Increase of 29.4 per cent.: Decline in Cocoon Rearing The Union of Silk Merchants of}
Lyons (Union des Marchands de Nolo) has recently published figures covering the world's raw silk production during the year 192]. As accurate statistics are still lacking for the silk crops in the Far East, the Levant and certain parts of eastern Europe, the figures given take of the nature of estimates as applied to these parts of the globe. Comparison is made of the total estimated production of cocoos and of raw silk during the two years (620 and 1921, Tf these round fignves may be accepted as reliable, it would pear that there was a gain in the world's silk production of no less than 6,130,000 kilos (Kil 2046 Ib.) in 1921, marking an increase of 4 per cent over the previous The general totals are 20,- 880,400 kilos of raw silk for 1920 and 26,960,000 kilos for 1921.
Cocoon-production figures—ar given for only three countries-—France, Italy, and Spain—and show a decrease of 5,000 kilos for the year. Tu 1920 France produced 3,230,000 kilos of fresh cocoons, ¥ 28,330,000 kilos, and Spain 1,005,000 kilos, a total of 42,- 585,000 kilos. The estimates for were: France 2,525,000 kilos, Ttaly 37,050,000 kilos and Spain 00 kilos, a, total of 40,330,000
The contort which might naturally he derived from consideration of ihe jump in raw silk production is more apparent than real, in the opinion of the "Bulletin des Soles et des Soieries" (Lyons). which votes that the cocoon deficit for western Europe represents roughly 195,000 kilos of.vaw—silk—the equivalent of the total raw—silk production of France for 1921, The constant decline in the culture of cocoons in France is an indisputable fact. and marks a tendency which every stimulus offered to cocoon growers has failed to overcome. Between 1912 and 1921 the number of French cocoon cultivators fell off more than 50 per cent (from 99,360 io 48,994). A similar decrease is to be remarked for Spain and Italy.
Derairs, or Raw Strx Orrerr.
The raw silk estimate distributes the two years! production as _follows:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.