68 SILKWORMS. 



fore as the end of a set of cocoons is reached, it is necessary to 

 introduce additional threads to keep up the uniformity of the 

 strand. The operation of introducing new threads is called 

 "nourishing' the silk, and it is done by dexterously casting a 

 new thread on the combined strand, to which it instantly adheres. 

 It is a difficult operation and requires considerable practice. 



The operator has a perforated skimmer to remove the pupae as 

 the cocoons are finished, together with the refuse silk ; and also, 

 by her side, a basin of cold water, to cool her fingers occasionally. 



After the reeling, the staple is " cleansed " by passing it through 

 a clasp lined with cloth, by which any loose silk is removed ; it 

 is then twisted about 500 times to the yard, then doubled and 

 twisted again 400 times to the yard, after which it is run on to 

 a comparatively small reel, about 18 inches in diameter, from 

 which it is ultimately taken off and twisted into a peculiar knot 

 or hank. From the above, it is evident that the staple, as finally 

 prepared, consists of at least ten of the threads as originally 

 formed by the silkworm. 



The floss, together with the refuse of the cocoons, cannot be 

 reeled, but, after being suitably cleansed, is torn up or " carded," 

 and then spun in the same way as cotton, thus making an inferior 

 quality, which is called " floss silk." There are two other qualities 

 of raw silk, viz., " organzine," made from the best cocoons, and 

 much twisted, and "tram," made from inferior cocoons and only 

 a little twisted. These are the forms in which it is handed over 

 to the manufacturers of silk goods, and from which, when suitably 

 dyed, they work up those magnificent fabrics which are amongst 

 the most costly and splendid of all the textile materials used for 

 decorative purposes. 



Notwithstanding the extraordinary length of silken thread that 

 can be uncoiled from a single cocoon, it yet takes an incredible 

 number of insects to yield even a comparatively small weight of 

 silk. It may generally be reckoned that little short of 3,000 

 cocoons will be required to yield a single pound of silk. Now, 

 it has been estimated that the annual production of raw silk in 

 the Chinese Empire alone is about twenty-four million pounds ; 

 reckoning, then, at the rate of only 2,000 cocoons to the pound of 

 silk, this would imply the rearing of the utterly inconceivable number 

 of about fifty billions of insects annually. This is probably not 

 an exaggerated estimate, for the 3,500 tons before mentioned of 

 European-bred raw silk annually presented to the markets involves 

 the rearing of at least twenty billions of silkworms, and China 

 is a far larger producer than all Europe put together. 



All that has been said hitherto has had reference only to the 



