438 THE SALMON FLY. 



the worm takes its fourth and final sleep. It eats enormously, and, after 

 casting its fourth skin, becomes restless, and soon seeks shelter for the 

 purpose of spinning. 



When quite ready to spin (not an hour before or after), the worms 

 are picked up and thrown into a tub containing a strong mixture of 

 vinegar and water. They die instantly, and are allowed to remain in 

 this " pickle " for about twelve hours, so as to give a consistency to the 

 silk bags. 



On taking them out of the " pickle," the worms are broken in half, 

 and the gut sacks carefully removed. The strength of the " pickle " 

 regulates the thickness of gut. Strong mixtures "render the gut short 

 and thick ; with weak mixtures, the gut is longer and thinner. If too 

 strong, the gut "pulls out " into crooked and lumpy strands. 



When the gut is pulled out a process simply managed by taking 

 hold of each end and stretching it as far as it will go it is thrown down 

 upon the floor, when the extreme ends begin to curl up. Each strand is 

 covered with a thin coat called " carne." In a few days the gut is 

 collected, washed in pure water, and hung up to dry in rooms where a 

 current of air passes through freely. When thoroughly dry, the strands 

 are tied in bundles from 5,000 to 10,000, sold by weight to the merchants 

 who then remove the " carne " by a certain process discovered and made 

 known by Morris Carswell, the wholesale manufacturer of the Salmon 

 lines bearing my name. 



The bundles, each of which contain one-third estriada (spurious 

 pieces), are undone, and carefully examined before the polishing process 

 takes place. The spurious pieces are or ought to be separated from the 

 superior quality, which is easily detected by the practised observer. It is 

 finally assorted, with due regard to both roundness and thickness, and 

 tied up in " hundreds " or " hanks." 



The proportion of the different grades of the thicknesses varies from 

 year to year. For enumerating them, to begin with the thinnest, there 

 is Befina, Fina, Regular, Padron second, Padron first, Marana, Double- 

 thick Marana, Imperial, and Hebra. 



Many and many a man has been deceived by his own estimate of the 

 quality and value of his packages. Only by a very accurate knowledge of 



