20 
of which there are many varieties. They should be set out as a 
hedge, about ten feet apart, near the house, around the garden, or 
in rows by the roadside. In two years the first experiment in 
raising silk can be made. Fifty tiees are enough to begin with. 
Cuttings are better than seed ; they root easily and grow rapidly. 
They shruld he trimmed and not allowed to grow higher than It) 
feet, so that the leaves can bo easily picked by young persons. As 
the industry is to be prosecuted by women, the trees should be 
grown as near to tire home as possible. The next step in 
preparation is a suitable room for a cocoonery, airy and clean. In 
Europe housewives often use a garret or some other part of their 
houses, but it is better to have a cocoonery. A building 20 x 10ft. 
would suffice to rear 100,000 worms. The building cau be used ten 
months in the year as a storeroom, a carriage house, or some other 
farm put pose. For silk culture it would only be needed in the two 
first summer months. 
This industry is capable of giving employment to every unemployed 
woman and girl in the state. “ It is pleasant and profitable, and just 
suited to fill up the k-isuie horns in our rural homes. The women 
and children of the family can earn a nice little sum of money for 
themselves. They can thus contribute something to the productive 
wealth of the State ; they can make themselves richer and their 
homes happier ; for industrious homes are happier thau the homes 
of the idle. Vast numbers of our hoys and girls are profitably 
employed a fow weeks in the year in fruit picking and canning, but 
this gives no steady work. When silk culture becomes general in 
the State it will give work for two months to all these idle hands. 
Then when the canning season is over, the rest of the season can be 
profitably employed in silk reeling in some Filature ; for Filatures 
must eventually become established institutions iu different parts of 
the State, in which tens of thousands of our daughters will find 
permanent, pleasant and profitable employment. The best ladies in 
France and other European countries may be found engaged in silk 
culture every year. France and Italy make nearly 100,000,000 of 
dollars annually by this industry ; and nearly all the work is per¬ 
formed by women and young people. The demand for raw silk is 
immense. The manufactories of the world require about 400,000,000 
dollars worth every year, and this demand is increasing. The 
factories in the United States produce 80,000,000 dollars worth of 
silk fabrics annually. 
There are now two silk factories in California, both doing a good 
and growing business—one is located at Sau Francisco, the other at 
San Jose. The establishment at San Francisco is managed by 
Messrs. Carlson and Currier, for the production of Belding’s and 
Californian silks. It has been in successful operation since 
Febuary last and is located at the corner of Stephenson and Ecker 
streets, iu the heart of San Francisco. It gives employment to 
forty persons—mostly hoys and girls. We understand that the 
machinery and appliances of the establishment are worth about 
10,000 dollars; but the purpose is to erect a large and suitable 
buildiDg, as soon as the demand for their goods will justify it, for 
making twisted or spooled silk, ribbons, and other fabrics. The pay 
roll of the factory is about 1000 dollars a month ; a ready market is 
