Comments on: RAISE YOUR OWN SILK http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/raise-your-own-silk/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:47:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: RobertinSeattle http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/17/raise-your-own-silk/#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-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-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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