The San Mateo item. (San Mateo City, Putnam County, Fla) 189?-19??, 1908-12-05
RICH SOIL OF FLORIDA
Adapted to Cultivation of Null
berry Trees for Silk Industry
CROPPRODUCED IN SIX WEEKS
Trees Can Be Grown in Florida In One
Year. In Europe Il Requires
Three Years.

Jacksonville. Fla,-That the soil
Florida is peculiarly adapted to th
cultivation OF the mulberry tree fc
the production OF the silk worm an
; that the manufacture Of silk wi
eventually prove one of the leadin
industries Of the state, is the firm be
lief Of DR.. V X. osigian, the Amer
can silk culturist
Relative to silk manufacturing an'
the advantage Florida offers TO Thu
industry, DR.. Oslgian has the follow
ing to say:
Gold trees or mulberry tdees grow
as much in Florida in one year al
they do In Europe in three years
Florida is the Eden of the mulberry
tree, and paradise of the silk worm
The silk producing season In Florida
may be extended over a period OF
six to eight months, while in Europe
II only lasts as many weeks. In Chi
ma the mulberry Is called the golden
tree on account of the great renumer
alton II has brought her people. We
can and should raise our own silk and
keep at home more than $150,000,00C
that We pay to foreign countries each
year for our silk.
The time required to raise a crop
Of silk or silk season is from April
to May IA, forty days, or one-ninth
part OF a year, while for a cotton
crop forty-nine weeks are required.
THE work is nearly all indoors
light. pleasant and interesting. A
family of FIVE persons, including say
three children 10 or Is years of age
can, in six weeks, care for a crop OF
six ounces of silk worm eggs OF
seeds.
Cost for eggs at $3.50 per ounce
50. A good average production Of an
ounce of eggs is one hundred and
twenty to one hundred and fifty
pounds of fresh or forty to fifty
pounds OF dry cocoons.
DRY cocoons are those after the
chrystalis are killed by heating or
steaming and cocoons are thoroughly
dried, six ounces of eggs should pro
duce them, as a good average crop
two hundred and forty pounds Of CO
coons.
Food required for six ounces OF
eggs will be about 1000 TO 10000
pounds OF any kind of mulberry
leaves, the white mulberry being the
best variety to use. At two or three
years old they will produce thirty
five TO nifty pounds OF leaves, or, say
three hundred two-year or three.year.
old trees would be necessary to pro.
duce the 10000 pounds OF leaves
needed. Mulberry trees are properly
planted about twelve feet apart, and
at this distance II means three hun.
dred trees TO the acre. So that one
acre will furnish enough trees for this
crop. but as they grow, they rapidly
increase I'm food furnishing capacity
A five-year-old tree will furnish eigh.
ty-hve to one hundred pounds; an
eight-year-old tree, one hundred and
forty to one hundred and fifty
pounds. and a fifteen-year-old tree,
two hundred pounds.
IF to the work above required Is
added the work Of two grown persons
for the last two weeks OF feeding the
worms, and two more workers during
the last week OF feeding, the crop can
be doubled and twelve ounces OF
hands can be handled. Using six hun.
dred three-year-old trees and two
acres Of land, and the returns would
be between $3.50 and $500.
THE only care the trees require
during the year is to trim them and
keep down the weeds, but for pasture
the mulberry orchard will be worth
more than all cost for it's care, and
until the trees are several years old
some garden truck or cron can ha
raised In the orchard between the
trees.
THE silk crop is as sure, indeed
surer than almost any other crop, Il
is an indoor crop and is not Deepen.
dent on the weather and most OF the
work In caring for Il is indoor work
and during the most pleasant season
OF the year"