ROD AND TACKLE 41 



round a small peg. At this stage the material is of 

 course soft, but by exposure to the sun it gradually 

 hardens and becomes what we know as gut." 



"The above is the first stage, and the product is 

 called raw gut. This is sold to dealers who call 

 themselves Bankers, because their business is to 

 advance money in weekly payments to the peasants 

 while the worms are growing, with, of course, a claim 

 on the gut when it is produced. In this first stage of 

 the gut the outer surface is covered with yellowish 

 skin, which is removed by boiling in soap and water, 

 after which it is further treated by polishing with 

 special appliances. In this stage it is either handed 

 over to the Bankers, or sold direct to the manu- 

 facturers, by whom it is carefully sorted and graded in 

 different thicknesses and qualities, after which.it is 

 packed in bundles containing a hundred each ; these 

 are again put up into bundles of a thousand, when it 

 is ready for export. The thickest gut is called 

 ' Hebra,' the second ' Imperial,' and the third 

 ' Marana 1st.' Then there follow ' Marana 2nd,' 

 ' Padron ist and 2nd,' 'Regular,' ' Fina,' and ' Re- 

 fina,' In all these various thicknesses there are at 

 least three qualities, the best being called ' Selecto,' 

 the second ' Superior,' and the third ' Estriada.' " 



"When the gut is received in this country it again 

 goes through a process of further sorting, each quality 

 being put aside for the purpose for which it is best 

 adapted. Much of it is used in the natural state, the very 

 best being made into gut casts. The second, third. 



