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

tivated it with success for 80 years.
This interest in silk culture soon
passed beyond bounds, and there orig
mated what is known as the Morus
multiuaulis craze. Anticipating most
profitable investment, If not speedy
riches, thousands of individuals pur-
chased mulberry plants of the Multi
caulis species and planted large areas
of valuable land. The investments far
exceeded possible returns; heavy
frosts destroyed the plantations of
trees, and in the course of few years
the many failures and great disap-
pointments caused so complete revul-
sion of feeling that not only was silk
culture practically abandoned all
through the states, but the very name
became byword
Ten years or more after the discov-
cry of gold in California had attracted
many thousands of people to that state,
and at q time when its extraordinary
Agricultural prospects were first begin
uing to be exploited, the silk industry
began to raise it's head there. Near
San Jose, in 1861, a Frenchman named
L. Provost, having begun the propaga-
ton of the mulberry, succeeded In
raising excellent cocOons. In the trans
actions of the State Agricultural So
ciety for 1864-65, Mr.. Provost published
a short article on silk culture in CAL
ifornia, in which he showed that his
first paintings were made In 1898 or
1884 and that he had induced two "a
dies. named A. Packard and Il. Goux,
of Santa Barbara, to start plantation
Of 1000 trees, with the result that In
1864 they raised five pounds of SILK
worm eggs. Plantations had also been
made in the San Joaquin valley, and
30 600 trees had been set out near CEN
trail Utah The profits anticipated by
Mr.. Provost were largely in the sale OF
eggs. and he stated that ne had re-
ceiyed orders from Italy for 100 pounds
and from Mexico for 500 ounces.
In 1865 the legislature of California
offered a bounty for the production Oh
mulberry trees and silk cocoons, and IN
the transactions of the state agrlcul-
tural society for 1866-67 it was stated
that the liberal action of the legisla-
t,1re and the success which attended
the production of mulberry trees and
silk cocoons had induced the starting
of a very extensive factory at san
lose. The statement was made that
the necessary machinery had been pur-
chased and imported.
After the subsistence of the craze, SILK
culture was kept up on a small scale
at San Francisco by Mr.. j. Neumann
for many years.
When, in June 1878, Prof. c. V. Ri
ley was appointed entomologist of the
United States department OF agr1cul-
tnre. he brought with him from Mis-
souri, a strong interest in silk culture
and a conviction that this industry
could be established in the United
States.
In 1882 trees were sent out to cor
RESPONDENTS of the department and the
renort was made that among the Men
nonites in one of the western states
mulberry trees had been planted in
thick hedges at the limits of the fields
and both sides of the highways and
bvwavs. The trees were cut down one
third at a time every three years, fur
nishing an abundant supply of fuel and
also serving as windbreaks. These peo-
ple had almost 10000 pounds of cocoons
on hand for sale.
In the spring of 1885 some 5000 null
berry trees were distributed, as well as