The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-08-31
cocooNs AND CArERPlLLARs FEEDING

very creamy yellow. The cocoon of
the male has a slightly drawn portion
around the middle, so that it dips in
the center. The cocoon of the female
is regular.
At this time there are two possibili-
ties for the grower to consider. Ell
ther the worm must be sacrificed that
superior silk may be obtained, or the
perfect quality of the silk must be
sacrificed for the propagation Of the
species, since the worm, after Its me-
tamorphOsis, vets the end Of the CO.
coon forces apart the clOsely-woven
Silken threads and Crawls out of Its
capsule. Since the little creatures are
ut this stage peculiarly susceptible TO
tuberculosis germs, each is subjected
10 an examination under the micro
scope to determine the condition of its
lungs. 4 diseased specimen is de-
StrOyS. After a few days the te-
male settles on Il piece Of paper and
begins to lay. Three hundred eggs are
laid the first day, the same number the
second day, and two hundred the third
day. Then, her labOrs, accomplished,
the moth dies. These eggs do not
hatch until the following year.
Since the exit Of the moth weakens
the end of the cocoon, in order to OBJ
tain the hest quality of silk, the worm
must he sacrificed. The cocoon is
placed in Il chemical substance which
Kills the inclosed moth. 1t is them
soaked in warm water for a couple of
hours. BY turning the cocoon around,
the tiny. loose end of the thread is
found and placed on Il four-pronSed
cog. which revolves and gradually un-
winds the $4,000 yards of the cocoon
into "a smooth hank. This raw mate
rial is then ready to be sent North TO
the manufacturers.
Before the war, raw silk sold for
$3.50 per pound. Now the price is So. |.
Nor is it likely to be lowered in the |
near future. There are Il thousand |
cocoons in a pound. Each pound Of !
silk makes from ten to fifty yards of |
goods Strange as it may appear, 1t .
is much cheaper to make silk into goods
lllun IL Is " ultiht Cbllpll. L llN Sll'l
fiber of the cotton must be spun into
thread, while the silk hank is one un-
broken thread $4,000 yards In length,
and is ready to be spun directly into
cloth. The United States in 1914 i'm
ported 5000, 100000 worth of raw silk.
cotton in Texas. With the possibilities
of a successful native silk farm, we
need not go outside of our own bOun-
we need not pay import tax on
raw material for home consumption.
DR.. V. X. Osigian, an Armenian and
key and France, is in charge of the
Austin farm. He is at work on one
Of the most interesting problems con
nected with the production of silk
Like the magicians of fable and fairy
land, he possesses a secret compound
which he sprinkles on the mulberry
leaves, and the worms react to this
md produce colored threads. To what
point this formula and it's reactions in
producing fadeless, notwithstanding
silk can be carried is, as yet, prOble-
natiCal. But Doctor Osigian Is hope
'ul that a species may be found which
will be characterized by the produc-
ion of certain colOrs, and that from
.hese cross colors may be evolved.
There are now $4,000 trees in the
Austin farm and 100000 trees which
will be ready to set out on the first of
November 1917. One acre of mulber-
Y trees will produce from 500 to ST.
'00 worth of silk in a years time de- ,
,ending upon the size of the trees. !
rhe trees are kept down to height ,
# or 8 feet, making it easy to pick
he leaves. Corn planted between the ,
rees shows that the soil can be used ,
or agricultural purposes until the
rees are grown.