THE GETTY CENTER LIBRARY Silk Its Origin and Culture. Illustrated. T5 IGSO 558 '<35>S Florence, Mass. Nonotuck Silk Company. 1895. Copyrighted, 1895, By Nonotuck Silk Company. All rights reserved. Press of Springfield Printing and Binding Company, Springfield, Mass. Publisher’s Note. A growing demand from teachers and others for a reliable and concise book of information on silk culture has prompted the preparation of this little pamphlet. It is distinctly an educational work, embrac¬ ing as it does the most interesting facts gathered from the experience of twenty-four years, in which this company has made a scientific and practical study of rearing this wonderful insect. The fine half-tone engravings illustrating this book were made from photographs of the Cor- ticelli Silkworms taken from life. We believe them to be the first American photographs and the most truthful reproductions of silkworm life in existence. Contents . PAGE The Discovery and Introduction of Siek, . . 5 The Silkworm, .15 Reefing the Siek from the Cocoons, .... 35 How Siek is Manufactured,.41 The Discovery and Introduction of Silk. The history of silk starts with Hoang-Ti, the third Emperor of China, who charged his wife and queen, Si-Eing-Chi, to examine the silk¬ worms and test the practicability of using the thread from the cocoons. In her zeal she col¬ lected large numbers of the worms, fed them herself, and discovered how to reel the silk and to make it into garments. This was about 1700 B. C., and for her discovery she was deified, so the Chinese records say, and ever since has been known as the “Goddess of Silkworms.” The wild silkworms or allied species were found in Southern or Eastern Asia, inhabiting the jungles of India, Pegu, Siam, and Cochin China ; but the cocoons were used only for card¬ ing and spinning, very much as spun silk is now produced. Meanwhile the Chinese kept their method of obtaining the silk a profound secret 6 Silk: Its Origin and Culture. for nearly two thousand years. They gave the silk to the Persians, who for one thousand years, without knowing how or from what it was made, carried it to the Western Nations. Aristotle was the first European to learn the true origin of the wrought silk brought to him from Persia on the return from that country of Alexander’s victorious army. He described the silkworm as a “horned insect, passing through several transformations, which produced ‘ bom- bykia,’ ” as he called the silk. However, for five hundred years after this time the common theory of the origin of silk, among the Greeks and Ro¬ mans, was quite different, since they had con¬ founded the production of silk with that of cotton. In Aristotle’s time Pamphile and her associates in the Island of Cos (the modern Zea in the Aegean Sea) had imported raw silk from Persia, and unraveling it had woven a silken gauze, which from its transparency was called “woven wind.” Soon the Roman ladies followed her example, substituting for silk fine threads of linen or cotton for the weft or filling, and before From Fhotograpk, Copyrighted, lisqj, by N. S. Co. GATHERING MULBERRY LEAVES 8 Silk : Its Origin and Culture. long it became in great demand. The Roman emperors arrayed themselves in costly silken garments, and soon laws were passed restricting its use to the nobility and to women. The Emperor Anrelian is said to have refused his empress a silken robe on the ground of its great costliness. The extravagant Heliogabalus wore garments made wholly of silk, though they were valued at more than their weight in gold. In the sixth century A. D., all the raw silk was still being imported from China, by way of Persia, when the Emperor Justinian, having engaged in war with Persia, found his supply of raw silk cut off and the manufacturers in great distress. His foolish legislation did not help the situation, and a crisis was averted onlv by two Nestorian monks, who came from China with seed of the mulberry tree and the Chinese method of rearing the worms. No one, on pain of death, was allowed to export the silkworm eggs from China, but Justinian bribed the monks to return to that country, and in 555 they came back bringing with them a quantity of silkworm eggs concealed in the hollow of their pilgrim’s staves. Prom Photograph , Copyrighted, i8qj, by N. S. Co . BRANCH OF THE MULBERRY TREE, SHOWING BERRIES. io Silk : Its Origin and Culture. From this small beginning the industry spread rapidly over Greece and Syria, into Spain in 711, into Sicily and Naples in the twelfth cen¬ tury, reaching Italy in the sixteenth, and France in the seventeenth century. Naturally manu¬ facturing followed raw silk production, but for centnries the finest and richest silks were woven only for the church, the nobility, and the most wealthy knights; Persia, China, and the coun¬ tries to the far East producing magnificent hand embroidered specimens, the results of years of patient labor. Silk culture in America started in 1622, when James I. sent silkworm eggs, mulberry trees, and printed instructions to Virginia, but the attempt was not successful, and the planters showed their taste by returning to the growing of tobacco. In 1735 eight pounds of .silk were exported from Georgia, and about 1750 a filature —an establishment for reeling silk—was built at Savannah, and the exports increased from one hundred pounds of reeled silk in 1755, to seven hundred pounds in 1758, and over ten thousand pounds (seventy-five thousand dollars worth) in From Photograph, Copyrighted, /8<)j, by N. S. Co. Actual Size. CORTICELEI SILKWORMS, SIX AND TEN DAYS OLD. 12 Silk: Its Origin and Culture. 1759. From that time the industry declined, although during the Revolutionary war the raw material was made into sewing silk and sold at home. Connecticut began to rear silkworms in 1760, and for eighty-four years this state led all others in the amount of silk produced. Soon after 1769 Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts became interested in the industry, but during the Revolution it was given up, and was not revived until 1826, when a most determined effort was made to place silk growing on a paying basis. For ten years all went well ; several states offered premiums and bounties, silk societies were formed, and new machinery was invented and put into operation. But soon a disturbing element was introduced; a great effort was made to supplant the white mulberry (Morns alba), on the leaves of which the worms had been fed, by the so-called Chinese mulberry, the Monts multicaulis , on account of the superior qualities claimed for it. A sudden infatuation seized the people, speculation began, and prices advanced far beyond their real value. From Photograph , Copyrighted , i8gj, by N. S. Co. Actual Size. SILKWORMS ABOUT EIGHTEEN DAYS OL,D 14 Silk : Its Origin and Culture. Since 1830 Florence (Northampton), Mass., had been identified with the silk culture move¬ ment, and the whole surrounding country soon caught the fever, and as the excitement increased acres and acres of mulberry cuttings and trees were planted at Florence, a stock company was formed and buildings erected. Then in 1839 came the crash. The bubble had burst, bring¬ ing ruin to thousands of persons, and mulberry twigs which had been worth nearly their weight in gold could not be sold for ten cents a hun¬ dred. A severe winter killed most of the trees, giving the industry a final blow from which it never recovered. However, some who had been silk growers turned their attention wholly to manufacturing, importing the raw silk. The company at Flor¬ ence gave up silk growing for a time, but con¬ tinued the manufacture of Corticelli silk, which had been started as far back as 1838, and the Nonotuck Silk Company became known the world over as the sole manufacturers of this celebrated silk. The Silkworm. The wonderful insect that makes the silk is the larva of a small moth called Sericaria mori. This moth is classed with the Lepidoptera , or scaly winged insects, family Bombycidce , or spin¬ ners. This species of caterpillar is commonly called the Mulberry Silkworm. First reared in China, it is now extensively cultivated in China, Japan, Italy, France, Spain, and other European countries. Owing to the greater value of labor here, the United States cannot compete with these countries, and most of the raw silk there¬ fore is imported. The silkworm has become domesticated, since, during the long centuries in which it has been cultivated, it has acquired many useful peculiar¬ ities. Man has striven to increase its silk pro¬ ducing power, and in this he has succeeded, for, by comparing the present silkworm with its wild 16 Silk : Its Origin and Culture. relations, the domestic cocoon is found to be much larger, even in proportion to the size of the worm that makes it or the moth that issues from it. It has other peculiarities, among these being its peaceful disposition and its seeming want of all desire to escape if supplied with food. The moth’s loss of the power of flight and the white color of the species are also the results of domestication. The silk moth exists in four states—egg, larva, chrysalis, and adult or imago. The egg of the moth is nearly round, slightly flattened, and closely resembles a turnip seed. When first laid it is yellow, soon turning a gray or slate color if impregnated. It has a small spot on one end called the micropyle , and when the worm hatches, which in our climate is about the first of June, it gnaws a hole through this spot. Black in color, scarcely an eighth of an inch in length, covered with long hair, with a shiny nose, and sixteen small legs, the baby worm is born, leav¬ ing the shell of the egg white and transparent. Small and tender leaves of the white mul¬ berry {Morns alba ) or osage orange (Maclura CORTICELRI METHOD OF TRANSFERRING THE WORMS. i 8 Silk : Its Origin and Culture. aurantiaca) are fed, the young worm simply piercing them and sucking the sap. Soon the worm becomes large enough to eat the tender portions between the veins of the leaf. In eating they hold the leaves by the six forward feet and then cut off semi-circular slices from the leaf’s edge by the sharp upper portion of the mouth. The jaws move sidewise, and several thousand worms eating make a noise like falling rain. The Corticelli worms are kept on small trays. Every morning an attendant carefully transfers the worms on one tray to another on which is a clean white paper. In this way the worms are kept clean. In foreign countries the leaves are placed beside the worms, or upon a slatted or perforated tray placed above them, and those that crawl off are retained while the weak ones are removed with the old leaves. The worms breathe through spiracles , small holes which look like black spots, one row of nine down each side of the body. They have no eyes but are quite sensitive to noise and if you rap upon the table they stop eating and throw their heads to one side. They are velvety, smooth, and cold to Front Photograph , Copyrighted , IoQj, by N. 6. C by N. S. Co. Actual Size. MOTHS. TOP VIEW SHOWS THEM EMERGING FROM COCOONS. 32 Silk : Its Origin and Culture. reeling, and consequently, when ten days old, all those not intended for seed are placed in a steam heater to stifle the chrysalis, and the silk may then be reeled at any future time. The moths are cream white in color. They have no mouths, but do have eyes, which is just the reverse of the case of the worm. From the time it begins to spin until the moth dies, the insect takes no nourishment. The six forward legs of the worm become the legs of the moth. Soon after mating the eggs are laid and in about eight days the moths die. The male has broader feelers than the female, is smaller in size and quite active. The female lays half her eggs, rests a few hours, and then lays the remainder. Her two or three days’ life is spent within a space occupying less than six inches in diameter. One moth lays from three to four hundred eggs, depositing them over an even surface. In some species a gummy liquid sticks the eggs to the object upon which they are laid. In the large cocoon varieties there are fully thirty thou¬ sand eggs in a single ounce avoirdupois. AFTER THE MOTHS HAVE ESCAPED, SHOWING THE PIERCED COCOONS. From Photograph , Copyrighted , I&Q5, by N. S. Co. Actual Size. COMPLETED COCOON, SHOWING “FEOSS.” Reeling the Silk from the Cocoons. Reeling the silk from the cocoons is not often done in the United States and the Corticelli method differs slightly from that practiced in for¬ eign countries. Most of the raw material which is imported comes already reeled ready for the manufacturer. We give both the French and Italian methods below. The cocoons are first assorted, those of the same color being placed by themselves and those of fine and coarse texture likewise. The “floss” or outside loose silk is then removed as this cannot be reeled, after which the cocoons are plunged into warm water to soften the “gum” which sticks the threads together. The operator brushes the cocoons with a small broom, to the straws of which their fibers become attached, and then carefully unwinds the loose silk until each 36 Silk : Its Origin and Culture. cocoon shows but one thread. These three oper¬ ations are called “soaking,” “brushing,” and “cleansing.” The following is the French or “Chambon” system. Into each of two compartments in the basin of warm water below the reel are placed four or more cocoons, according to the size of the thread desired. The threads from the cocoons in each are gathered together and, after passing through two separate perforated agates a few inches above the surface of the water, are brought together and twisted around each other several times, then separated and passed upward over the traverse guide-eyes to the reel. The traverse moves to and fro horizontally, distribut¬ ing the thread in a broad band over the surface of the reel. The rapid crossing of the thread from side to side of the skein in reeling facili¬ tates handling and unwinding without tangling, the natural gum of the silk sticking the threads to each other on the arms of the reel, thus secur¬ ing the traverse. Twisting the threads around each other in going from agates to reel is called a “croisure. ” This operation consolidates the From Photograph, Copyrighted, 1895, by N. S. Co. PREPARING THE COCOONS FOR REELING.—FINDING THE THREADS. 38 Silk: Its Origin and Culture. threads, wringing the water therefrom and mak¬ ing them perfectly round. The only difference between the French and Italian methods is the formation of this “crois- ure.” In the Italian or “travelette ” system the thread is passed np over a small pulley, down over another, then twisted around itself and thence through the guide-eye in the traverse to the reel. The fiber of the cocoon is somewhat finer in the floss or beginning, thickens at the point of forming the more compact part, and then very gradually diminishes in diameter until it becomes so fine as to be incapable of standing the strain of reeling. This is because the silk from one of the worm’s glands is exhausted, leaving but one half the original fiber. When one of the threads breaks or the end of one cocoon is reached, the reeler takes a fresh one, and with thumb and forefinger dexterously twists its end around the running thread, of which from that moment it becomes a constituent part. Silk growers in the United States, by working early and late every day during the season, which From Photograph, Copyrighted, l8qy, by N. S. Co. THE CORTICEELI REEL. 40 Silk : Its Origin and Culture. lasts from six to eight weeks, could scarcely average twenty-five cents a day for their labor. Imported raw silk comes in skeins of from one to several ounces, packed into bundles called “books,” weighing from five to ten pounds. In China and Japan the books are usually sold in bales varying from one hundred to one hundred and sixty pounds. It takes from twenty-two hundred and fifty to three thousand cocoons to make a pound of reeled silk. Do you wonder that, centuries ago, silk was valued at its weight in gold? How Silk is Manufactured. A Word About Ourselves. The Nonotuck Silk Company is the oldest and most widely known silk manufacturing establishment in the United States, and hence, a brief chapter describing the making of the Corticelli silks will have special interest. Their extensive mills are situated at Florence, Leeds, Haydenville, Mass., Hartford, Conn., and St. Johns, P. Q. The raw silk is first assorted according to the size of the fiber, and is then soaked in warm water for several hours to soften the gum where the threads had stuck together on the arms of the reel. The skeins are put upon swifts and the thread wound off on to bobbins. Doubling is the next process. A number of fibers, accord¬ ing to the size of the thread desired, are brought together preparatory to spinning. Should one 42 Silk : Its Origin and Culture. fiber break, an automatic device stops the bobbin until the broken parts are spliced. The spinning process spins the several threads into one strand, the number of turns varying with the kind of silk ; floss or filo being cpiite slack and machine twist just the reverse. A transferring machine combines two or three of these strands, two for sewing and three for machine twist, and another machine twists the strands in the opposite direction from the spin¬ ning. The silk is stretched by an ingenious machine, smoothing and consolidating the con¬ stituent fibers ; it is then reeled into hanks ready for dyeing. This process is a very important one and upon its success depends the permanency of the various colors. The Nonotuck Silk Company has an enviable reputation for the superior quality and finish of the Corticelli silk, and its original method of dyeing silks in fast wash colors, the result of years of scientific investigation and experimenting, has been an important factor in making this reputation. In boiling out the “gum” previous to dyeing HOW THE CORTICELLI WORMS ARE REARED. 44 Silk: Its Origin and Culture. the silk shrinks from twenty to twenty-five per cent, in weight. After dyeing it is again wound on bobbins to be polished and finished and then spooled or reeled into small skeins, according to the kind of silk. The spooling machines are partly automatic and the operator winds the silk upon the spools with surprising accuracy, meas¬ uring off correctly the desired length. Many of the machines used by this company are of their own invention, patented and con¬ trolled by them, which together with the expe¬ rience of fifty-seven years in silk manufacturing enables them to produce silk goods of unequaled quality and of exceptional luster and brilliancy. All the silk manufactured by them is dyed and finished at Florence, which accounts for the remarkable uniformity in color, and evenness of thread, characteristic of the Corticelli silks. Besides a full line of Corticelli sewing, knit¬ ting, crochet, embroidery, etching, rope, filo, floss, and lace wash silks, this company makes hosiery, mittens, and underwear knit from pure silk, and has recently met a growing demand for fine silk bindings and worsted dress braids, the latter BUNDLE OF STRAW IN WHICH WORMS HAVE SPUN, 46 Silk: Its Origin and Culture. being dyed in colors to match the Corticelli silks. Fourteen gold medals, besides a large number of silver and bronze ones, have been awarded this company for the superiority of the Corticelli silks. At the recent California International Exposition held at San Francisco, the company was honored with the highest award, a gold medal, and a “Special Diploma of Honor,” a distinction granted only to exhibits of excep¬ tional merit. For Your Convenience In ordering, for twelve cents in stamps we will mail you one of our Color Cards, showing over 200 different shades of the Corticelli Wash Silks, with samples of the different kinds of silk, showing relative size and twist. With this card you can order from your dealer just the shade silk desired. By its use trouble and patience are saved—that means money. Address Nonotuck Silk Company, Florence, Mass. 45 Bridge Street, 47 Our flethod of manufacturing braid is a great improve¬ ment over the old way. This accounts for The Perfectly Straight Selvage, The Firm and Even Texture, and The Peculiar Wearing Qualities of our worsted bindings Corticelli 61 Dress Braid and Corticelli Skirt Protector (wider and heavier than the “61”). When Soiled : A sponge or brush makes it clean again, and no damage done. Easily Applied : Stitch on flat or turn over an edge, as desired. Colors to Match Our Silks. If your dealer doesn’t keep it, send us 15 cents for sample 5 yard bolt Skirt Protector. 48 The list of PRIZES taken by the “ First Prize—100 Points AWARDED TO Nonotuck Silk Company, Florence, Mass.” Corticelli Silks Includes First Awards from all the important National and International Expositions since 1838. Besides numerous Bronze and Silver Medals, we have received 14 Gold Medals. NONOTUCK SIEK COMPANY, (Established 1838) 45 Bridge Street, - Florence, Mass. Salesrooms : 72 Greene St., New York. 200 Market St., Chicago. 137 W. 3d St., Cincinnati. 812 Arch St., Philadelphia. 307 Jackson St., St. Paul. 18 Summer St., Boston. 703 Locust St., St. Louis. 535 Market St., San Francisco. q N. Main St., Gloversville, N. Y. Montreal. 49 Established Over Half a Century. Corticelli Sewing Silk and Twist HAS STOOD THE TEST OF YEARS. Uniform in strength, length, size, and twist. Unequaled for brillianc y ° f color and beauty ~ of finish. A silk made especially for dressmakers and all others who require a superior thread for their best work. NONOTUCK SILK COMPANY, 45 Bridge Street, - - Florence, Mass. 5 ° Corticelli __ sM//- Roman Floss and It’s been a question with some to know how we obtain the very high luster that characterizes the Corticelli Roman Floss and Rope Silks. But the gloss is there ; you can’t help but notice it when comparing the Corticelli with other brands. “ Rope ”—a very coarse silk for bold designs on heavy material. “Roman. Floss ”—slack twisted, coarser than filo, for quick work on large designs. See that “Corticelli” is on the label of each skein— then you’ll know the silk will wash. 5i ‘ ‘ Corticelli ’ ’ Filo Floss, F F Fmbroidery, and Outline Wash Silks. Colors Warranted to Stand Washing. Used and Recommended by the Leading Teachers of Art Embroidery. Filo Floss : Designed for light or medium heavy em¬ broidery where the shading is fine and delicate. Slack twisted. F F Fmbroidery : Extensively used for general em¬ broidery. Outline or Ftching : Firmly twisted, for outline work and feather stitching ; also for striking effects in connection with silk threads of other sizes and kinds. This is the silk to use with Houiton Face. See that “Corticelli” is on the label of each skein— then you’ll know the silk will wash. 52 How to Obtain Corticelli Silk , Probably your dealer sells the Corticelli Silks and will order the particular shades or kinds of silk you want which he has not in stock. If he does not keep our silk give him the address of our nearest wholesale office (see page 49), and ask him to get it for you. If he will not, or tries to make you take some other brand, claiming that it is “just as good,’’ w T rite direct to us at Florence, Mass., tell us just wdiat you want, enclose enough money to cover the amount of your order as per prices below, and we will see that it is promptly filled through some reliable merchant in our city. The safest way to send money is by P. O. money order or registered letter. An exact match cannot always be had ; if you cannot give the trade numbers send pieces of cloth or ribbon of the colors you desire. One of our color cards (see page 47) will be a great help to you in ordering. Price List. “ Corticelli ” Sewing Silk, 100 yds., A. 10 cents per spool. “Corticelli” Button-hole Twist, 10 yds., D. 3 cents per spool. “ Corticelli ” Filo Silk Floss, wash silk, 5 cents per skein, 50 cents per dozen. “ Corticelli” Outline or Etching Wash Silk, 5 cents per skein, 50 cents per dozen. “ Corticelli” E E Embroidery Wash Silk, 5 cents per skein, 50 cents per dozen. “ Corticelli ” Roman Floss Wash Silk, 5 cents per skein, 50 cents per dozen. “ Corticelli ” Rope Wash Silk, 5 cents per skein, 50 cents per dozen. “ Corticelli ” Crochet and Knitting Silk, oz. balls, 38 cents per ball. “ Corticelli ” Whip Cord Crochet, 25 yd. balls, 11 cents per ball. “ Corticelli ” Skirt Protector, No. 106, 4 yd. bolt, 12 cents; 5 yd. bolt, 15 cents. “ Florence ” Silk Mittens, ladies’ sizes, $1.75 ; men’s sizes, $2.00. Waste Embroidery Silk, consisting of remnants of coarse silk in a variety of colors from light to dark, but mostly bright, suitable for crazy patchwork and other fancy work, 40 cents per ounce. One ounce is equal to 100 skeins. Nonotuck Silk Company, 45 Bridge Street, - - Florence, Mass. S3 The Latest and Best Book of Instruction is our iSijj Edition of “Florence Home Needlework. )> Valuable Alike to Novice or Experienced Worker. Contents. Lace Embroidery, Honiton Braid and Lace, Crocheting, How to Make a “College Pillow,” besides an elaborate and accurate chart giving the Correct Colors for Embroidering Flowers, Leaves, and Fruits. By mail for six cents in stamps. In ordering mention edition by year. Nonotuck Silk Company, 45 Bridge Street, - - Florence, Mass. 54 From Photograph, Copyrighted, rSgj, by N. S, Co. That’s Pretty Enough to Keep ! I only wish it was mine. But mamma thinks too much of it to give it to me. She calls it “Corticelli.” A funny name, isn’t it? She says the Corticelli Embroidery Wash Silks are so strong and firm and even and are finished so nicely. Besides, she says the colors “won’t run” if you’re careful in washing. She ought to know, ’cause she makes lots of pretty embroidery things. GETTY CENTER LIBRARY CONS TS 1650 S58 1895 81(5 c i Nonotuck Silk Compan Silk ; its origin and culture. 3 3125 00178 0531