56 



to bad cocoons, viz. being ill ^formed, (as they will be 

 when the worms were disturbed and interrupted during 

 their spinning,) or the fibres may break by improper 

 regulation of the heat in the water ; first, when it is not 

 sufficient to make the silk come off easy, or second, 

 when it is too great and occasions burrs, which may stop 

 at the holes through which the thread runs ; cocoons also 

 which have two worms inclosed will "perpetually break ; 

 the whole thread may also break, by burrs stopping at 

 the holes of the guides, or by the reel being turned by 

 jerks. It may be fastened like the fibres, by laying the 

 parts on one another, and giving them a little twist. 



A sharp fork may be conveniently made use of to draw 

 away the spent cocoons, or such as being nearly spent, 

 stick at her holes in the guides ; and as the whisk will 

 frequently take up more 'ends than are immediately to be 

 added, and as the spinner will sometimes haveoccasion to 

 employ both her hands, the brush may at that time be con- 

 veniently hung up by the basin, while the cocoons which 

 are attached to it remain in the water, and the ends will 

 be in readiness as they are wanted 1 . If the spinner be 

 under the necessity of leaving off work for any length of 

 time, the cocoons should all be raised with a skimming 

 dish out of the watertill her return, otherwise by oversoak- 

 ingthey would wind ofFin burrs ; but it is best to continue 

 the reeling without interruption, anc! to let fresh, but 

 equally experienced persons, succeed those who are tired. 

 The person who turns the wheel should have an eye to 

 the thread and to the guide wires through which they pass, 

 that he may apprise the spinner when anything is wrong ; 

 for her eyes will be sufficiently employed about the coc- 

 coons. The reeler may also rectify anything dis- 



