The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-28
FIEUs1a6 P[l|NEb|slLk FARM IN CITY
Philadelphia Barber EnIists Aid Of
Agricultural Department.
Thrss Hundred Mulberry Trees Now
Growing on Jersey Farm-yeariy
2. Yield Of cocoons Expected TO
Reach 700 Pounds.

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Philadelphia, .Pa.-A six farm
has been established near this city
with the aid Of the United States de
partment of agriculture It Is not, az
yet. an extensive one. but 1t is In
charge of proficient and experienced
sflk-worm raiser.
At present the farm contains SOC
young white gz-lberry trees. which
the government sent to the pioneer
here. James Carvello, who six days in
the week Is journeyman barber, and
at all times an enthusiastic silk grow
er. The trees were sent as an expert
ment.
About year ago Carvello heard
that the government was preparing to
Assist In the culture of the silk worm
In this country. His father-in-law
Charles Moroni, was for IA years en-
gagged In the industry near Rome
and together they decided to go ia
washington and volunteer to make ex
perfments II the government would as.
sist them to get the trees necessary
for the work. The silk worms are vo
racious and at the same time dainty
feeders, and their proper culture, to q
large extent. depends upon supplying
them with sufficient food of the right
kind.
Carvello and Moroni were ques.
tione and were found to have had the
necessary experience. SO the govern.
ment officials agreed to supply both
trees and worms. when the trees
arrived they were about eight inches
high. Carvello planted 300 in close
rows in boxes in the little yard back
of his dwelling, ia st. Adams street.
The trees sent to Moroni were planted
on his place at Somers Point, N. j.,
where he has lot about one hundred
and fifty feet square.
The trees now in Carvellos yard
are about six feet high, and have
large leaves, but are too young as yet
for the purpose for which they are in
tended. Two years more will be re-
quired before their growth is suffi cient
to establish colony of silk worms.
Carvello said that he would take the
young trees to his father-in.law's
place this fall, where they will be
transplanted.
The air here in Philadelphia" said
Carvello, lis not pure enough for the
trees. There is too much carbon IN
1t. / intend to take the trees down
to my father-in-laws place: He has
more room than have. Together we
shall have 600 trees, and 10 FIVE or six
years we should have yearly yield Of
cocoons of about 700 pounds. The
government offers to buy all the CO.
coons we raise at $125 a pound.
my father-in-law, who is native Of
Rome. has had IA years. experience.
They tried to get some of his Sc
crets from him down In Washington.
but he is wise. When the trees are
of good size land that will be in about
two years. we will send to Rome for
worms. After that the culture will
be merely a case of watching worms
and trees. You know. the worms get
sick, and they have to be taken care
of and cured, or they will die.
The trees begin to bud April %,
and then the tender young branches
are given to the worms. Later the
worms are fed with tender leaves
They will only eat from one side of
leaf, and for some reason they
would rather starve to death than
touch the other side. OF course. all
the worms are not allowed to reach
the butterfly stage they ruin the CO.
coon by breaking the silk strands
So, when the cocoon is formed the
worm Us killed. Others are allowed
to reach the butterfly stage and lay
eggs to be Matched the following year.
There are about thirty-nine thou.
sand eggs to the ounce. and this num-
Der, II Successful. will yield about two
hundrtF pounds of cocoons.
IF Ie are successful at Somers
Point Me shall take a larger place and
cultivSje more extensively. 1t is
largelylla matter of sufficient food.
and thai means sufficient trees to fur
nish le,kyes. The worms feed about
four or live times a day and are not
put upon the trees, but are fed with
leaves taken from the trees.
Il do not know why silk worm cul
ture has not been extensively tried
mere, for the white mulberry tree
seems to flourish here as well as in
Italy. I think the trees are originally
brought from Italy. The white null
berry has MP fruit and seems to be the
only tree whose leaves the silk worm