250 THE CULTURE 



The copper or cauldron is fhaped to the 

 form of the furnace j (the oval form is 

 beft for reeling two or three parcels of 

 of pods) it is about four or five inches 

 deep 5 it may fmk into the furnace, and 

 be fupported by its ledge j or it may be 

 only a pan Handing on the top of the fur- 

 iiace, in which cafe the furnace muft noj; 

 be much above a foot high. 



Though the fore feet of the reel's bench 

 are by authors direci:ed to be made only 

 two foot high, and the hinder ones two 

 foot and an half j yet it would anfwer bet- 

 ter if they were made higher 5 for then 

 the frop-wires C. C. v/ould be raifed fome- 

 what more above the cauldron, •wliicfi 

 would give better fcope to the adding of 

 frefli fJk-pods by having more length of 

 threads beneath the Hop-wires, for it is 

 thefe feparated threads that catch the freih 

 ones v/hich are added and carry them up. 

 Befides, the pods in the cauldron would 

 not then be fo apt to rife and ftrike againft 

 the flop- wires, which often breaks feme of 

 the threads. The feet therefore iliould be 

 fo high, as that the ftop-vvires may be at 

 leaft a foot and half above the water in 

 the cauldron, and the cauldron itfelf not 



fo 



