170 ON REARING SILK WORMS. 



short straw must be made there, to prevent the silk worms 

 from falling to the ground, or in the fire. 



, 



\ HARVEST OF THE COCOONS. 



At the expiration of three days the work of the cocoons 

 is finished ; then the frames must be taken down, and the 

 cocoons picked tip* The silk that floats around the cocoon 

 is called sse-kouang (it is the floss silk). The old women 

 of the district of Hou sell it very cheap ; a hundred sapecks 

 (seventy- five cents) a pound. It is removed by the aid of a 

 piece of copper coin, which must be held with the three 

 first fingers of the hand. 



" This floss is spun, and common stuff manufactured from 

 it, called hou-tcheou. 



When the cocoons are stripped of the floss it is necessary 

 to spread them out on large frames, placed upon the shelves ; 

 they remain there until they are reeled (if it can be done 

 soon after the harvest). If the cocoons should be shut up 

 in those small chests (or trunks) which are used in the 

 kitchen, they would rot by the dampness produced by the 

 chrysalides, and the silk would break every moment in reel- 

 ing it. 



MEANS OF GIVING STRENGTH TO THE SILK. 



What follows, we find in the article which treats of em- 

 broidering. 



Whenever a person wishes to embroider flowers, or orna- 

 ments in tissue, it is absolutely necessary to make the chain 



