The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-01-27
SILK CULTURE IN BUCKS
COUNTY.
BY !. A. ANDERSON, OF LAnBERTytLLs
Paper Read Before the Fail Meeting, Of
the Bucks County Historical Society
NJ Aeghope, October i3. 1908.

Society respecting what has been aptly
termed the silk craze" in Bucks
county, i must be stated that the most
Of what ! an able to present IS from
reeoileetIons OF occurrences within a
very limited area and observed when !
was about len years OF age.
am unable to state how large a ter
ntory was included in ihe injected
districts, nor can ] state with cxaetness
the period during which The eraze
continued, but my recollection Is very
distinct Of the circumstances which
came under my immediate notice.
Whence the idea of silk culture IN
this region came / do not know. Ny
father. who was keeping general store
in Doylestown, became. along with
good many Of his friends and nelghbors,
ia some way impress I'd with the possi-
bihty oil profit from the business. He
secured lot 81 ground OF several acres,
10 what WIS then the outskirts OF the
town, 1t the right Of The road as one
enters rom the direction Of Newhope,
at the point where IS seen on the left,
the mil dam then known as Godshaik's 5,
from he name Of the operator and, I
presume, The owner OF the mill The
last lime dslted Doyiestown oh
served that several dwellings, occupied
the site.
On this ground my father erected
building, which we knew as the Co
coonery, and made around 1t plan
tatien OF mulberry trees, rom the
leaves ot which The silk worms we're 70
be led
As the work progressed md required
closer attention, my tather, after prob
ably three Of four Years OF ne business,
removed his flmiig 10 dwelling near
the locality, which qe had Their named
Mulberry Hi. This 'out-ol-toWh"
residence was n The gear tS4e and
continued OF ono year, when 4 return
. ne former residence taok place aiy
recollection Fespectng the date Is con
ilrmed by comparison d ONE family
dates md could tic further verified # it
could n sseertsiaed Ia what year
hatisoa ascension toot place IN field
rear Nv lhis, at hat time was not
able occurrence and although ! ara IN
able 70 sceii my particulars bsyesa
iae faere act the circums,ance . ~.
pressed aeon my taind t,y reason = tav
ililer apinp acquired TIC rsedaie
TIE rlataral asea - fnakiuq i1r - ~ 5
the ,atlauan fae ailtoo aaa sa
iss tesaaaa n.sisiefasi-
q eseptvse
fkea,s.sss sr,,,v,s vvv,ss-s sser- susssufsa
the leaves t9r feeding iae six .vonns
were af the VARIETY known IS the Nor
ms multieauIis IS HE name iudi.
Gates, tha leaves were produced ~
great abundance and, On the Young
trees, ihev-~ere very large. The trees
were OF rapid growth and, during NV
knowledge Of them, reached a height
OF ten lset they would doubtless. u
time, reach a much greater height, But
it was necessary 10 have them oa, Tor
convenience IN gathering the leaves,
which vas done by persons standing On
the ground OF on Il short step ladder
The children Of the family were re.
quently employed IN this work
The lresh leaves we've spread on the
hurdles on which the worms were,
in order thai they might conveniently
feed on them which they did voraoI
ouslv The hurdles were light wooden
frames with strings across each way,
aftortlme a resting place for worms and
leaves they were supported CA
rough tables with space below each.
serving Tor ventilation and cleaning.
Tho temperature Of the room was re.
quired to he kept carefully at the pro
per degree, which was part OF The
proceeding OF which had little par.
tleular knowledge.
The "Multicaulisa trees were raised
irem cuttings. Until one had trees Of
his own the cuttings must be bought
from some other speeulator. They
were not cheap The switches were
cut INTO short pieces, each containing
single bud. They were very precious
and the raising and sale of them con
sututed 4 very important feature OF the
general scheme. remember my
father telling me, one day, as we were
planting some Of these cuttings, that
each one was worth twenty-five cents.
In view d the great facility Of propasa-
ton Of these trees, the value at which
these switches were held seems remark
able,
The planting was done in much the
same way as potatoes, the buds being
dropped about foot apart, in shall
low iurrow, and covered with soii
fhe Young trees soon came up and
were transferred to the large field OF
sold by the grower to other seekers