REELING SILK. 85 



UNGUMMING SILK. 



The silk, intended for white, is made up into hanks, 

 by running a thread around each hank, containing a 

 number of skeins tied together. The hanks are then 

 untied and several of them bound together in a bundle 

 of convenient size. This is done that the silk may be 

 handled without becoming entangled. The silk is 

 then prepared for ungumming which is done by put- 

 ting it in strong soap suds. For every hundred pounds 

 of silk take thirty pounds of soap and dissolve it in 

 water. Cutting it into small slices will facilitate its 

 solution. Some dyers consider fifteen pounds of 

 soap sufficient, and think more injures the lustre of 

 the silk. 



After the soap is dissolved, the kettle is filled up 

 with fresh water, and placed over a moderate fire un- 

 til it rises to the highest possible degree short of boil- 

 ing heat for should it boil it would injure the silk by 

 making it flossy. When the bath, or suds, is ready, 

 the hanks of silk are immersed in it, or such parts of 

 them as the capacity of the kettle will admit, and suf- 

 fered to remain until it is freed from the gum, which 

 is determined by the whiteness and flexibility of the 

 silk. This operation is repeated until all parts of the 

 hank have been immersed. After the hanks have 

 been ungummed, the soap and water is wrung out of 

 them, and they are next to undergo a process which 

 is called bagging. 



BAGGING SILK. 



To bag silk, bags of strong coarse linen are pre- 

 pared. They are about fifteen inches wide, and four 

 or five feet long, and closed at the ends with one side 

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