The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-17
SILK CULTURE IN THE UNITED
STATES.


WASHINGTON, April i6.-one Of the
phenomena Of Official life In Washington
il the tenacIty with which the Secretary
Of Agriculture hangs on to an idea. The
stars are as likely to change their course In
the heavens as Secretary Wilson IL 10 drop
an idea In which no believes. He Ia oon-
WINGED that the United States can produce
It's own raw silk and that II ought TO pro-
duce II. All that he and his Department can
/ do TO attain that end Is being and will be
done. Let us not kick II isa good scheme.
II has been with us, partly as a fad and
partly as an enterprise, for many years.
Thus far practical results are noonsider-
| able. But the Secretary ~ at It vigorously
and We are disposed to back him TO win.
Twenty years ago American imports OF
manufactured silk we're valued at tS7 900 900
year. Last year they were valued AZ
| $50 900, 900. Yet our people wear moro aux
| than they did In 1885. That Il due to tie
| importation Of raw silk and its mAnifAibr
ure In this country. The census OF 1880
shows the value Of silk products manu-
featured In the United States as t4i 100000.
In 1900 IL was tl07, 900 900, which is only
$4,000 900 less than the value Of our woollen
manufactures, and Is nearly one-third the
value Of our cotton manufactures. Capital
20 the extent Of Ssi 900 900 lie employed in
the business, and 65, 400 people earn t2i ,OOO,-
900 in wages, while 1850 more draw more
than s. 900 900 in salaries. Silk manufact-
uring now ranks among our important
industries.
Imports Of raw silk, upon which this in
dustry rests, make an important item In
our commerce, and no duty is paid on them
Their valuation for the last three calendar
years Is as follows:
tHSts5N
1908 t4SotSN
Oof0e'''
Our total importation since 1890 approx
mates $3.50, 900 900. Secretary Wilson's argu-
ment is that, during fifteen years, We have
paid this sum to other people for an article
which we might and should have produced a
homo, and all the facts of the argument
appear 10 be on his side Of the case
American interest in silk culture finds
its beginning In the early years Of tho sew
enteenth century, when King James sent
tho following communication TO the Com
pany Of Virginia:
Right trusty and wen beloved, we greet you
whereas we undeutAnd that the soil In Virginia
naturally yiedsth store Of excellent mulberry
trees, We have taken Into our prinoely oonsldeTA-
ton the great bensnt that may grow 70 the Advent
urers and Planters by the breeds Of silkworms
and setting up OF six works Ia those PARA Ana
therefore OF our gracious inclination 70 . deSiCA
| Of 80 much honor and advantage 70 the public We
have thought good. a. al sundry other Times -
now more particularly 70 recommend II 70 your
special care hereby charging and requiring you 70
take speedy order that our people there use AZ
possible diligence In breeding SilkwoTms and erect
ing SIX works, and that they rather bestow their
travel IN composing this rch and solid commodity
than In that Of tobacco, which. besides much neoes-
sAry expense, BRING with II many disordeu and
| inconvenienceb.
A consignment Of seed Of the mulberry
tree and silkworms, sent out In connection
with this Recommendation, went TO the
bottom In shipwreoked vessels. Fresh
supplies were sent out later, and for . num-
Der Of years considerable attention was
given TO the industry by the English In Vir-
gipia and by the French Huguenots who
settled in South Carolina For nearly 800
wears ftful efforts have been made, by
premiums, bounties and by individual enter
prise, to stimulate the planting Of mulberry
trees and to create a raw silk industry, A
special activity developed about 1910, and
thousands Of trees we're planted The trees
throve, but the silk industry failed oonn-
pletely. From time 10 time spasmodio
efforts have been made TO give 1t vitality,
but none has succeeded. The trouble
lies In the cost Of collecting the coooons.
These, in their native lair, probably cost no
more than do their kind in China, Japan
and Italy, from which countries we now
purchase the larger part Of our raw silk
But those who collect them in those lands
are willing TO work for a much smaller
return than would content the people Of
this country.
This does not dismsy Secretary Wilson,
and he is busly engaged in trying TO boom
, the business. Behind the collecting Of
ooooons stands a second operation-silk
Keeling from the cocoon. This is a process
] involving skin and delicate manipulation.
Providing for this, the Secretary has started
a small reeling shop. Experts were brought
from France as instructors and the United
states now has in its employ five American
girls who can reel silk with all necessary deX-
terity. Not only can they do it, but they are
doing It daily. Thus nucleus is formed for
the industry which Mr.. Wilson hopes TO
create. He will also supply silkworm eggs
! to those who want them, and who have
mulberry trees on which 10 put them.
The Department believes that the gather
ing OF cocoons can be done by women and
children during what would otherwise be
idle hours, and an appreoiable increase be
: thereby effected In domestic revenues, like
that effected by berry picking and similar
occupations. While this system might
result in a considerable industry, IL is doubt
full IL it would ever supply the millions OF
pounds OF silk now required by American
mills. II is even more doubtful whether
Q silk culture as a special business, with
' acres OF mulberry groves, and trees by
4 | tens Of thousands, can compete Success
q fully with the conditions In the countries
n from which the supply is now obtained.
: II the enterprise fails It will not he Score
I tary Wilson's fault II it succeeds IL VIII
. add much TO the wealth Of the country, and
Q the American people can afford TO over
look any little extravaganza TO which they
, may now object in the matter OF seed dis
4 tribution. The value Of our annual require
s mene in the silk department is about equal
o to that Of our demand in the potato line
: Mr.. Wilson Is trying 10 induce the Ameu-
!, can farmer to grow two potatoes where he