53 



which, in winding, will soon end, and must be added 

 anew to make up the number designed for the thread. 



It is proper, therefore, in the beginning of the thread, 

 to put a few more cocoons than it is intended to continue 

 as-they will soon be reduced to the proper number. The 

 crossing of the threads is considered an improvement, 

 though it is sometimes reeled without crossing. 



As soon as the pods begin to give the threads free- 

 ly, the reel is turned with a quicker motion. If the 

 pods leap up often to the guide, the reel must be slack- 

 ened, and the spinner may let the thread pass between 

 the thumb and finger before it reaches the guide. If the 

 thread comes off in burrs, it must be turned quicker. 

 The fire may at any time "be increased or diminished, 

 as found necessary, that the reel may be allowed a proper 

 motion, which ought to be as quick as possible without 

 endangering the breaking of the thread, or hurrying the 

 spinner, so that she cannot add fresh cocoons, as fast as 

 the old ones are ended. The quicker the motion of the 

 wheel is, the better the' silk winds off and the better the 

 end joins to the thread. One might imagine that the 

 rapidity of the motion might overstrain and break the 

 thread ; but from constant experience it has been found 

 that the thread never breaks from the rapidity of the 

 motion ; but on the contrary, the quicker the motion is, 

 the more advantageous it is for winding the silk. 



While the reel is turning, the spinner must continually 

 add fresh fibres to each thread as fast as she can find 

 the ends, not waiting till some of the number she began 

 with are ended, because the internal fibres are much 

 thinner than those constituting the external layers, but 

 must constantly prepare fresh ends by dipping the whisk 



