59 



day upon my improved reel, but 1 have never been able 

 to have the finer qualities of silk reeled so rapidly in my 

 family. The silk reeled upon my reel* sells for $4,50 

 per pound as it comes from the reel, and some at a high- 

 er price. My reel is similar to the Piedmontese, with 

 some considerable improvements ; it is finished in a 

 much neater style than any 1 have seen in this coun- 

 try ; it is portable and will be furnished to any who may 

 apply, for the sum of twentyfive dollars. 



In preparing the dupions or double cocoons for wind- 

 ing, more are put into the basin at once than of the fin- 

 est kind. They must be first well cleaned from the 

 floss outside ; the water also must be boiling hot, and as 

 the silk they yield is of a coarser quality than the other, 

 and has a good deal of floss upon it, the person who 

 turns the reel must take the opportunity, while the one 

 who manages the basin is pieparing the cocoons for 

 winding, to clean and pick off the loose silk from that 

 which is on the reel. These make a coarser thread of 

 fifteen to twenty cocoons ; and perhaps as coarse as from 

 forty to fifty cocoons ; it is useful for filling in coarser stuffs 

 and likewise for sewing silk. 



The satiny cocoons require water only moderately 

 heated. The proper heat will be found by observing 

 the manner in which the silk comes off from the first of 

 them which are put in a basin, and as already said of 

 cocoons generally, if it come off thick, cold water must 

 be added until the proper temperature be attained. The 

 gum is taken out of the silk by boiling it in soap suds. 



*The fringe of the curtains in the house of Hon. Daniel 

 Webster of Boston, was made by Mr Brown from silk raised by me 

 and reeled in my filature. ED. 



