FORMATION OF ORGANZINE. 105 



liar softness of texture and brilliant gloss which consti- 

 tute its principal excellence and beauty. 



Raw silk usually loses from 2 to 7% per cent, in weight, 

 in the process of organzining; but after the gum is ex- 

 tracted by boiling, and after drying, the total loss usu- 

 ally amounts to 25 pounds in every hundred. But the 

 waste varies materially in different filatures, and is 

 greater in those of Italy than in those from Bengal. 

 From the perfect system of reeling which now exists in 

 the establishments of the East India Company at this 

 place, the loss by organzining, sometimes does not ex- 

 ceed two per cent, on the weight of the raw material. 



SEWING SILK. 



Sewing silk is formed of two kinds, and four quali- 

 ties ; that only being formed of the best silk which is 

 designed for sewing silk stuffs. The other, or second 

 quality, is for sewing woollens, and for cordonett or 

 twist. This second quality is formed of the dupions and 

 of the ordinary sort of cocalons. 



MODE op MAKING SEWING SILK AND TWIST IN CON- 

 NECTICUT. 



The following is the method followed in Connecticut, 

 as recommended to the Secretary of the Treasury by 

 Daniel Bulkley, Esq. 



" The raw silk is first spooled on bobbins, the num- 

 ber of which is in proportion to the size of the intended 

 thread from the first spinning; and to facilitate the op- 

 eration, they are put into warm water. The silk is 

 again spooled, taking two or three bobbins according to 

 the size of the intended thread. After being spun, it is 

 reeled into skeins, each of forty yards in length, or half 

 a knot of the country reel, as required by a law of the 

 State. About twenty-five of these skeins are put to- 

 gether, like a skein of cotton or woollen yarn They 

 8 



