74 COMPLETE INSTRUCTION IN 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES ON SILK. 



Note 1. 



The first silk-mill on this continent was 

 erected in 1810, in Mansfield, Connecticut. Now 

 there are over nine hundred silk-mills or fac- 

 tories in the United States, and some in Canada. 



The world's silk-production is more than 

 11,706 tons per annum. 



Note 2. 



The gold and silver spider are both found in 

 Rhodesia, South Africa. 



The gold spider spins its web (not in cocoon) 

 of golden thread, and lets it float from the trees. 

 Sometimes these webs are twenty feet long; they 

 float loosely, glistening in the sunshine, till they 

 strike other branches. Then they stretch from 

 branch to branch, or from tree to tree, making a 

 gorgeous appearance in the tropical sun. The 

 fiber of this web is of great fineness. 



The silver spider spins a less beautiful web. 

 It is spun from bush to bush, or from one tree to 

 another, but is not left to float loosely. It is 

 not so strong as the golden spider's thread, 

 though very beautiful. 



These spiders live on flies, which are very 

 abundant in that country. 



