rnOCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 807 



want to have a lefthanded twist on the machine they shoukl fill the 

 bobbins from the opposite direction (anti-clock way) and the wheel also 

 should rotate in the same direction, so that right-handed and left- 

 handed twists can be given on the machine according to one's require- 

 ments. One man can twist about 6 chattacks of reeled thread in a day 

 of eight hours. The cost of a machine will be about Rs. 25. Reeled 

 thread of Tasar, Muga and Mulberry, and cotton thread also, can be 

 twisted on the machine. 



Pierced cocoons are generally spun into thread in Bengal and Assam 

 on the Charhha and Tahu. Old women and small girls are engaged in 

 this work in cottages at their leisure time. We pay to a boy who spins 

 for us about Rs. 3-4-0 per month and he spins about one seer of spun 

 thread in a month. If we get the cocoons spun from outside, we pay at 

 the rate of Rs. 3-8-0 per seer. The process of spinning is simple and can 

 be learnt in less than ten days. One charlca is available for Rs. 2 and 

 -a Taku for six pies. In Mysore and Kollegal very little spinning is done 

 and the cocoons are sold to the merchants for exjDort. There is a great 

 demand for handspun silk cloth in India and there is no reason why 

 Mysore and Kollegal should not take to handspinning. If this is done, 

 some profitable work can be given to women and some new weavers also 

 will come into existence. 



We are carrying on experiments both with vegetable and synthetic 

 dyes. Our experience is that vegetable dyes are extremely fast but dull 

 in appearance. It is difficult to procure all the materials and it takes 

 time to prepare extracts from vegetable dyes. The synthetic dyes are 

 sold on a large scale in the market. The process of dyeing is very easy 

 and the dyed stuffs are bright and glossy but the colour is not very fast. 



Silk-weaving is more paying than cotton-weaving. The handlooms 

 which were once used for cotton can be profitably utilized for silk-weaving 

 as the principles of weaving cotton and silk are practically the same. 

 The cotton-weavers who have taken to other occupations can earn more 

 by the change. India imports a large quantity of silk fabrics. Skilled 

 labour and raw materials are available here. The only thing required 

 is capital and organization. We have got three handlooms and three 

 weavers whom we pay Rs. 432 per year. We produce about Rs. 2,000 

 ■worth of silk cloth in a year. We make a n^tt profit of Rs. 500 per 

 annum. If deductions are made for the weaving experiments carried 

 out by us the profi't can be raised to Rs. 700. There is a ready sale for 

 our goods and we are not in a position to supply even the Pusa market. 

 Our silk, like all indigenous silk goods, is very durable and the demand 

 for it is gradually increasing. Visitors coming to Pusa take a fancy to 

 our silk and many want to take it as a souvenir, but we have to refuse 



