PROGRESS OF SILK MANUFACTURE. 99 



One of the threads being twisted is called singles, and two or more 

 threads twisted are called tram, which forms the weft. Thrown silk 

 is formed of two or more singles twisted in a direction contrary to that 

 of the singles, and is called or gamine, forming the warp. This pro- 

 cess was long kept a secret in Spain, but was discovered and practised 

 in England in 1562. 



Twelve Ibs. of cocoons, yielding 1 Ib. of reeled silk, are the results 

 of the labors of 2,800 worms, which have consumed 152 Ibs. of mul- 

 berry leaves. Silk, when thrown, is hard silk, and is boiled 4 hours in 

 soaped water, to discharge the gum before dying, and then washed 

 in clear water. Various arts are now adopted in the preparation and 

 weaving of the diversified silken fabrics. Most of the American silk 

 is still used for thread. 



The art of rearing silk worms, and making silk, was first known to 

 the Chinese, and was probably introduced at Rome in the time of Pompey 

 and Caesar, who wore articles made of it. Its cost was then equal to its 

 weight of gold. By a law, however, in the time of Tiberus, no man was 

 allowed to disgrace himself by wearing it. Still, it soon came into use 

 among the wealthy ; large quantities were imported, and the price was 

 reduced; so that down to the 6th century it was largely exported from 

 China, and very generally worn. The Chinese date their invention of 

 silk manufacture 2,700 years before the Christian era. The raw ma- 

 terial was exported before the insect, and was manufactured in Persia 

 and Tyre. The culture of silk worms was confined to Greece for 600 

 years. 



In 550, two monks, who had resided in China, carried the eggs to 

 Constantinople, where they were hatched, mulberries grown, and the 

 manufacture of silk commenced. The Greeks were skilled in rearing the 

 worms and in making silk until the 12th century, when the art was in- 

 troduced into Sicily, and soon spread into Italy and the south of Eu- 

 rope. It was introduced into France in 1480, and silk was there soon 

 extensively manufactured. - From thence it passed to England in the 

 15th century, and an association was formed in 1562 for the manufac- 

 ture of silk. In 1666, 40,000 persons were engaged in the business. 

 Manufacturers from France came in large numbers to England in 

 1685-6, and the importation of silk also at this time, was near 700,- 

 OOOZ. In 1719 a great improvement in throwing silk was intro- 

 duced by Lombe, which formed a new era in the manuafcture of silk 

 in England. From this to 1824 the art progressed, though the annual 

 importations amounted to 500,000/. The manufacture was, however, 

 greatly checked by the introduction of cotton about 1785, though it 

 continued to progress on the continent ; and important improvements 

 were there made in every branch a'nd fabric of the art. In 1826 a 

 great change was effected in England by the abolition of the prohibi- 

 tory laws; the silk manufactures rapidly increased, and 4,693,5 17 Ibs. of 



