The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-09-17

journals were started and Immediately
gained a large circulation among the
farmers
All went merrily on until 1893. when IL
was discovered that there were no returns
from these wonderful trees and worms.
The bubble burst in a moment. and the
nurseries could not sell their precious cut
tings for 10 cents hundred for sticking
pea vines. The slik-cuture journals died.
The heavy winter frosts killed all the
Chinese mulberry trees in the North. and
Southern orchards were allOwed IL I'm
wild. The ''morus multcaulls" liked the
South. however. and the descendants Of
those princely seedlings are now growing
IN the woods Of the Southern States.
Small Returns for Government Aid.
The next revival started In California
just after the civil war, under the guild
ance Of a Frenchman named Provost. In
1884 Congress took action and appropri-
ated money for the encouragement of the
industry These appropriations were con-
t!nued until 1891, without appreciable re-
suits. IN 1862 Congress again took up the
work, and the Department Of Agriculture
is pushing it with all the vigor possible
The United States has expended Sls6, 600
since 1884 in the encouragement Of silk
culture. Thus far the returns have been
very small indeed
The great craze Of the '3Js was not al
together without beneficial results Mills
for the manufacture OF silk were set up
In New England and New Jersey, in con-
nection with the silk-culture farms When
the American cOcOons did not produce
enough raw silk, the mills imported IT,
and laid the foundation for the great
American silk-manufactuTing business Of
to-day.
The reason for the failure Of silk cul-
ture In the United States is the high price
Of American labor. The cocOons grown IN
America, especially those in California.
are Of the highest quality. But the silk
worm requires as much attention as a
sick baby, the work Of Keeling the silk
from the coco0ns IS tedious. and the price
Of labor IN this country IS 50 high that
the silk obtained costs much more than
That imported from other countries. Chi
nese and japanese, working for q few
cents day, produce silk so cheaply that
only by the Introduction Of improved
methods OF culture and feeding, and OF
taking care OF the silk TO this end. the
energies Of the government experts are
bent. and for this purp0se the government
Is trying 20 encourage as many people as
viii 20 grow silk ia a small way. AS
side issue on farm. and for the employ
ment OF those who have little regular
work at home. silk culture offers not only
q profitable but an exceedingly interest
ing. line Of experimentation. The Score
tary 81 Agriculture viii give full informa-
Ton II anybody will write 20 him on 49,
subject.
silk Discovered by a Woman,
The uses OF silk were discovered by ST.
Liug-Chi, wife Of Hoang-T. third En-
peror Of China. who flourished AZ the
time when Joseph. son Of Jacob. was
ruler over Egypt The Empress was d.
rected By her imperial husband 10 ex-
anime the silkworms and see If their
thread could be utilized. The legend tells
that she fed the worms with her own
hands and invented the method of IN
winding the long thread OF silk. which
is substantially the same as that now in
use. For 900 years the Chinese KEEP: the
origin Of silk a profound secret. They
sold the cloth 20 the Persfans. the H.
brews, the Greeks. and the Romans. bur
those peoples believed the fiber was the
product Of a plant, like cotton. Even
after the story OF the wonderful LITTLE
worm was known. the industry was =
Chinese monopoly, for it was forbidden
To carry any OF the eggs cut Of China
on pain OF death
Two HISTORIAN monks. who had been
spreading the Christian religion in China.
came back 10 Europe in the year so with
few silkwOrm eggs concealed in the
hollow OF their slaves. An Indian priu-
cess carried some eggs In her turDan s
inala. Thus the business was spread
from China. The Emperor Justinian took
the HISTORIAN monks into his charge. and
they raised silk for him He made il q
government monopoly. and laid q prohibi-
tive tariff against foreign silks He raised
the price OF silk 10 eight times its former
value and compelled princes and poten-
tateS 10 dress in uniforms of silk. IL en-
FeAed the Imperial treasury. for silk was
then worth its weight In gold At his
death the monopoly was broken IN. and
the business spread over Europe and tho
whole known world An earlier Roman
Emperor, Aureliau, refused 10 buy his
Empress a silken gown because Of the ex-
travagance Of IT, Although America has
failed aS a grower Of the precious fiber
it is "a fact that every American is bet
ter of in that respect than the Roman
Empress, for in ribbon. neckties. or dress
every man. woman. and child III the T-ni-
ted states sometimes wears a bit of The
cloth woven from the thread spun by tie
busy little worms.
TO-mOrrOw-Seeking Buried Treas