No. 108.1 43 



cilities to compete with the pauper labor of Europe and India, and 

 enable us to pay our own free labor, a freeman's price, and still pro- 

 duce our silks in large quantities for home consumption and expor- 

 tation, but better in quality than that now brought from afar. 



No. 98, a silk reel not at all adapted for practical use. The silk 

 reeled on it, if allowed to remain on the spool, as it is compactly 

 laid, and stiffens in that manner with its own gum, will in a short 

 time become rotten and useless, like the cocoon which loses half its 

 value by keeping. The silk thus reeled cannot be used until again 

 re-wound, and must then be first wet, which is an injury the lustre. 



The committee being practical silk culturists, are prepared to ex- 

 press a decided opinion in favor of the Piedmontese reel; and this has 

 in fact become an American reel by some slight improvements in the 

 gearing, though retaining the principle which is calculated to give the 

 thread evenness, roundness and lustre. The skein is the proper size for 

 exportation, adapted to the machinery of Europe, which will hereafter 

 be our great market for raw silk; for the committee look upon it 

 as one of the events certain to happen, that this country will become 

 a great silk producing country; and it should be the object of the In- 

 stitute, as it is that of the country, to encourage the adoption of the 

 simplest kind of machinery adapted to the purpose. With these 

 views the committee cannot consent to recommend American reels, 

 or other machinery, simply because they are American; and not un- 

 less they are superior or better adapted to the purpose than those 

 now in use in other silk countries. At the same time they are well 

 aware that American ingenuity is fully adequate to invent, and pro- 

 duce the kind required to meet the wants of the country, as soon as 

 our farmers will produce the raw material. 



The committee are of opinion that the great desideratum in the 

 silk business, simplicity, cannot be attained by the adoption of such 

 machines as combine different principles, including the reeling, 

 throwing and spooling processes in one, as it is certain that neither can 

 be well done; and the effect of adopting such machinery, will be to 

 prevent American silk from taking its grade of number one among 

 the silks of the world, to which it is fully entitled. 



The reeler, to make the best quality of reeled silk, has constant and 

 full employment, with an assistant to turn the reel. What folly, then, 

 to expect that one person should reel, wind, twist, double and spool 

 the silk, and also turn the reel at the same time. The result of such 

 an attempt is an inferior article, and the sneers at American sewing 

 silk continue to be well founded. Now it is found that well reeled 

 American silk, (some of which is exhibited at this Fair, is fully equal 

 to the best Italian, which in the English market is worth five and a 

 half to six dollars per pound, and would, eveji now, pay the producer 

 at least 100 per cent profit for exportation. What is the difference 

 if this silk is badly reeled? Why, it would sell in the same market 

 for about the same price which it costs to produce it here, viz: two 

 dollars per pound; this is now the price of some of the Bengal silks 

 in the English market. 



