Leaders. 67 



ure which is within the scope of the ignorant peasantry 

 of Spain, is beyond the intelligence of our agricultural 

 population ? Failure may attend a first effort, but ex- 

 periment will cost nothing, and success will surely fol- 

 low perseverance. It is possible that a method of sizing 

 and rounding the gut might be devised, such as drawing 

 it through a " draw-plate," either directly from the silk 

 sack or subsequently to that step, by which roundness 

 and uniformity might be secured automatically, and by 

 the most unskilled. A beginning is but necessary, and 

 American ingenuity will soon elaborate the best method 

 of manipulation. 



A recent communication from Dr. Garlick reads as 

 follows: 



"BEDFORD, OHIO, August 27, 1884. 

 " Henry P. Wells, Esq. : 



"DEAR SIR, I have been trying to guess why it is 

 that some have failed to draw good gut from the A. ce- 

 cropia. It has occurred to my mind that possibly they 

 may have divided the worm too far back from the head, 

 thus dividing the silk sacks at a point where they are 

 too large to allow the fluid silk to flow just fast enough 

 to make the gut of the right size, also uniform in size. 



"You are probably aware that if the spinnerets of 

 the worm were larger than what they are, the fibre of 

 the cocoon would be very much larger than what it is. 



"It has also occurred to me that dividing the worm 

 too far back, the fluid silk may have been mixed with 

 other fluids of the worm, thus impairing the strength of 

 the gut. Very truly yours, 



"T. GAKLICK." 



Drawn gut may now be had it is true, but it is con- 

 fined to the very thinnest kinds. It is produced in Eng- 



