Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-07
INCREASE IN ITALY SHOWN By
CONSUL CUMMING.

Italy's rre-eminence In the raw silk In
dustry is commented on by Consul ]. f.
Dunning in report to the Department OF
Commerce and Labor wherein he describes
the display In the silk building at the
Milan exposition. He gives number OF
interesting figures showing the immense
amount of raw silk produced, that shows
in curious contrast to the slackness of the
industry In the United States where. for
several years past. the government has
maintained a silk-windIng establishment
under the direction of the Department OF
Agriculture and distributed silk worm eggs
free without being able to arouse any de-
cided interest in the movement among the
people OF the south.
In speaking of the silk production of
Italy, MT. Dunnfng says:
In Italy there are cultivated every year
100000 ounces OF silk-worm eggs and
there are produced 110.OO0.oOo pounds OF
cocoons, having az total value. at todays
fun half of this total. The Venetian
provinces produce about one-fifth and
Piedmont about one-seventh. In the past
ten years there has been an Increase In
Lombardy's annual cocoon production OF
2,840o0o pounds more than the statistics
registered in 1897. AS one goes south tho
production difninishes rapidly in volume.
Figures for 1904
Using now the figures for 1904 the latest
complete tables, the whole of Italy produces
about 100000 pounds of pure yellow CO.
coons lpure bloods, not crossed. of which
1,250 900 pounds are withheld from the mar
ket for breeding purposes, while the bal
ance goes into the manufacture of SILK
of which, at the established proportion nr
70 Bio pounds of cocoons to each is
pounds of silk. about l. "a GOO pounds of
silk thread Is produced. or the crosshred
white-yeilow cocoons Italy produces IA
6I4oO0 pounds annually, of which 5oos0
pounds only are retained for breeding pur-
poses while the balance goes into the man
ufacture of thread OF Japanese green and
white cocoons 135o,OO0 pounds are used an
rnally, and 10000 pounds are deducted for
rep.oduetive purposes The average total
production of Italian raw silk reckoned on
the period from 1893 to 1902 was s153 0,I
pounds per year.
In the year 1904 silkworm eggs TO thu
total weight of Is 900 pounds were ~
ported into Italy to lend tone to the bread
ing stock. and $500 pounds of eggs we're
exported to meet the similar demand of
other markets In the same year live"
cocoons to the amount of cor 600 nounds
were imported (nearly double the amount
shipped during the preceding year,. while
2S3,OOo pounds were exported: again a heavy
increase over 1908. OF dry or dead cocoons
there were imported in 1904 1873 40 bounds
and expectations amounted to 265 600
pounds. The imports showed a decrease OF
2,9S6,72o pounds.
Pure-Breeding Stock.
The italian growers place great stress on
maintaining pure breeding stock. and to this
is attributed much of their success in the
Industry, They breed silk WORMS as care
fuzzy as we do poultry. and the result Is a
superior breed OF silk producers Cheau Ia
Dor is another factor in the success of the
Italian industry, the labor for which this
government pays several dollars day be-
ing obtalnable there for from 30 TO 80 cents.
In describing the exhibition hall Mr. Dun
ming remarks:
In one hall fifty women. dressed in the
saaidy costume of the northern provinces
AID wearing the dazzling silver fan-shaped
head dresses, are engaged In the washing
OF the cocoons and the winding OF the six
therefrom- One double row OF tables runs
Down either side OF the hall. containing the
hot-water basins the leaders for the thread
and the slender steel frames by which II is
led above the heads OF the operators and
carried to the lines of reels placed IN long
row behind them. Dense crowds Of visitors
since the first day Of the exhibition have
not tired of watching these women deftIy
knotting the broken threads and keeping
accurate watch on the bobbing cocoons in
the steaming basins. 1T is these women.
earning from 20 to 80 cents day and able
10 endure degree Of heated water very
much above the ordinary, who have con-
trfbuied largely to Ita,ys reputation a
raw-silk producer. and have made 1t impos-
sible for Americans to compete on their
own soil A dozen young girls. who earn 30
per cent less, are employed In the prelimi-
nary soaking of the cocoons and the strain
Ing process which Immediately precedes the
winding and is done at smaller basins set
il the inner side OF the tables at which the
principal operators sit.
In the weaving department. In which a
rnnber OF processes are exhibited IN fun
operation, nearly all the machinery is of I
Milan manufacture. One corner is occupied
by q model mill In which the power driving
the looms is electrically transmitted indi-
yfdual motors being attached to each ma
chine. These motors are of one-third horse
ere Maan-msde.