26o THE CULTURE 



There is a readinefs in adding frefli pods 

 which can only be acquired by pra6tice, in 

 which fome are fo expert, that they can 

 fupply three threads of filk paffing thro* 

 three different flop-wires. 



You will know when any pods are com- 

 pleatly winded off, when you fee the fmall 

 remainder of the pod rife out of the wa- 

 ter, and flick at the loop of the flop-wire ; 

 the worm having then droped out, the re- 

 maining filk becomes too light to remain in 

 the water. You will know when the ends 

 of any pods break before they are winded 

 off by their remaining at refl in the water, 

 and generally by their quitting the com- 

 pany of the reil, and lying clofe to the fide of 

 the cauldron. When the fpent pods leap up 

 and adhere to the loop of the flop-wire, 

 they mufl iniraediately be taken away, elfe 

 by choaking up the pafiage, they will en- 

 danger the breaking of the whole thread. 



The quantity of filk which can be reel- 

 ed in any given time is, cseteris paribus, in 

 proportion to the quicknefs with which 

 the fpinner can add frefli ends. Thus if 

 you fuppofe that every filk-pod, at a me- 

 dium, will either break or be winded off 

 at the end of five hundred foot, then, if 



five 



