of the Syrian Silk-Plant. 15 1 



able, however, to ufe this filk in common for beds inftead 

 pf leathers, as it is too fpft and warm. It requires as little 

 preparation for quilts and counterpanes, and is lighter and 

 warmer than thofe of common filk. 



For fpinning, however, notwithstanding its finenefs, which 

 approaches near to that of common filk, it is not fit when 

 taken alone, as it is almoft too ihort, and therefore muft bfe 

 ufed with an addition of flax, wool, or common filk, but par- 

 ticularly of cotton. One-third of this filk with two-thirds of 

 cotton forms a very good mixture for gloves, {lockings, and 

 caps. Other mixtures may be ufed for different kinds of (luffs ; 

 but it has been ohferved that the cloth is much fironger when 

 the vegetable filk is employed for the woof rather than for the 

 warp. Many colours have been applied to fuch cloth with 

 great fuccefs, but as each fubftance requires a peculiar mode 

 of treatment, more experiments on this fubject are neceflary: 

 a mixture of one-third vegetable filk, and two-thirds of hare's 

 down, forms hats exceedingly light, and foft to the touch, 

 which have a great refembknee to beaver hats, and are much 

 cheaper. 



2d, As foon as the pods have been collected, the ftems, 

 which contain a fibrous part capable of being: fpun, mufj ! ■ 

 cut before they become dry or fuffer from the night froft,-. 

 They mult then be immerfed for fome dags in water, like 

 or hemp, and then dried by being fpread out on the 

 Care, however, muft be taken to afcertain, by experiments, 

 the propci' k-ngth of time, as too much or too little would be 

 prejudicial. In the laft cafe; the flaxy part is brittle, and in 

 the former it lofes its ftrength. After it has been watered it 

 is beaten and heckled: (or beating it various kinds of ma- 

 chinery have been invented, and for bruifing the ftems parti- 

 cular mills are ufed. 



A ni! iture of the threads fpun from the flax of thefe Items 

 with the vegetable filk and cotton, produces a kind of cloth 

 very proper for furniture. It has been however employed 

 chiefly, with and without an addition of rags, for making all 

 kinds of writing ana packing paper; which fometimes is 

 fimilur to the Chinefe paper, and fometimes exceeds in 

 ftrength the ufual paper made from ragi*. 



?,d, Both 



