94 REELING AND MANUFACTURING SILK. 



self. When the reel is full the pieces are all tied together, 

 taken off and immediately dried. 



" Most of this silkis manufactured into sewing silk and twist in 

 the following manner : — it is immersed for a few moments in 

 boiling water, taken out, put on swifts, and spun or twisted on a 

 common woollen wheel, beginning at the large end of the piece, 

 that is at the end which was reeled first ; and when it becomes 

 too small, which is the case when half or two thirds is run off, 

 the small end of another piece is added to it, and thus they are 

 twisted together. It is then spooled directly off the spindle ; a 

 sufficient number of spools is put into a small spool frame to 

 make a thread of proper size, which is twisted again while it is 

 moist. It is then reeled again and cleansed by boiling in strong 

 suds for three hours, then dried and colored. Undergoing this 

 process it shrinks about one half in weight ; after this, for sew- 

 ing silk, it is doubled, twisted, and reeled on a reel two yards 

 long, and is divided into skeins of twenty threads each, as the 

 statute of that State requires. If it be calculated for twist, it is 

 made three threaded, twisted and done up into sticks with a 

 small hand machine, and is then ready for the market. The 

 floss, or tow, as it is called, is boiled in strong suds for three 

 hours, dried, picked, carded, and spun on a common wool wheel. 

 The yarn is woven into cloth, wJiich is worn by the women for 

 every day gowns. It is sometimes manufactured into very 

 strong and durable carpets. 



" Those cocoons that the grubs have pierced are boiled as 

 above and dried. The end that is not pierced is cut off ; they 

 are then spun on a linen wheel like worsted, beginning at the 

 end cut. It is then twisted together, three threaded, and knit 

 into stockings. 



" The imperfect cocoons, and all that will not reel, are boil- 

 ed, carded, spun and manufactured in all respects like floss, but 

 they make nicer and finer cloth. 



" The Connecticut sewing silk does not bring a higher 

 price than the reeled silk as it comes from my reel. As 

 there is a loss of one half of the weight in the preparation 

 of sewing silk, it is evident that to reel it properly and 



