52 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



stronger. That generally known as "grass line" is an 

 example, it being wholly of Chinese raw silk, no grass 

 whatever entering into its composition. 



The Japanese silk is considerably weaker, and in com- 

 parison with the others has little to recommend it ex- 

 cept cheapness. 



When boiled the raw silk parts with its gum, losing 

 about thirty per cent, in weight, and deepening in color. 

 The surface is no longer harsh, but of a smooth and slip- 

 pery character, and the silk becomes very flexible. 



Italian silk is worth, raw, about five dollars a pound ; 

 boiled, from about seven and a half to eight dollars. 

 Chinese silk is worth, raw, about four dollars ; boiled, 

 about six and a half to seven dollars a pound. Japan- 

 ese silk costs, raw, about three dollars and ninety cents; 

 boiled, about four dollars and eighty cents a pound. 



Some silk comes to this country from India, the prod- 

 uct of wild worms not mulberry fed. It resembles 

 the inside of an old Manila rope in color, is worth about 

 two dollars a pound, raw, and is much weaker than the 

 other silks already mentioned. 



Since the gum is removed by the boiling process, thus 

 reducing the size of the fibre without impairing its 

 tenacity, it follows that more material is required for 

 the same diameter, and that the boiled-silk line possesses 

 a far greater degree of strength than a like size line of 

 raw silk. Silk lines are also made from what might be 

 termed "shoddy," a material formed by reducing old 

 scraps of silk cast-off silk dresses, stockings, umbrella 

 covers, and such trash to a fluff by machines constructed 

 for that purpose, and spinning the thread composing the 

 line from that. As the length of the fibre in the latter 

 does not exceed a fraction of one inch at the outside, 



