climate is mild and the growth of
mulberry trees abundant. AS an in
centive to those who are interested to
cultivate silk worms the department
pays 81 per pound for the irst grade
cocoons. This is the European market
price The bestquality of cocoons thus
| far received is said to come from Ala
bama and South Carolina.
is proposed by the government to
! gradually increase the faculties for
raising silk in this country until it can
be made profitable to those who en-
gage in it.. DR.. Howard says at present
the principal labor in connection with
raising silk worms is in the feeding.
This work can be performed by per-