Sericieulture and the manufacture of t,he product have always been a favourite pursuit and a eherished industry of the kings and aristocracies of Europe. Tbe rulers of France for more than four centuries made it an object of peculiar care, and by the time of Louis XIV., it had become a flourishing industry, employing in its various branches probably over one million people. Amongst these were the Huguenots, whom the monarch just mentioned banished from their homes. In Lyons, at that date, were over 18,000 looms ; and at Tours, over 11,000. These were reduced to about 5000, and even for these, weavers could not be found. The silk industry of France was thus almost annihilated. The result, however, was its establishment in Switzerland, Germany, and England ; in the last country, over 100,000 of the refugees found an asylum for themselves and a profitable field for their labour.
Numerous attempts have been made in this country to acclimatize the ailkworno, so as to render its cultivation profitable, but without success. Butter results, however, attended the efforts to establish the manufacture. From a comparatively early period, it is probable that it was carried on with more or lede BUC,'Cti8, though without becoming in any senae a distinct and recognized national industry. The immigration of the Continental refugees above mentioned, and their settle ment in Spitalfielde, Norwich, Dublin, and several other placea, so increased and concentrated the industry in these localities, that it has been numbered amongst the most important of the textile manufactures of the country ever since.
For a long time, the machinery was rude, and incapable of producing more than " tram," the weft ernployed in rnaking silken fabrics ; whilst "organzine," or warp yarns. had to be imported ready " thrown " from Italy. This, as is well known, was obviated by the introduction of " throwing" machinery from Italy by John Lombe, of Derhy, who surreptitiously acquired plans of the machines by engaging as a workman in an Italian mill. The riska he encountered and the obstacles he overcame before he made his establishment at Derby a success are too well known to need detailing here.
The success of the Derby mill soon led to the erection of others at Stockport, Congleton, Macclesfield, Leek, and numerous other places in awl around Manchester. For a considerable time, the trade flourished in all these districts, and eapec.ally whilst import-duties were levitd upon foreign productions, which had a tendency to preserve the home market to them exclusively. But the more profitable industries of cotton and woollen manufacturing, which have undergone such wonderful development, have quite put the silk manufacture into the shade. Ow ing to the greatly
enhanced value of labour in thie country, it has become almost impcsaible to comp, te against the cheap labour of the Continent without protection. The consequence is that since the repeal of the import duties upon silk manufactures, the trade has been gradually deen)ing when contrasted with the other textile industries of this country. Whether there is a future before it when its prosperity will revive, and its progress compare with them, is difficult to say.
Raw silk arrives iu this country made up into " books," each containing a certain number of knots. That from Italy is twisted tip into a thick knot, almost like a short length of rope, about 12 in. long. That from Chilli'. and Japan is made up into much smaller knots than that of European origin, and a number of these are put together in the form of a brick.
Silk is emitted by the worm from two orifices tirmed "spinnarcttes " the form of two fine filaments, which the worm unites into one thread, of which it forms its cocoon. In winding the cocoons, five or six of these double threads are wound together, and slightly twisted to form a thread capable of being manufactured. Owing to the softened atate of the natural gum of the silk (mused by steeping the cocoons in warm water, as they are reeled and twisted, they readily unite into one thread. In this form, the silk is purchased by the " throwster " or spinner, provided he does not reel from the cocoon.
Raw silk in the processes bf manufacture becomes either " organzine" or " tram," according to its treatment. The former is used for warp purposea, and genemlly consists of two " singles " twisted or " thrown'' together. For fine warps, single alone is used. The weft yarns are composed of two or more singles, slightly twisted, in order to admit of the better diatribution of the fibres over the warp threads, which they are usually intended to cover in the most perfect manner.
The prooesses through which it is necessary to put the raw material as imported into this country, in order to prepare it for organzine for weaving, are the following:—(1) Winding, (2) cleaning, (3) spinning, (4) doubling, (5) spinning, (6) reeling. The firat operation of spinning, being of the "single," puts iu about 15 turns to the inch of thread ; thc second, which combines two or more threads, imparts about 8 turns an inch. When tram is being prepared, the operations are nearly the same, omitting the first process of spinning, and reducing the turns to four or less in the second or throwing, to obtain the looseness of structure that will yield the desired end.