The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-11-11

Innumerable tiny rice-straw basket:
are constructed for the insects Silk
worms are not allowed to fasten theil
spun houses on twigs because that
would cause wastage in the unwinding
process. One, two or three worms
will frequently spin in each straw
basket, suspending their cocoons in
mid-air. AS in the case of the honey
bee and the chick the Matching period
for the silk moth Is 81 days; but if
the cocoon is to be used for silk it
must be heated over slow fire to
Kill the pupa before it bores through
the silken walls. At the silk mill or
Nature the cocoons are divided into
lots of fifteen to twenty, placed in ba
sins of warm water, and the thread
ends brushed out. The single strand
formed by twisting together the
threads from fifteen to twenty cocoons
when wound with fifteen or twenty
similar strands forms the silk yarn
which Is the basis of the raw silk of
commerce. Such strand of warn
thus contains 225 or more threads
from as many cocoons.
Odd Tools Employed.
Curious tools are used in silk Gull
lure In Japan-cleavers, sleeves, chop
sticks, and long feathers. Cleavers
are used to chop the tender mulberry
leaves into tiny pieces for the young
worms. In order that the food NAV
be small enough for the tiny insects
1t is sifted over the trays with sleeves.
"A soft feather is used to clean the
trays. Tending the trays is the most
understanding operation of silk
worm culture, for the young worms
must be changed to fresh trays twice
a day and, when older, at least once
a day.
Sol and climate to support null
perry trees do not alone enable q
country to produce raw silk. Tho
country which can best produce si,k
$ one whose people are meticulousIv
'areIui and patient. To watch Ian
'nese girl bending over a tray. bal
lnclng long, slender chop sticks in he,
lght hand and patiently TRANSFERRING
Win utmost delicacy, the tiny black
pecks that are young silk worms
rom one tray to another, is to under.
tano why Japan is the worlds silL
rooucer par excellence.
Getting Japanese silk to America
a more exciting procedure than
lsnt De supposed. Excepting gold 1
I'D silver bullion, silk probably is tho t
'os. precious commodity, weight for a
eight, carried on a large scale in b
'inmefce. A single special train win Ii
ing S5,0OO,000 worth of sill, Inst
II costs dearly to ship money biob
larges are put on silk sbinmones
ne saving of two days sailing time o.
'tween Yokohama and Seattle is sa,d g,
make difference of so cents h,
ne at New York. Interest on tho =,
Unions OF dollars tied nm mnlt,n1,s =
,ne rate of more than 1000 . dow -,
H. IN addition, there is costly H. ~ =,
rance. In the silk trade time ,;.aa 81
y is money. '''ei- pi
Quick Time With Silk CARGO.
Inc worlds record on the yoro
ma-New York silk course wos ~.
not long ago when the Orient 80 ia
,asn. within 10 days, hours and Ell
MINUTES MN of Manhattan. Laden w ~nu So
'oo'oVo worth of raw silk ~ lie
asldent Jackson made Seattle On , ,ne ca
'.n gay. A United States mail saa e 49,
ne met the liner at Victoria on.,
aseo ITS way to Seattle, 100 miles
~ bringing port documents md
go papers. ' ana
'pecial port forces at Sea,tIo
rlch consignment in three hornu lol
special silk train waiting Win int
am up. The swift Oriental Iim,, .ss NV
'senger trains take 70 bors i'eu
On chicago; the FREEZER" &c ~. ~ :
special is known to railroads." wa
ses II III 90 hours. Twelve COS brc
e required for the Presidor. , a,s ~.
6 cargo With Queen Six go sack, p po,
y, ~ GORDON of train guards arn,os 90
."e .eeth. When the treasns ~
u safely reaches New w. asure noe
'm aada, Is divided quickly s - 'ne UT, orc
conslgnees for storage n among n ing
ses OF dispatched to mills n . teri
X Wnon SIX towns as Paterson NJ al,e
- In