REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 21'l 



last spring. One of these was at Philadelphia in charge of the presi- 

 dent of the Silk Association there, Jfrs. John Lucas, and the other at 

 is'ew Orleans under the direction of Mr. Jules Herbeliu. 



The following iigures and estimares have been prepared by Mr. 

 TValker, those of the Piiiladelphia station from his personal examina- 

 tion of the books, and those of the New Orleans station from the re- 

 l)orts and correspondence of ^h\ Herbeliu : 



" Work at the Philadelphia station did. not commence in earnest until 

 the beginning of the present liscal year. Since that time, during the 

 months of July, Angust, and September, 518 pounds 11 ounces of co- 

 coons were consumed in the production of 96 pounds 1^ ounces of raw 

 silk. This requires 5.30 jjouuds of cocoons for 1 pound of reeled silk. 

 The quality of the stock handled is thus shown to be very bad, 4 pounds 

 being considered excessive. Some of the trouble is undoubtedly to be 

 attributed to inexperienced labor, but the principal difficulty was with- 

 out doubt in the inferior grade of cocoons used. These cocoons cost, on 

 the average, 85 cents per pound, so that the raw material used in tne 

 production of a pound of silk cost $4.58. What has been sold of this 

 silk has brought 84.40 per pound, from which it will be seen that the 

 cost of the raw material was greater than the value of the manufjictured 

 product. Under the circumstances this is not much to be wondered at, 

 when we take into account the fact that the greater part of the cocoons 

 were i^roduced by raisers who were absolutely without experience. 

 These raisers, though they produce an inferior product, expect a good 

 price for it, and iu encouragement of the new industry it has been 

 thought better to give it. Under commercial circumstances, at the 

 present value of silk, the cocoons used in this work should not cost more 

 than GO cents per pound. The labor entering into the production of this 

 silk consisted of 1,942 hours o^" a reeler. at a cost of 8232.50, and the ex- 

 pense of cocoon sorting, amounting to 850.25, or a total cost of 8288.75 

 for productive labor. This is about $3 per pound of reeled silk, or a 

 total cost of 87.58 per pound. The general expenses accompanying such 

 experiments are always heavy, and should not be counted to the detri- 

 ment of the work. Under commercial circumstances they are generally 

 covered by the sale of silk waste, the receipts for which are not herein 

 credited to the Philadelphia account.* 



"The 2sew Orleans filature was opened on the 15th of April, and was 

 run continuously in that city until the 31st of August. During that 

 time there were purchased 4,207 pounds of cocoons in a more or less dry 

 condition. They are estimated to be equivalent to 3,300 pounds of dry 

 cocoons and cost an average of 81 per dry pound. Of these cocoons, 

 2,710.15 pounds were reeled during the period mentioned, and from them 

 were produced 641 pounds of reeled silk. This gives us 4.228 pounds of 

 dry cocoons per pound of reeled silk. This is not what we may call a 

 good result, but we cannot hope for a better with the quality of cocoons 

 that Mr. Herbeliu has to deal with. Four hundred of the 041 pounds of 

 reeled silk mentioned above have been sold at 84.50 per pound, making 

 the value of the reeled lot 82,884,50, if the balance be sold at the same 

 price. The cocoons entering into this silk cost, as has been said, 82,710.15, 

 or about 94 per cent, of the value of the manufactured material, or, 

 again, about 84.23 per pound reeled silk. The labor employed in mak- 



* A later report CDecember 29) from Mrs. Lucas makes the rendition much more 

 creditable, sho\ving, in fact, that from 7'22 pounds of cocoons, 200 pounds of commer- 

 cial reeled silk was produced. This would be an improvement so unexampled since 

 Mr, Walker's report that there is evidently some error. 



