REARING SILKWORMS. 39 



one thousand to fifteen hundred yards, while 

 those insignificant, illy cared for, papery cocoons, 

 raised merely for pastime or pleasure, will scarce 

 give off two hundred yards. This shows the folly 

 of attempting to do work the wrong way. It 

 gives a false impression of the real value of the 

 silk business. 



The relative value of cocoons is determined hy 

 color, sinew, evenness of thread, and freedom 

 from gum. The white Japan are said to have 

 less gum than any other breed we have here. 

 The silk from yellow or green cocoons can never 

 be bleached as white as the silk from the pure 

 white. Neither will the silk from colored cocoons 

 take the most delicate shades of dye. This is 

 one of the reasons why the pure white cocoons 

 are in greater demand than the colored. 



Double cocoons have, as a rule, very strong 

 silk, but as they cannot be reeled because the two 

 worms, working together, tangle the silk on the 

 cocoons, they are valueless for reeling, and there- 

 fore their value is only that of waste silk. 



In France, the price of cocoons ranges, for green 

 cocoons, from 30 to 35 cents; for dry cocoons, 

 from 80 cents to $1.50 per pound. The same 

 prices should be paid in the United States, or 

 even more. 



Twelve hundred good cocoons with the insect 

 entirely removed will weigh one pound. , 



