River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-06-30

department in silk culture ceased for
the time, June 30, 189D.
From that time on very little was
done in the United States in The way of
raising silkworms. The Utah people
formed, during the nineties, ladies'
silk association. Five persons served
as commissioners, and received pay
from the state. In various parts Of
Utah, settled by the Mormons, an
abundance of white mulberry trees had
been planted. The new commission
bought every year supply of eggs,
which were distributed in small lots
among the Mormon settlers. In the
course Of time number OF women
were selected from among the more
skilled silk growers to go from place to
place and teach the Keeling of silk to
children. They received no salary, and
their only compensation was free board
from the farmers. The reelCd silk was
for a time sold in New York, but later
the market was closed. In the mean
time a small silk factory sprang up in
Salt Lake city, which, in time, bought
a small proportion of the silk produced
in Utah The cocoons were reeled upon
hand reels built according to Japanese
models, and part of the raw silk was
woven by the people themselves. Silk
dyeing was not attempted, but the silk
was sent to New York for that pur-
pose.
In 1901 the present secretary of agri-
culture, who had been travelling extern
sively throughout the country, and
particularly in the south, Investigating
the agricultural conditions and posi-
bilities, came to the conclusion chat ev-
cry possible effort should be made to
ameliorate the condition of the ex-
tremely poor people of the southern
states, and particularly of the colored
race. Among the many ideas which
suggested themselves to him was that
Of silk culture, which he very well
knew was household industry in 9TH
er countries and added materially, not
only to the national wealth and pros-~
perity of those countries in which 1t
was carried on, but also to the family
incomes of the extremely poor. He
therefore, during the following session
of congress, asked for an appropriation
of $4,000 for Investigations in silk Gull
ture, which was allowed
Congress during it's session of 1902
1903 repeated the appropriation of $10,-
900, adding to 1t the clause making APP
preparations for chronological investi-
cations, and under this appropriation
the division of entomology is working
at the time of the present writing.
All of the correspondents to whom
silkworm eggs were sent were notified
that the department would buy their
cocoon at European market prices,
and several hundred pounds were pur-
chased in this way and were reeled
during the summer. The raw silk thus
produced, while excellent in quality,
has not been large in quantity, and of
course the expense of production has
been prohibitive from commercial
point of view. 1t is the object of the
department in thus purchasing domes-
tic cocoons to create what might be
termed an artificial market for a time,
in order to interest individuals
throughout the country in learning the
art of silk raising, to stimulate efforts
in the production of the best possible
cocoons (since the prices paid are
graded, and to keep alive the interest
so far as possible until the time comes
when other and more natural markets
shall be supplied.