DIFFERENT QUALITIES OF COCOONS. 97 



SECTION XXXV. 



DIFFERENT QUALITIES OF COCOONS. 



THE cocoons designed for producing silk are divid- 

 ed by culturists into different qualities. Much more 

 silk may thus be reeled in a day, if the cocoons are 

 properly classed. The breaking of the single filaments 

 arises from the use of ill formed or ill assorted cocoons, 

 which require different degrees of temperature in the 

 water into which they are immersed to dissolve the gum 

 with which they are cemented in the ball. 



Previous to reeling, the outer floss is separated. This 

 is expeditiously performed by opening the floss at one 

 end, when the hard, compact cocoon is readily pro- 

 truded. 



Cocoons are classed as follows : 



1. Good Cocoons. These are firm, free from spots, 

 both ends round, and capable of resisting the pressure 

 of the thumb and finger. These are again subdivided, 

 and the pure white are separated from the yellow of every 

 shade. These last are indebted for their greater weight 

 and yellow color wholly to the excess of gum which they 

 contain. Pale cocoons preserve a better and purer 

 white, and take a better pale blue dye. 



2. Pointed Cocoons. These approach to a point at 

 one extremity : they afford but little silk, and, after 

 being partly wound, the filament breaks continually at 

 the point, where the thread is always weak, and 'they 

 can be reeled no further. 



3. Cocalons. These are larger in size than cocoons 

 of the first quality, but contain no more silk, being less 

 compact in their texture. These are separated in reel- 

 ing from other good qualities, because they require im- 

 mersion in colder water ; the fibres being more easily 



