Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-05
To Cultivate Mulberry Trees.

There are in the United States many null
berry trees but they are not seen IN the
great groves such as are necessary pe1ofe
silk-worm culture can be attempted on a
large or a highly lucrative scale. But as
the tree produces leaves in appreciate
quantities. when about three years old, the
Secretary and his assistants confidently ex-
pect that this drawback can be overcome
in the course of a comparatively snort
time. AS it is, the department is sending
out letters daily to growers and planters all
over the United States, calling attention to
the work of the department up to date in
its efforts to create new American indus
try, and pointing out the advantages and
benefits, financial and otherwise, to be de-
rived from silk-worm culture. These letters
far have been distributed principally
throughout the southern states, and in
few days the first shipments of Silk-worm
eggs will be made to those In that section
of the country who own groups or groves
of mulberry trees and who expressed a de-
sire to attempt silk production.
There was no use in producing cOcoonS
when there was no market for them, and
there could be no market until an organ
lied effort was made to introduce silk
worm culture and instruct in silk reeling at
the same time.
Now the Agricultural Department has I'M
dertaken this work, and it is believed, with
splendid prospects of success. Just how
sections of the country will take to the
idea and just how fast the production of
SILK ready for manufacturing purposes Will
increase cannot be predicted with any de-
gree of accuracy, but the Secretary and his
assistants are optimistic and they, having
studied the subject thoroughly, should be
in position to know.
The five American girls who are now reel
ing silk at the Agricultural Department
were instructed by two experts in the art,
who were brought from France by the de-
partment for the purpose. They We're a
mother and daughter, and they objected
strenuously to leaving La Belle France,
but the inducement of free passage across
the Atlantic, both ways, and the high
wages--S60 a month each-were too much
for them to resist, particularly their lit
tie home was heavily mortgaged.
They came to instruct the American girls,
but they were not optimistic as to the re-
suit. They asserted that it took years to
learn the delicate art of silk reeling, and
they claimed, moreover, that even then the
best reelers were those whose parents had
been reelers before them. But the Ameri-
can girls did their best, and in two months
they had not only mastered the ms and
outs of the art, but were entitled to be
called experts. But that there might be
no doubt about the matter Secretary Will
son sent many rolls of silk of their Keeling
to an expert, who pronounced the work
perfect And now the French women have
returned to their native land the five
American girls run the complicated ma
ClllHeIy Oh the fTencn reefs as II they mad
been working at the industry all their lives
In the course of time these experts will be
called upon to instruct others through bout
the United States, for the Secretary feels
sure that as the industry spreads looms
will be imported and improvements made
and so the trade of silk Keeling will grow
commensurately with the growth of silk
culture itself. 1t Is an interesting subject,
the Secretary believes, and, more than
that 1t has an important place in the
scheme of political and national economy