252 THE CULTURE 



the flofs, in order to make ordinary cheap 



filk. 



And now, at taking off the flofs, is'i 

 good time for forting the filk-pods accord- 

 ing to their different degrees of hardnefs j 

 this is a thing which is very little attend- 

 ed to in the countries v^^here hlk is produc- 

 ed. They carelelly throw into the hot 

 water all kind of filk-pods, and fo reel of 

 the flrong and the tender, and often the 

 double ones mixed with tliem, the confe- 

 quence of which is, a great deal more 

 trouble in the reeling, the filk breaking 

 much oftener, and being much the woife. 



For the proof of this, let us fuppofe 

 only two filk-pods, one campa6t and hard, 

 and the other of a loofe and foft fabflance 

 thrown together into the hot water, in or- 

 der to be reeled off together, and to make 

 one thread : if nov/ the vv'ater be fufficient- 

 ly hot to let the hardefl of the two filk- 

 pods wind off with cafe, by diffolving its 

 gumminefs, then that water will be too 

 hot for the other pod whofe fabflaiKe is 

 loofe, fo that it will run off in burrs, that 

 is flakes of the filk vv^ill come off withoi t 

 being drawn to their extent, which burrs 

 as they pafs the flop-wires, or guide-wires, 



will 



