Such is the simple operation of reeling. It has been a conventional opinion that this can only be done in the silk rearing countries; because the cocoons cannot be conveyed long distances safely, and bemuse a clear and warm climate is necessary. The correctness of this opinion is now disputed. Mr. Dinkins, a silk dyer at Middleton, and .Mr. Chadwick, a silk manufacturer at Manchester, have invented and set to work A system of apparatus for reeling silk in England, and throwing or twisting the silk so reeled. The cocoons are placed for a few minutes in hot soap and water ; and then ladled toe trough of clean warm water. The principal end of the silk of each cocoon is drawn out by the fingers ; several cocoons, thus treated, are placed in a basin, with the ends of the filaments hanging over the edge ; and they are thus taken to the reeling frame when wanted. The machine consists of an iron framework. 12 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 4 feet high. At each aide is a row of SO bobbins, each with as flyer, and with a separate rotary motion. Over the 60 bobbins are 60 copper basins, containing water at 120' 1'ahr. Into each Levin are put 6 cocoons, the filaments from which are wound off by the motion of the bobbins, to which their ends are attached. About 12 Inches above each basin is a piece of wire, covered with some soft substance; the filaments pass over them wires on their way from the basins to the bobbins, to cleanse and partially dry them. By this arrangement the winding into hanks, as performed by the silk growers abroad, the winding of bobbins from the broke, and the usual cleansing process as performed by the throwster, are entirely dispensed with : a twisted thread of silk being furnished at one operation. Threads of different thicknesses may thus be produced, simply by increasing tho number of cocoons in each basin. One girl can attend to the cocoons in 30 basins. Whenever a cocoon breaks or comes to an end, a new fastening is instantly made. By an adjust ment of the bobbins and flyers, any amount'of twist can be imparted to the thread, according to the purpose for which it is intended. The regularity of the movements leaps to the production of a thread more free from knots than the ordinary reeled silk. There is no reeling, no hank ; the silk is spun at once from the cocoons. The bobbins rotate 3000 times per minute. The principle of the cotton-spindle and flyer being adopted, there is a power of adapting the apparatus to the pro. duction of many different kinds of thread ; it can either be stopped at the train stage, or advanced to that of arganine—terms that will bo explained presently. There is said to be a more complete extraction of the silk from the cocoons, a greater regularity in the thread, a thorough extraction of lumps and knots, an avoidance of waste, and a saving in wages. These machines are gradually coming into use in Lancashire and on the continent ; but there has not yet been organised an extensive importation of cocoons into England—without which, of course, the machines cannot work.
Silk Throwing and Wearing.—Except under the system just de scribed, silk is imported in banks, not in the cocoons. The silk in the hanks has simply been reeled, without regular twisting. In China and India the silk is reeled very unequally ; there may be as few as five, or as many as fifteen filaments in each thread, without any regard to uniformity. Italian silk is better reeled. In the throwing mills, situated chiefly in Lancashire and Derbyshire, the silk is doubled, twisted, and hardened. John and Thomas Lambe introduced the art from Italy early in the last century. The silk is made into dumb tingles, for weaving into gauze and other light fabrics ; into thrown singles, which, when wound, cleaned, and thrown, is used for weaving into ribbons and common silks ; into tram, which in doubled as well as thrown, and is used for the weft of the beet kinds of goods ; into °rya 'mine, used for the warp; and into sewing silk, which in the thickest and bent of all These kinds are produced by the processes of winding, droning, don/ding, and twisting, carried to a greater or less extent. The winding is the transference of the silk to bobbins. The hanks are opened, and put upon light frames called swifts ; and while these are rotating, a series of rotating bobbins draw off the silk from the awifts. Fig. 3 shows one form of apparatus for effecting this transfer. The cleaning is effected bypassing the filament through a cleft in a piece of steel. whereby impurities and irregularities are removed. The and twisting are processes in which two or more threads are twisted round each other; the machinery for effecting this is very varied ; but a reference to COTTON MANUFACTURE will afford means for judging of the general principle, although the details are different. Fig. 4 will illustrate the action of one form of twisting or throwing machine.
When silk is required to lie made very thick, strong, and densely twisted, it is sometimes twisted in the errunor of rope, in n long alley or avenue (fig. 5). Silk a/ripely/1 is comparatively a modern process. It is a mode of using up floes silk, and any waste that may resnit from the other processes. llowever unfitted silk may be to be thrown and twisted in the lusted way, it may be spun into a continuous thread by carding, drawing, roving, and spinning, Almost in the same manner as cotton. The thread produced is of inferior character, and is used for
the cheaper kinds of goods.
Of the subsequent processes in the silk manufacture, little need be said here. A reference to the articles CRAPE, DYEING, EMBROIDERS, GAUZE, JACQUARD APPARATUS, Buenos:, and WEAVING, will supply the requisite details. Brocade and damask, the most sumptuous articles of silk manufacture a century ago, are now comparatively unknown. Persian, 'menet, gros-de-Naples, clucapes, satin, and lovantines, are the names given to plain silks, which vary from one another only in texture, quality, or softness. Satin derives its lustre from the great pro portion of the threads of the warp being loft visible, and the piece being 'afterwards passed over heated cylinders. Other varieties of silk goods ire produced by mechanical arrangetecute in the loom, such as using different shuttles with threads of various quality, &c. The pile which constitutes the peculiarity of velvet is produced by the insertion of short pieces of silk thread, which cover the surface so entirely as to conceal the interlacing of the warp and woof. The process of weaving -velvet is slow, and it is paid for at several times the rate of plain silks. There are several sorts of goods in which silk is employed with woollen materials, such as poplins and bombazines. The Chinese make a species of washing silk, called at Canton ponge, which becomes more soft as it is longer used. Their crapes have never yet been perfectly imitated ; and they particularly excel, in the production of damasks and flowered satins.
Silk Trade.—The making of ribbons and small articles in silk long preceded in England that of broad silk. The trade was principally in the hands of women ; and, like a sickly plant of foreign growth, it appears to have constantly demanded props and support. Repeated statutes and orders were made, discouraging the use of silk goods from abroad. An act passed in the reign of Edward IV. contained a sort of apology, which, if good for anything, made the prohibition unneassary. The act states that not only were the artificers, men and women "greatly impoverished, hindered of their worldly increase and daily living, by these wares and chaffres being brought in fully wrought and ready for sale by strangers, the king's enemies, and other," but that "the greatest part in substance was deceitful, and nothing worth in regard of any man's occupation and profit." The law against the importation of ribbons, &c. was renewed at successive intervals until the 19 Henry VII., when it was made perpetual. Foreign ribbons notwithstanding still made their way over. The silk-throwsters were incorporated by a charter obtained 5 Charles I., about ten years after the establishment of the broad-silk manufacture in the reign of James I.: the silk-weavers wero already included in the great company of weavers. Towards the end of the reign of Charles II., the silk manufacture, which had hitherto been almost confined to London, was carried into several other large towns of the kingdom by the French Protestants, who took refuge in this country, to the number, it is said, of 70,000, after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 ; and amongst the rest to Coventry. The ribbon trade, of which Coventry has since become the chief seat in England, was introduced early in the last century by Mr. Bird, assisted probably by some of the French emigrants : the number of French terms still used In the manufacture proves that its origin was, in part at least, foreign. After the treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, French and Italian manufactured silks were admitted under considerable duties ; but In 1765 the ribbon and other silk manufacturers procured the ro-establishment of the prohibitory system, which was thenceforward maintained for sixty years, enforced by heavy penalties. With the increase of population and the greater demand for luxuries, the home market increased ; but an export trade, principally to America, gradually decayed, in con sequence perhaps of the heavy duties on raw and thrown silk. During the period of restriction, ribbon-weaving seems to have degenerated in this country as regards the superior branches. In 1824 the govern ment determined to try the effect of an approach to free trade upon the silk manufacture. Al a preliminary step, the duties on raw silk were reduced from 4d. per lb. to 3d., and afterwards to Id.; and on thrown, (rein 141. 8d. to 7s. 6d., and afterwards to 3s. 6d., 2s., and 1.. 6d., according to quality ; with a drawback to the amount of the duty allowed on any manufactures of silk exported, whether they were or were not made of the foreign thrown silk which had paid the duty. Two years were allowed after the lowering of these duties to prepare for the admission of foreign manufactured silk at a duty of 30 percent. But this step was strongly opposed by the ribbon manufaPturers of Coventry, who were unanimous in demanding a total prohibition of foreign ribbons; they succeeded in procuring, in 1832, the appoint ment of a committee of the House of Commons to inquire into the state of the silk trade. Nothing short of this (they said) could enable them to make ribbons at all. This inquiry led to no alteration in the system which the government had adopted ; and subsequent remon strances made by the same parties had a similar result.