232 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 
light yellow—for 12 or 15 days, when it gradually acquires the gray, 
lavender, or greenish tint of impregnation. The moths live but a few 
days after having perpetuated their kind. 
REELING. 
‘If the mere rearing of the worm and the production of the cocoons 
is simple, the reeling of the silk is by no means so, as the greatest skill 
is required to accomplish the work properly, and the value of a hank of 
silk depends as much on the skill of the reeler as upon the quality of the 
original thread. In the best cocoons the silk will measure upwards of a 
thousand feet in length, and, though it appears single, it is in reality 
composed of two threads, which are glued together and covered as they 
issue from the spinneret of the moth with a glossy varnish, which en- 
ables the worm to fasten the silk where it wills, and which is soluble in 
warm water.” 
In countries where there are steam-reeling establishments, it is gen- 
erally more profitable for the small raiser to sell his cocoons, and not go 
to the trouble and expense of reeling by hand; but, unfortunately, there 
is no market for choked cocoons in this country, and the raiser will be 
under the necessity of reeling his own silk if he wishes to make the 
most of them. It will be desirable, then, in this paper, to state the 
facts and principles which should govern the unwinding and reeling, for 
the benefit of those who may wish to use single basins and reels worked 
by hand. In the greatreeling districts of France, everything is brought 
to such perfection in the jilatures, or reeling establishments, by the aid 
of steam, that the hand-reels have there almost gone out of use. But 
most of the silk is unwound by hand-power in China, and excellent silk 
may be made by dexterous management with a good hand-reel. 
“‘ Raw silk is classified into organzine, tram, and floss. Organzine is 
considerably twisted and is the choicest. Tram is made from inferior 
cocoons and is but slightly twisted. Floss is made of the loose silk, 
carded and spun like cotton or wool. 
“The thread of silk as it unwinds from the cocoon is valueless for 
manufacturing purposes, several of them combined going to make the 
staple of commerce. The persons employed in unwinding silk are mostly 
women, one standing or sitting before each basin, of which she has en- 
tire charge. The basin is made of copper, and, in the large establish- 
ments, the water in each basin is heated by steam, at the control of the 
operator. The cocoons are plunged into the water, when it is near the 
boiling point, and moved about sothat the gum which fastens the threads 
becomes uniformly and thoroughly softened. They are then beaten with 
a small birchen broom, having the tips split, so that the loose threads 
readily fasten to them. After beating a short time, the operator gets 
all the cocoons fastened, and, taking the bundle of threads, shakes the 
cocoons till each hangs but byasingleone. She now takesup five ormore 
threads (brins), according to the quality of silk wanted, unites them, and 
introduces the combined staple or strand (fil) into a little glass eye on 
one side of the basin. She then forms a second similar strand and 
introduces it into a second eye on the other side. The strands are then 
brought together, twisted several times, separated above the twist, and 
introduced into two other glass eyes or ringlets through which they 
are led, one to each end of the reel or tambour, which is kept revolving 
in a steady, rapid manner, and to which is also given a certain back-and- 
forth side motion. The great object in reeling is to get the threads uni- 
form, rounded, well joined, properly freed from moisture, and so crossed 
