Rayon

Recently, according to President L. A. Yerkes of the DuPont Fibresilk Co., the output of artificial * silk has for the first time in history exceeded the natural silk produced by the worm. In 1924, about 80,000,000 Ibs. of artificial silk were produced, compared with the 70,000,000 Ibs. of the natural silk. For many years, the output of natural silk has been stationary, while that of artificial silk has increased by leaps and bounds. At present, the artificial product sells for about $2.00 a pound--less than a third of the price of worm silk.

There has also been a rapid development by manufacturers of the methods employed in spinning and weaving artificial silk fibre, and consequently in the appearance and wearing qualities of artificial silk fabrics. Formerly, fibre silk was used mainly for hosiery, which absorbed half this country's annual output. So widely has the demand for fibre silk spread, that today hosiery makers use only about one-fifth of the U. S.-made fibre silk.

Originally, a British producer controlled this country's artificial silk output through possession of basic patents. In 1920, these patents ran out; and since that time, the U. S. fibre-silk business has experienced an enormous expansion.

* Artificial silk is made either of wood pulp or of linters (the tiny ends of cotton formerly wasted). The manufacturers of artificial silk have united on Rayon as a general trade name for the product.