Comments on: RAISE YOUR OWN SILK http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/raise-your-own-silk/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:15:36 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: elizabeth tabor http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/raise-your-own-silk/comment-page-1/#comment-1067404 elizabeth tabor Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:46:35 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/raise-your-own-silk/#comment-1067404 <<>> <<>>

]]> By: David On Esplanade http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/raise-your-own-silk/comment-page-1/#comment-1065695 David On Esplanade Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:27:51 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/raise-your-own-silk/#comment-1065695 The last comments by RobertinSeattle are wrong according to what I've researched about silk production. They've had silk industries outside of China since the Byzantines smuggled the industry out in the sixth century. The Greeks or inhabitants of Asia Minor (now Turkey) figured out how to grow the worms quite quickly without Chinese help. In fact, Turkey still has a thriving silk industry. The Thai's got is at some point too. The Mediterranian silk production spread around the middle east to spain with the Muslims and then to the New World with the Christian Spanards. Mexico had a thriving silk industry in the 16th century, well before it had any Chinese immigrants. The problem is apparently a problem of labor; silk production just takes too much labor (I think thats why the silk plantation failed to develop as planned in the Colony of Georgia). The industry only last where there is a lot of cheap labor or a traditional attachment to the industry (such as in Turkey and China). Its would appear there is not an ancient Chinese touch envolved. I never heard this stuff about the late nineteenth century Sinomexicans, but I have heard of and seen examples of the colonial mexican silks in museums. The last comments by RobertinSeattle are wrong according to what I’ve researched about silk production. They’ve had silk industries outside of China since the Byzantines smuggled the industry out in the sixth century. The Greeks or inhabitants of Asia Minor (now Turkey) figured out how to grow the worms quite quickly without Chinese help. In fact, Turkey still has a thriving silk industry. The Thai’s got is at some point too. The Mediterranian silk production spread around the middle east to spain with the Muslims and then to the New World with the Christian Spanards. Mexico had a thriving silk industry in the 16th century, well before it had any Chinese immigrants.

The problem is apparently a problem of labor; silk production just takes too much labor (I think thats why the silk plantation failed to develop as planned in the Colony of Georgia). The industry only last where there is a lot of cheap labor or a traditional attachment to the industry (such as in Turkey and China).

Its would appear there is not an ancient Chinese touch envolved. I never heard this stuff about the late nineteenth century Sinomexicans, but I have heard of and seen examples of the colonial mexican silks in museums.

]]> By: RobertinSeattle http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/raise-your-own-silk/comment-page-1/#comment-619993 RobertinSeattle Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:07:04 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/raise-your-own-silk/#comment-619993 Ha Ha - this is hilarious! Raising silkworms and producing silk isn't like raising chinchillas or llamas for profit. I traveled extensively through Mexico in the early 70's and ended up on the West Coast quite a bit. Often, when I went through small towns ad villages, the little kids would come running after me just to look at me or touch me as I was apparently the first Asian they had ever seen. Much to my surprise, I discovered that there had been a large Chinese population in those areas of Mexico as the climate in those regions was identical to areas in China where they produced silk. Apparently, the Chinese had had established a very large and sophisticated silk industry in Mexico at the end of the 19th century. The Mexicans thought that after a few years, they had learned enough to do it on their own and literally expelled all the Chinese merchants from Mexico. Big mistake - the art and science of raising silkworms and producing silk took centuries of knowledge and experience to develop and it was certainly not something that could simply be passed on casually over a few years. In a short span of a couple of years, the Mexican "silk industry" collapsed and they've never been able to start it back up again without Chinese knowledge. Which is why there are very few successful silk industries in most of the world outside of China. Ha Ha – this is hilarious! Raising silkworms and producing silk isn’t like raising chinchillas or llamas for profit. I traveled extensively through Mexico in the early 70’s and ended up on the West Coast quite a bit. Often, when I went through small towns ad villages, the little kids would come running after me just to look at me or touch me as I was apparently the first Asian they had ever seen. Much to my surprise, I discovered that there had been a large Chinese population in those areas of Mexico as the climate in those regions was identical to areas in China where they produced silk. Apparently, the Chinese had had established a very large and sophisticated silk industry in Mexico at the end of the 19th century. The Mexicans thought that after a few years, they had learned enough to do it on their own and literally expelled all the Chinese merchants from Mexico. Big mistake – the art and science of raising silkworms and producing silk took centuries of knowledge and experience to develop and it was certainly not something that could simply be passed on casually over a few years. In a short span of a couple of years, the Mexican “silk industry” collapsed and they’ve never been able to start it back up again without Chinese knowledge. Which is why there are very few successful silk industries in most of the world outside of China.

]]> By: Stannous http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/raise-your-own-silk/comment-page-1/#comment-613392 Stannous Thu, 18 Oct 2007 02:29:21 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/raise-your-own-silk/#comment-613392 Everything you ever wanted to know about raising silkworms: http://www.aurorasilk.com/raisesilk/index.shtml How to raise them for your classroom: http://www.suekayton.com/silk.htm Everything you ever wanted to know about raising silkworms:
http://www.aurorasilk.com/raisesilk/index.shtml

How to raise them for your classroom:
http://www.suekayton.com/silk.htm

]]> By: Don http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/raise-your-own-silk/comment-page-1/#comment-611936 Don Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:11:56 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/raise-your-own-silk/#comment-611936 Not a good idea today. My high school buddy got busted for growing silk in his basement! Oh. Different crop. Nevermind. Not a good idea today. My high school buddy got busted for growing silk in his basement! Oh. Different crop. Nevermind.

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