88 



according to the demand at the time ; and it is stated by 

 Count Dandolo, as a well known fact, that of two reel- 

 ers, each reeling seven and a half pounds of cocoons of 

 the same quality, while one will be able to obtain but 

 six or six and a half ounces, another will obtain eight 

 ounces. 



Until very lately, most of the silk which was made 

 in Connecticut was converted into sewing silk; and I 

 have seen the statement that in 1831, more than $81,000 

 worth of sewing silk was made in the town of Mansfield 

 alone. Yet " the Connecticut sewing silk," says Mr. 

 Cobb, " at present does not bring a higher price than the 

 reeled silk as it comes from my reels. As it is said there 

 is a loss of one half of the weight in the preparation of the 

 sewing silk, it is evident that to reel it properly, and 

 sell it for raw silk, would bring a hundred per cent, 

 extra profit. 



The difficulty of reeling is only in the beginning, and 

 is soon and easily conquered. Practice, perseverance, 

 with diligence, will soon enable anyone to attain the art 

 to perfection. Those there are, it is well known, who with 

 little or no instruction, soon became most skilful reelers. 

 I will speak of Mrs. Church, the lady of Samuel Church, 

 Esq., of Bethlem, Conn. "We have seen several speci- 

 mens of the reeling of this lady, the present season," 

 says Judge Comstock, " which we do not hesitate to 

 pronounce equal to any foreign silk we have ever seen, 

 and what is most surprising, they are the results of some 

 of her first attempts at reeling ! 



For the want of those suitably skilled in reeling, the 

 cocoons are stated to bring but from thirty-seven cents 

 to fifty cents a pound, while but eight or nine pounds 

 only of the best cocoons are required for a pound of 

 pure silk. 



Even the bounties now so liberally offered by Massa- 

 chusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and some other 

 States, which amount to two dollars for every pound of 

 silk raised and reeled within those States, will, in the 



