Show 52 SILK CULTURE there is a great deal of interest now being manifested all over the united states in silk culture very fortunately for the industry and for those engaged in it is now only a deep and quiet interest and nothing of a craze in culture in widely separated places and independently of each other growers are experimenting successfully and making the industry profitable to establish new industries to produce and manufacture within the borders of this country everything that can be dono so profitably and to diversify our industries to their greatest possible extent is directly in the line of national progress sen culture offers employment to thousands fitted for work light and pleasant but requiring intelligence and skill it is then eminently and proper that the industry should receive encouragement until atia thoroughly demonstrated whether or not it is practicable to raise profitably all the silk needed in this country here at home norman J colman commissioner of agriculture washington D will send books of instruction and silk worm eggs free to all applicants who can satisfactorily facto rily engage in the industry the department has lately received a consignment sign ment of silk worm eggs from europe for gratuitous distribution among the silk growers of this country in addition to all this the department is a market for the cocoons as it will purchase them from american growers for the purpose of continuing the experiments in tho reeling of silk from the cocoon in should send for the books of information and instruction first and then after carefully studying them they can decide whether it would bo desir able or profitable for them to undertake the raising of silk experiments can be made without the outlay of much capital the sun pie apparatus required could be made at home choice cocoons arc worth 1 a pound and reeled or raw silk is worth aa pound those who raise the cocoons can also reel the silk this country imports im porta annually about worth of raw silk it is said that paterson N J manufactured last year worth of bilk goods the silk association of america whose headquarters are t philadelphia is making noble efforts to establish this delicate industry and furnish employment to thousands who are fitted only for light and skillful work |