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The use of the reel requires a dexterity which is easi- 

 ly acquired by practice. The cocoons being cleared 

 of floss, are thrown by handfulls into basins of pure soft 

 water, placed over small furnaces of charcoal fires. 

 When the water is almost at boiling point, sink the 

 cocoons, with a whisk of broom corn, under water for 

 two or three minutes, to soften the gum and loosen the 

 fibre. Then moving the whisk very lightly and softly, 

 the filaments will adhere to it, and may be drawn up 

 till the flossy silk is unwound, and the fine silk comes 

 off. When a sufficient number of the filaments are 

 collected to form the thread, it is passed through one of 

 the holes of the iron or glass plate connected with the 

 guide and traversing bar, and tied to one of the bars of 

 the reel, and the reeling begins. 



If the cocoons bound upwards, it shews that the gurn 

 is not sufficiently softened ; the reel must be slacked, 

 and hot water added, or its temperature increased : 

 but if the silk comes off in lumps or burs, this shews 

 that the silk is yielded from the cocoon faster than it 

 can be received on the reel, and that the water is there- 

 fore too hot ; cold water is added, and the motions of the 

 reel are quickened. 



Each reel carries two compound threads, and it has 

 been recommended that the second thread be wound 

 two or three times round the other thread, previous to 

 being passed through its guide, and secured to the reel ; 

 this crossing and friction makes a rounder and smoother 

 thread. 



Stir the cocoons very lightly; if struck roughly, the 

 silk comes off in burs, which will rise up to the guides, 

 and obstruct the reel, instead of corning off singly. 

 When a greater number of filaments are taken up by 

 the whisk than are required, they are suffered to remain 

 on it till wanted, a hook being provided on the reel to 

 which it may be hung when not in use. 



The cocoons are put in as fast as wanted, but no 

 faster ; for if they remain too long in hot water, the gum, 



