[ 175 ] 144 



carried forward, and made fast to one of the arms of the reel N. The 

 points of attachment of the two threads will be regulated by the dis- 

 tance between the rampins.* Both threads being fastened to the reel, 

 it is to be turned with a regular, even motion, at first slowly, until the 

 threads are found to run freely and easily: for it will happen that some 

 of the ends, which were taken to compose the thread, were false, be- 

 cause, in taking off the flos, there may be two or three breaches made 

 in the beginning of the fibres, which, in winding, will soon end, and 

 must be added anew to make up the number designed for the 

 thread. It might, therefore, be proper, in the beginning of the thread, 

 to put a few more cocoons than it is intended to continue, which will 

 soon be reduced to the proper number. 



The crossing of the threads is so essential to their perfection, that it 

 must not, on any account, be omitted. It is necessary to promote the 

 dissipation of the moisture imbibed by the fibres, and thus prevents the 

 injurious glueing of the threads upon the reel. The friction of the 

 threads also removes the knots, inequalities, and roughness on them^ 

 and causes a perfect adhesion of their fibres, and hence ensures their 

 g!trength, their uniform thickness, and C3dindrical form, which other- 

 wise would be fiat.t Figure 1, in plate 1, will give a perfect idea of 

 this first step in the preparation of silk. It represents two threads 

 formed from 16 cocoons. 



As scon as the pods begin to give the thread freely, the reel is turn- 

 ed with a quicker m.otion. If the pods leap up often, and beat against 

 ihe iron plate P, the motion of th.e reel must be slackened; and if the 

 threads come off in burrs, it must be turned quicker. Of this the 

 spinner, v/ho has her eye upon the balls and thread, must, as she sees 

 occasion, apprize the reeler, and, at the same time, the fire must be 

 increased or diminished, that the reel may be allowed a proper mo- 

 tion, which ought to be as quick as possible, without endangering the 

 breaking of the thread, or hurrying the spinner, so that she cannot add 

 fresh cocoons as fast as the old ones are ended. 



The quicker the motion of the wheel is, the better the silk winds off, 

 and the better the end joins to the thread. One might imagine that the 

 rapidity of the motion would overstrain and break the thread; but, 

 i'rom constant experience, it has been found that the thread never once 

 breaks from the rapidity of the motion, but, on the contrary, that the 

 quicker the motion is, the more advantageous it is for winding th(j 

 silk. 



* The person havlnjj the management of the cocoons ill the basin, should have 

 very smooth firis^ers, a.s the most trifiing rousjunesj of the skin will cause great em- 

 barrassment. If the skill of the iing'eis, therefore, of the person mentioned, be 

 rough, it must be rendered smooth, by being rubbed with sand-paper, or dog-fish skin. 



j Nouvelle Enryclopsdie ilethodique, ai-t. Soieric, p. 21. From this work it ap- 

 pears t'aat the number of these crossings is prescribed by the 4th section of the law in 

 Piedmont, of long staiiding, for the regulation of the reehng of silk, to be 18 or 20 

 times at least. For coarser silk, the number of cro.isings is to be increased. Th(i 

 various processes of the manufacture of siik in I'iedmoni, are regulated by law, (the 

 result of long experience as to the best mode of procedure,) and are enforced by a 

 .strict inspection of public officers, in order to pieser.e the charaetfr which the v?-i' 



