Show I I UTAHS SILK PRODUCTION The production of silk in Utah during tho past year was not only much in excess of the amount produced In any year since the Inception of the Industry Indus-try in the State but with more experience experi-ence in handling the quality was much Improved and those who have given their time and energy to fostering this I potentially great industry have every reason to feel I the greatest encouragement encourage-ment The Slate Auditor during the past year paid bounties on almost 3000 I pounds and this amount Is much Jess I than the actual amount produced as on a good proportion of It no bounty has yet been claimed For centuries the I I production of silk has been one of the worlds great Industries and has given I employment to millions of people I It Is said to have been first discovered by I the Chinese about 2COO 13 C So jealously Jeal-ously did they guard the secret that It vas not until about luO B C that theo r the-o txia I < world obtained any knowledge of the process At that time two monks by stealth brought some eggs to the Emperor Justinian at ConHUintlnopIc I and the Industry became established In Europe I France leads In the prndueUon of I silk chiefly because lima Government I has done most to encourage the Industry Indus-try At present there arc from 800000 to 1000000 operators employed there j and the Industry has become one of tho rI great factors in the prosperity of that of country Utah Is well adapted to silk raising Tho first requisite for producing tho fabric is i a supply of mulberry trees t I and they arc here in abundance The I worms thrive well with intelligent handling and it is only necessary to I educate the people I of the Stale up to an understanding of the value of silk culture from a monetary standpoint to establish the industry on a linn basis here It may safely be said that no other branch of agriculture for silk culture should be regarded at least for tho present in Uluh as a branch of agriculture agri-culture offers better returns than silk raising That there is a constant demand de-mand for the product is well understood under-stood since silk is one of the chief commodities com-modities of commerce The United Stales imports annually more than 35 GOOOOO worth of raw silk alone Tho satisfying of this demand from within our own borders Is a condItion much to be desired Adapted as it is to the production i pro-duction of silk Utah should bofoiu long take a high rank In the list of silk producing States Mainly through tho I efforts of the Utah silk commission a I good start hi this direction has been made and the Industry is fairly well I established In most of the counties oC the State Tho commissions work thus far Ima been largely educational In Its nature I I In most cases it has been necessary to convince people that the business would I prove profitable and then to Instruct thorn In the proper methods of handling I the worms and their product This has been done through personal efforts on the part of members of the commission ion and by means of literature There has been a most gratifying Increase of interest In the matter during the past year and the production of allk promises I prom-ises to rank as one of Utahs main Industries In-dustrIes In the not very distant future fu-ture One of tho things to be contended con-tended against has been what may bo termed Impatience There has been 11 demand that results be shown Tho people who have Insisted that Utaha silk industry should already be one of the great streams flowing Into tho States wealth forget that no great industry In-dustry springs up In a day In Franco It took more than fifty years to thoroughly thor-oughly establish silk culture and that with legislation and special concessions I designed to particularly favor the industry in-dustry In Utah It is 1 new It will require re-quire some time yet for it to become a prominent factor In the States greatness great-ness but that with the increased attention at-tention It deserves and Is receiving it will ultimately be a source of great revenue to the State and the citizens of the Slate those who have Interested themselves Irr It feel assured And with that end in view they arc devoting devot-ing themselves nobly to the advancement advance-ment of the industry confident that In time they will be able to point with pride to tho fact that they were the pioneers In the establishment of one of the many sources from which tho citizens citi-zens of Utah receive their riches |