Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-06-09
six Culture in the South.

on the subject, few know that the de-
partment of agriculture is striving to
introduce new industry in the south
that would inevitably give employ
ment to many women and children.
This is silk culture. All the work,
from the feeling of the silk worm to
the rolling up of the fabric after 1t
comes from the loom, can well be done
by women and children.
In the early part of the last century
farmers in various parts of the United
States had the silk fever, and groves
of Morris Mutticanlies were set out,
and, as soon after as was possible
that is, as soon as the leaves of this
foreign tree were large enough for the
purpose, the farmers wives added TO
their previous many labors that Of
feeding and caring for silk worms.
Some even became much interested in
their crawling charges, and were real
ly sorry, outside the loss of the money
embarked in the project, when the
silk industry proved a failure. That
IL was so was owing to the fact that
people attempted it ignorantly, and
without, as a general thing, making
any adequate preparations The farm
ers never stopped to consider that the
mulberry tree would not grow to De of
material value in northern states.
The whole thing was a fizzle and many
were losers by 1t,
What Is now proposed Is that silk
culture shall lie attempted in the
southern states. Miss Henrietta Aiken
Kelly who has devoted several years
10 the study of this industry in France
and Italy, is now being employed by
the department of agriculture as its
special field agent. The mulberry does
well ia most southern states, and it
has been found that the leaves of the
Usage orange will be a good substitute
for those of the mulberry, IL necessary.
Miss Kelly has given much time to the
study of improved machinery, particu-
larly for Keeling silk, with the idea OF
reducing the cost of production, and
although she does not profess TO have
as yet solved every difficulty, she is
hopeful that 1t may lie possible to offer
another occupation to southern wo-
men.
The great obstacle Is the cheap labor
of Europe and China Yet wages in
the south are SO low that the cost ques-
ton should not be insurmountable, and
the work is so light that as a matter
of health 1t would be better than work
in the cotton mills.
An example of the rapid growth of
silk culture is afforded in the work of
Sir Thomas Warde in the historic vale
of Cashmere. He proposed to raise
silk for English manufacturers, and in
1898 he gave out silk worm eggs to 500
families Last year $4,000 worth of
eggs were supplied to $4,000 growers.
The number of reelers employed ty
him last year was 5000 Five large
factories for Keeling and storing CO
cools give employment 10 over 500
men and boys. and something like
$4,000, old and young, are working for
this enterprising Englishman.
There is no reason why the industry
should not thrive in this country. Few
people know that the United States
is the second silk manufacturing coun-
try in the world. Statistics prove
that whereas the exports of silk from
France has increased only $4,000. 900 in
the past 20 years, the value in Amer
lean production in the meantime has
increased from $4,000, 900 to $107, 00O,-
600. Americans manufacture five.
sixths of the silks used here, and why,
il possible. should not the whole pro-
cess be the work of American people?
There is no right reason why there
should not be several men like Sir
Thomas Wardle in the south, and why
thousands of southern women and chill.
dren should not find employment. II
is one in which the negro working
force might be found valuable