242 THE CALIFORNIA 



countries, sometimes twelve pounds are necessary, while 

 in California, when the culture shall be well understood, 

 I think that no more than seven or eight pounds will be 

 required. 



29th. One pound of silk, when well reeled, is capable 

 of being converted into sixteen yards of the ordinary 

 quality of Grros de Naples, or into fourteen yards of the 

 first quality, and worth twice its weight in silver. 



30th. The reeling of silk in France and Italy is per- 

 formed almost exclusively by females. In these coun- 

 tries there are innumerable domestic filatures, where the 

 cocoons, raised by one or more families, are reeled by 

 the wives and the daughters of the farmers. These em- 

 ploy from one to five or six reels, and the art of reeling 

 is preserved in families from generation to generation. 

 There are also, in these countries, large establishments, 

 or filatures, which employ from fifty to five hundred reels. 

 These establishments have a superintendent who is thor- 

 oughly and practically a perfect master in the business 

 in every department ; women there work at the reeling 

 all their days as an exclusive occupation. At these large 

 establishments the most perfect silk is reeled, which 

 commands the highest price. 



31st. I wish to give you here a few facts that will 

 certainly be more than sufficient to prove to you how 

 easy the silk can be raised in California ; as, besides my 

 cocoons, we had on exhibition at our agricultural fairs, 

 specimens of good cocoons raised by the following per- 

 sons : Mr. J. N. Hoag, Secretary of our State Agricul- 

 tural Society ; Capt. Haynie, of Sacramento ; Mr. Tif- 



