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BRANXII ul- THE MULRKRRV TREE— SHOWING l^ERRIES. 
 
SILK 
 
 Its Origin^ Culture ^ and 
 Manufacture 
 
 Illustrated From Photographs Taken at 
 
 The Corticclli Silk Mt//s 
 
 Price, Ten Centa 
 
 Copyrighted i8qs and igo2 by 
 
 THE NONOTU CK SII^K COMPANY 
 
 Florence, Massachusetts 
 
 All Rights Reserved 
 
Contents. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 To All Teachers, 3 
 
 Publisher's Note, 4 
 
 The Discovery and Introduction of Silk, .... 5 
 
 The Silkworm, 13 
 
 Reeling the Silk from the Cocoons, 29 
 
 How Silk is Manufactured, 33 
 
To All Teachers. 
 
 No more gratifying reception was ever accorded a 
 text-book than has been given this little work on the 
 origin, culture, and manufacture of silk. First pub- 
 lished in 1895, the sale of the book has truly been 
 remarkable. 
 
 In presenting this revised and enlarged edition, 
 which we have made to include the story of the 
 manufacture of silk, it is our desire to thank the 
 thousands of teachers in the best and largest schools, 
 academies, and colleges throughout the country for 
 their many kind words of appreciation, and to assure 
 them we are always ready to assist in securing the 
 specimens necessary to a proper presentation to their 
 pupils of this most interesting subject. Presuming 
 that many will take advantage of our offers as out- 
 lined on pages 51, 53, 55, and 57, we invite corre- 
 spondence, and questions will be cheerfully answered 
 if a two cent stamp is inclosed for reply. 
 
 CoRTicELLi Silk Mills, Florence, Mass. 
 
Publisher's Note, 
 
 A growing demand from teachers and others for a 
 reliable and concise book of information on silk cnl- 
 ture, has prompted the preparation of this little 
 pamphlet. 
 
 It is distinctly an educational work, embracing as 
 it does the most interesting facts gathered from the 
 experience of years of scientific and practical study 
 devoted to the rearing of this wonderful insect. We 
 may be pardoned in thinking that perhaps none 
 better than the Corticelli Silk Mills could undertake 
 the publication of such a work, since for over sixty- 
 three years the products of these famous mills have 
 been the recognized standard of the silk thread workl. 
 
 The fine half-tone engravings were made from 
 photographs of the Corticelli Silkworms taken from 
 life. We believe them to be the first American 
 photographs, and the most truthful reproduction of 
 silkworm life in existence. The entire contents of 
 this booklet, including all the photographs, are 
 protected by copyright, and must not be copied or 
 reproduced. 
 
 Corticelli Silk Mills. 
 
The Discovery and 
 Introduction of Silk. 
 
 The history of silk starts with Hoang-Ti, the third 
 Emperor of China, who charged his wife and queen, 
 Si-Ling-Chi, to examine the silkworms and test the 
 practicability of using the thread from the cocoons. 
 In her zeal she collected large numbers of the worms, 
 fed them herself, and discovered how to reel the silk 
 and to make it into garments. This was about 1700 
 B. C. , and for her discovery she was deified, so the 
 Chinese records say, and ever since has been known 
 as the " Goddess of Silkworms." 
 
 The wild silkworms or allied species were found in 
 vSouthern or Eastern Asia, inhabiting the jungles of 
 India, Pegu, Siam, and Cochin China ; but the 
 cocoons were used only for carding and spinning, 
 very much as spun silk is now produced. Meanwhile 
 the Chinese kept their method of obtaining the silk 
 a profound secret for nearly two thousand years. 
 They gave the silk to the Persians, who for one thou- 
 sand years, without knowing how or from what it 
 was made, carried it to the Western Nations. 
 
Aristotle was the first European to learn the true 
 origin of the wrought silk brought to him from Persia 
 on the return from that country of Alexander's victo- 
 rious army. He described the silkworm as a "horned 
 insect, passing through several transformations, which 
 produced 'bombykia,' " as he called the silk. How- 
 ever, for five hundred years after this time the com- 
 mon theory of the origin of silk, among the Greeks 
 and Romans, was quite different, since they had 
 confounded the production of silk with that of cotton. 
 
 In Aristotle's time Pamphile and her associates in 
 the Island of Cos (the modern Zea in the ^Egean Sea) 
 had imported raw silk from Persia, and unraveling it 
 had woven a silken gauze, which from its transpar- 
 ency was called "woven wind." Soon the Roman 
 ladies followed her example, substituting for silk fine 
 threads of linen or cotton for the weft or filling, and 
 before long it became in great demand. The Roman 
 emperors arrayed themselves in costly silken gar- 
 ments, and soon laws were passed restricting its use 
 to the nobility and to women. The Emperor Aure- 
 lian is said to have refused his empress a silken robe 
 on the ground of its great costliness. 
 
 In the sixth century A. D. , all the raw silk 
 was still being imported from China, by way of 
 Persia, when the Emperor Justinian, having engaged 
 in war with Persia, found his supply of raw silk cut 
 ofif and the manufacturers in great distress. No one, 
 

 Gathering Mulberry Leaves. 
 
on pain of death, was allowed to export the silkworm 
 eggs from China, bnt Jnstinian bribed two Nestorian 
 monks to return to that country, and in 555 they 
 came back bringing with them a quantity of silk- 
 worm eggs concealed in the hollow of their pilgrim's 
 staves. The industr\- now spread rapidly over Greece 
 and Syria, into vSpain in 711, into Sicily and Naples 
 in the twelfth century, reaching Italy in the six- 
 teenth, and France in the seventeenth century. 
 
 For centuries the tinest and richest silks were 
 woven only for the church, tlie nobilit\-, and the most 
 wealthy knights ; Persia, China, and the countries to 
 the far East producing magnificent hand embroidered 
 specimens, the results of years of patient labor. 
 
 Silk culture in America started in 1622, when 
 James I. sent silkworm eggs, mulberry trees, and 
 printed instructions to \'irginia, but the attempt was 
 not successful. In 1735 eight pounds of silk were 
 exported from Cxeorgia, and se\en hundred pounds in 
 1758, and over ten thousand pounds (seventy-five 
 thousand dollars worth) in 1759. 
 
 Connecticut began to rear silkworms in 1760, and 
 for eighty-four years this state led all others in the 
 amount of silk produced. Soon after 1769 Pennsyl- 
 vania, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and 
 Massachusetts became interested in the industry, but 
 during the Revolution it was given up, and was not 
 revived until 1826, when a most determined effort 
 
CoRTicELLi Silkworms— Six and Ten Days Old. 
 9 
 
was made to place silk growing on a paying basis. 
 For ten years all went well ; several states offered 
 preminms and bonnties, silk societies were formed, 
 and new machinery was invented and put into opera- 
 tion. But soon a disturbing element was introduced; 
 a great effort w^as made to supplant the white mul- 
 berry [Monts alba)^ on the leaves of which the worms 
 had been fed, by the so-called Chinese mulberry, the 
 Moms inulticaiilis^ on account of the superior quali- 
 ties claimed for it. A sudden infatuation seized the 
 people, speculation began, and prices advanced far 
 beyond their real value. 
 
 Since 1830 Florence, Mass., had been identified 
 with the silk culture movement, and the whole sur- 
 rounding country soon caught the fever, and as the 
 excitement increased acres of mulberry cuttings and 
 trees w^ere planted. Then in 1839 came the crash. 
 The bubble had burst, bringing ruin to thousands of 
 persons, and inulberr>- twigs which had been worth 
 nearly their weight in gold could not be sold for ten 
 cents a hundred. A severe winter killed most of the 
 trees, giving the industry a final blow. 
 
 The company at Florence gave up silk growing for 
 a few years, but the manufacture of Corticelli Silk, 
 started in 1838, was continued, and from that day to 
 this the products of the famous Corticelli Silk Mills 
 have always enjoyed an enviable but well earned 
 reputation for superiority. 
 
Silkworms adout Eighteen Days Old. 
 11 
 
CoRTiCELLi Silkworm Eating. 
 
 FULl 
 
The Silkworm. 
 
 The wonderful insect that makes tlie silk is the 
 larva of a small moth called Scricaria mori. This 
 moth is classed with the Lepidoptera^ or scaly winged 
 insects, faniih- B omby cider ^ or spinners. This spe- 
 cies of caterpillar is commonh- called the Mulberry 
 Silkworm. First reared in China, it is now exten- 
 sively cultivated in China, Japan, Italy, France, Spain, 
 and other Einopean countries. Owing to the greater 
 value of labor here, the United States^cannot compete 
 with these countries in the production of raw silk. 
 
 The silkworm has become domesticated, since, 
 during the long centuries in which it has been culti- 
 \ated, it has acquired many useful peculiarities. 
 Man has striven to increase its silk producing power, 
 and in this he has succeeded, for, by comparing the 
 cocoon of the silkworm of to-day with its wild rela- 
 tions, the Corticelli cocoon is found to be much 
 larger, even in proportion to the size of the worm 
 that makes it or the moth that issues from it. The 
 moth's loss of the power of flight, and the white 
 color of the species are probably the results of domes- 
 tication. 
 
 13 
 
The silk moth exists in four states — ^gg, larva, 
 chrysalis, and adult. The egg of the moth is nearly 
 round, slightly flattened, and closely resembles a 
 turnip seed. When first laid it is yellow, soon turn- 
 ing a gray or slate color if impregnated. It has a 
 small spot on one end called the micropyle, and when 
 the worm hatches, which in our climate is about the 
 first of June, it gnaws a hole through this spot. 
 Black in color, scarcely an eighth of an inch in 
 length, covered with long hair, with a shiny nose, 
 and sixteen small legs, the baby worm is born, 
 leaving the shell of the ^gg white and transparent. 
 
 Small and tender leaves of the white mulberry 
 [Moi^us albd)^ or osage orange {Machira auj'antiaca\ 
 are fed, the young worm simply piercing them and 
 sucking the sap. Soon the worm becomes large 
 enough to eat the tender portions between the veins 
 of the leaf. In eating they hold the leaves by the 
 six forward feet, and then cut off" semi-circular slices 
 from the leaf's edge by the sharp upper portion of 
 the mouth. The jaws move sidewise, and several 
 thousand worms eating make a noise like falling rain. 
 
 The Corticelli worms are kept on small trays. 
 Every morning an attendant carefully transfers the 
 worms on one tray to another, on which is a clean, 
 white paper. In this way the worms are kept clean. 
 In foreign countries the leaves are placed beside the 
 worms, or upon a slatted or perforated tray placed 
 
j^<:^fc^ 
 
 How THE CORTICEIJJ SILKWORMS ARE REARED. 
 
 15 
 
above them, and those that crawl off are retained, 
 while the weak ones are removed with the old leaves. 
 The -worms breathe throngh spiracles, small holes 
 which look like black spots, one row of nine down 
 each side of the body. They have no e}-es, bnt are 
 qnite sensitive to noise, and if you rap upon the table 
 they stop eating and throw their heads to one side. 
 They are velvety, smooth, and cold to the touch, and 
 the flesh is firm, almost hard. The pulsation of the 
 blood may be traced on the back of the worm, run- 
 ning towards the head. 
 
 The worm has four molting seasons, at each of 
 which it sheds its old skin for a new one, since in the 
 very rapid growth of the worm the old skin cannot 
 keep pace with the growth of the body. The periods 
 between these different molts are called "ages," 
 there being five, the first extending from the time of 
 hatching to the end of the first molt, and the last 
 from the end of the fourth molt to the transformation 
 of the insect into a chrysalis. The time between the 
 " molts " varies with the species of worm. 
 
 When the worm molts it ceases eating, grows 
 slightly lighter in color, fastens itself firmly by the 
 ten prolegs, and especially by the last two, to some 
 object, and holding up its head and the fore part of its 
 body remains in a torpid state for nearly two days. 
 For a day or two previous to molting a dark spot. is 
 noticed just above the nose of the worm, from which 
 
 i6 
 
Coc<)<,)x Begun— Silkworm Nearly Hidden from View, 
 17 
 
the head emerges apparently renewed. In molting 
 the old skin breaks at the nose, the head is pnshed 
 out, and the worm bv wrioo-Hnor and twistin<^ oradu- 
 ally works the old skin back from segment to seg- 
 ment until entirely cast off. Weak and feeble, it 
 gains strength by resting, and then, freshened, sup- 
 ple, and hungry, goes to work eating again with 
 renewed vigor and apparently determined to make up 
 for lost time. 
 
 By each successive molt the worm grows lighter, 
 finally becoming a slate or cream white color, and 
 the hair, which was lono- at first, m-aduallv dis- 
 appears. Two days after the third molt, when the 
 worm is fifteen days old, it is three quarters of an 
 inch long, and just after the last molt it is one and 
 a fourth inches long. If its growth seemed rapid 
 before, it is as nothing compared to its growth now. 
 In six days it grows from one and a fourth to two 
 inches in length, and in three days more becomes 
 fully three inches in length. It is an interesting fact 
 that nearly or quite three fourths of the silk the 
 worm spins is made or secreted in these last two or 
 three days. However, at all ages and times the 
 worm secretes silk with which to protect itself from 
 injury, for when in danger of falling it instantly 
 fastens a silken thread to whatever it ma\' be stand- 
 ing upon. In case of accident, the worm uses this 
 thread, which is strong enough to sustain its weight, 
 
 iS 
 
Completed Corticelli Cocoon, 
 19 
 
as a ladder to go either up or down. In ascending 
 the tliread is wound around its foreleg's to shorten it. 
 When the worm is \oung the thread is so fine as to 
 be almost in\-isible, yet it is alwa\-s strong enough to 
 sustain the worm. 
 
 Having attained full growth, the worm is ready 
 to spin its cocoon. It loses its appetite, shrinks 
 nearly an inch in length, grows nearly transparent, 
 often acquiring a pinkish hue, becomes restless, seeks 
 a quiet place or corner, and moves its head from side 
 to side in an effort to find objects on which to attach 
 its g-uy lines within which to build its cocoon. The 
 silk is elaborated in a semi-fluid condition in two 
 long, convoluted vessels or glands between the pro- 
 legs and head, one upon each side of the alimentary 
 canal. As these vessels approach the head they grow 
 more slender, and finally unite within the spinneret, 
 a small double orifice below the mouth, from wdiich 
 the silk issues in a glutinous state and apparently in 
 a single thread. The gummy liquid which combines 
 the two strands hardens immediately on exposure to 
 the air. 
 
 The worm works incessantly, forcing the silk out 
 by the contraction of its body. The thin, gauze-like 
 network which soon surrounds it, gradiudh- thickens, 
 until in twenty-four hours after beginning to spin the 
 worm is nearly hidden from view. However, the 
 cocoon is not completed for about three days. 
 
Cocoons as Spux by 
 
 X BY SILKWORMS IN A BUNDLE OF STRAW. 
 
The cocoon is tough, strong, and compact, com- 
 posed of a firm, continuous thread, wliich is, however, 
 not wound in concentric circles, but irregularly in 
 short figure eight loops, first in one place and then 
 in another. The motion of the worm's head when 
 starting the cocoon is ver\- rapid, and nine to twelve 
 inches of silk flow from the spinneret in a minute, 
 but later the average would be about half this amount 
 per minute. 
 
 The silk secretion, on account of its transparency, 
 is sometimes used for snells, the tough, sinew-like 
 cords bv which fishhooks are attached to lonorer lines, 
 and in foreign countries large numbers of worms are 
 annually used for this purpose. When the worm is 
 ready to spin, after being steeped in strong chemicals, 
 the silk glands are taken from its body, and are dex- 
 terously drawn out to the desired length. One silk 
 gland is usualh' sufficient for two and sometimes for 
 three fishhooks. 
 
 The color of the worm's prolegs before spinning 
 indicates the color the cocoon will be. This varies 
 in different species, and may be a silvery white, 
 cream, \ellow, lemon, or grreen. 
 
 When the worm lias finished spinning, it is one 
 and a quarter inches long. Two days later, by a 
 final molt, its dried-up skin breaks at the nose and is 
 crowded back off the body, revealing the chrysalis, an 
 oval cone one inch in length. It is a liglit vellow in 
 
Moths Emerging from Corticelli Cocoons. 
 
 CoRTicELLi Cocoons from which the Moths have Emerged. 
 
 23 
 
Two Silk Glands Taken from Onk 
 CoRTicELLi Silkworm. 
 
 together 
 legs 
 
 CORTICELLI Silk Snells. 
 
 color, and inimedi- 
 atelv after iiioltin<r 
 is soft to the touch. 
 The ten prolegs of 
 the worm have dis- 
 appeared, the four 
 wings of the future 
 moth are folded over 
 tlie breast 
 with the six 
 and two feelers, or 
 antennie. It soon 
 turns brown, and 
 the skin hardens 
 into a tough shell. 
 Nature provides the 
 cocoon to protect 
 the worm from the 
 elements while it 
 is being transformed 
 into a chrysalis, and 
 thence intothe moth. 
 With no jaws, and 
 confined wnthin the 
 narrow space of the 
 cocoon, the moth 
 has some difficulty 
 in escaping. After 
 
 24 
 
two or three weeks 
 the shell of the chrys- 
 alis bursts, and the 
 moth ejects against 
 the end of the cocoon 
 a strono-lv alkaline 
 licjuid which mois- 
 tens and dissolves 
 the hard, gummy 
 lining. Pushing 
 aside some of the 
 silken threads and 
 breaking others, with 
 crimped and damp 
 wings the moth 
 emerges ; and the 
 exit once effected, 
 the wings soon ex- 
 pand and dry. 
 
 The escape of 
 the moth, however, 
 breaks so many 
 threads that the co- 
 coons are ruined for 
 reeling, and conse- 
 quently, when ten 
 days old, all those 
 'not intended for seed 
 
 M. 
 
 t-^^ 
 
 Male Corticklli Moth. 
 
 
 
 -I^ICS^.- 
 
 
 Female Cokiicelli Moth. 
 
 • • • 
 
 • •• ». « 
 
 •• • • 
 • •• . • 
 
 Eggs of the Silkworm Moth. 
 25 
 
are placed in a steam heater to stifle the chrysalis, 
 and the silk may then be reeled at an}' future time. 
 
 The moths are cream white in color. They have 
 no months, bnt do have eyes, which is just-the reverse 
 of the case of the worm. From the time it begins to 
 spin until the moth dies, the insect- takes no nonrish- 
 ment. The six forward legs of the w^orm become the 
 legs of the moth. Soon after mating the eggs are 
 laid. 
 
 The male has broader feelers than the female, is 
 smaller in size, and quite active. The female lays 
 half her eggs, rests a few hours, and then lays the 
 remainder. Her two or three days' life is spent 
 within a space occupying less than six inches in 
 diameter. 
 
 One moth lays from three to four hundred eggs, 
 depositing them over an even surface. In some 
 species a gummy liquid sticks the eggs to the object 
 upon which they are laid. In the large cocoon 
 varieties there are full thirty thousand eggs in a 
 single ounce avoirdupois. It takes from twenty-five 
 hundred to three thousand cocoons to make a pound 
 of reeled silk. Do you wonder that, centuries ago, 
 silk was valued at its weight in gold? 
 
 Silk growers in the United vStatcs, by working 
 early and late ever}^ day during the season, which 
 lasts from six to eight weeks, could scarcely average 
 fifteen cents for a dav's labor of ten hours. 
 
Reeling the Silk from Corticelli Cocoons. 
 
 Book" of Corticelli Raw Silk, Containing 20 Skeins. 
 
Reeling the Silk 
 from the Cocoons. 
 
 Reeling the silk from the cocoons is not often done 
 in the United vStates, and the Corticelli method differs 
 slightly from that practiced in foreign conntries. 
 Most of the raw material which is imported comes 
 already reeled ready for the mannfactnrer. 
 
 Tlie cocoons are first assorted, those of the same 
 color being placed by themselves, and those of fine 
 and coarse textnre likewise. The ontside loose silk 
 is then removed, as this cannot be reeled, after which 
 the cocoons are plnnged into warm water to soften 
 the "gnni'' which sticks the threads together. The 
 operator brnshes the cocoons with a small broom, to 
 the straws of which their fibers become attached, and 
 then carefnlly nnwinds the loose silk nntil each 
 cocoon shows but one thread. These three operations 
 are called ''soaking," "brushing," and "cleansing." 
 
 Into each of two compartments in the basin of 
 warm water below the reel are placed four or more 
 cocoons, according to the size of the thread desired. 
 The threads from the cocoons in each are gathered 
 together and, after passing through two separate per- 
 
forated agates a few inches above the surface of the 
 water, are brought together and twisted around each 
 other several times, then separated and passed upward 
 over the traverse guide-eyes to the reeh The trav- 
 erse moves to and fro horizontally, distributing the 
 thread in a broad band over the surface of the reel. 
 The rapid crossing of the thread from side to side of 
 the skein in reeling facilitates handling and unwind- 
 ing without tangling, the natural gum of the silk 
 sticking the threads to each other on the arms of the 
 reel, thus securing the traverse. 
 
 The fiber of the cocoon is somewhat finer at the 
 beginning, thickens at the point of forming the more 
 compact part, and then very gradually diminishes in 
 diameter until it becomes so fine as to be incapable 
 of standing the strain of reeling. This is because the 
 silk from one of the worm's two glands is exhausted, 
 leaving but one-half the original fiber. 
 
 When one of the threads breaks or the end of one 
 cocoon is reached, the reeler takes a fresh one, and 
 with thumb and forefinger dexterously twists its 
 end around the running thread, of which from that 
 moment it becomes a constituent part. 
 
 Imported raw silk comes in skeins of from one to 
 several ounces, packed into bundles called "books," 
 weighing from five to ten pounds. In China and 
 Japan the books are usually sold in bales varying 
 from one hundred to one hundred and sixty pounds. 
 
 30 
 
/ 
 
 \ 
 
How Silk is Manufactured. 
 
 The Corticelli raw silk is first assorted, according 
 to the size of the fiber, as fine, medium, and coarse. 
 The skeins are put into canvas bags and then soaked 
 over night in warm soapsuds. This is necessary to 
 soften the natural gum in the silk, which had stuck 
 the threads together on the arms of the reel. Follow- 
 ing the soaking, the skeins are straightened out and 
 hung across poles in a steam-heated room, as shown 
 in the accompanying photograph. When the skeins 
 are dry, they are ready for the first process of manu- 
 facturing. The room we now step into is filled with 
 "winding frames," each containing two long rows 
 of "swifts," from which the silk is wound on 
 to bobbins. The bobbins are large spools about 
 three inches long. The bobbins filled with silk, as 
 wound from the skeins, are next placed on pins of 
 the "doubling frames"; the thread from several 
 bobbins, according to the size of the silk desired, is 
 passed upward through drop wires on to another 
 bobbin. Should one of the threads break, the "drop 
 wire " falls, which action stops the bobbin. By this 
 ingenious device absolute uniformity in the size of 
 
 33 
 
Corticelli silk is secured. The "doubling frame" 
 is shown in one of the photographs, and another 
 photograph shows an enlarged view of this frame, 
 giving an idea of the four sections, on each of which 
 are running nine bobbins. 
 
 The bobbins taken from the "doubling- frame" 
 are next placed on a "spinner." Driven by an 
 endless belt, at the rate of over six thousand turns a 
 minute the bobbins revolve, the silk from them being 
 drawn upward on to another bobbin. This spins 
 the several strands brought together by the "doub- 
 ling process" into one thread, the number of turns 
 depending on the kind of Corticelli silk — Filo silk 
 being spun quite slack, and ^Machine Twist just the 
 reverse. 
 
 A transferring machine combines two or three of 
 these strands ; two for sewing silk and three for 
 machine twist ; and the bobbin next goes on to the 
 "twisting machine " — ^ a machine that is similar to a 
 "spinner," but the silk is twisted in the opposite 
 direction from the spinning. 
 
 The great advancement made in the manufacture 
 of silk at the Corticelli Silk Mills is well illustrated 
 by the pictures on pages 41 and 43 respectively. 
 The first of these is a machine on which in reality two 
 processes are accomplished simultaneously, namely, 
 doubling and spinning — while the machine shown 
 on page 43 "transfers" and "twists" the silk 
 
 34 
 
Q- C 
 
 ^ Q 
 
 O U 
 
 as w 
 
 U Oh 
 
 2 -c 
 :/:■ h 
 
automatically. To stand before these machines and 
 watch how rapidly and how accurately they do the 
 work assigned them is a revelation. No one realizes 
 how nicely the parts are adjusted. If but one tiny 
 strand breaks that part of the machinery is stopped 
 by an electrical dex'ice which works instantaneously 
 and the operator then repairs the broken fiber. As a 
 result only perfect silk can be made. You see, Corti- 
 celli is simply another name for perfection. 
 
 After twisting, the silk is stretched by an ingenious 
 machine called a "water-stretcher." This smoothes 
 and consolidates the constituent fibers, giving an 
 evenness to Corticelli silk not to be obtained by anv 
 other known process. The bobbins are placed in 
 water and the silk wound on to the lower of the 
 two copper rolls. From the lower roll it passes 
 uj)ward to the upper roll, which turns faster than the 
 lower one, thereby stretching the silk. From the 
 upper roll it passes again on to a bobbin, onh' to be 
 again reeled off into hanks. 
 
 The dyeing process is a very important one, and 
 upon its success depends the permanency of the 
 various colors. The Corticelli dye house is a model, 
 and the results that come from it are the achievement 
 of years of scientific investigation and experimenting. 
 Vast tubs, tanks, and kettles surround }ou on ever}' 
 side, and the hissing steam seems to spring from all 
 quarters. The "gum" of the silk is first boiled out 
 
 36 
 
^. f If 
 
 Enlarged View of Doubling Frame, Showing Drop Wirf Dfxuf 
 
 THAT INSURES THE PERFECTLY EVEN Si;^E OF ALL CoRTICELLI 8ILK.' 
 
by immersion in strong soapsuds for about four hours. 
 The attendants, standing in heavy "clogs" (big 
 shoes with wooden soles two inches thick), 
 the sticks at intervals 
 until the gum is re- 
 moved. After the 
 silk is dyed it is 
 put into a " steam 
 stretcher," a de- 
 vice looking like 
 a long, narrow 
 box with a cover 
 opening on the side, 
 set upright on top of 
 an iron cylinder. The 
 hanks of silk are placed 
 upon two pins in the steam 
 chest, the cover fastened, and 
 the live steam rushes in around 
 the silk — at the same time the 
 silk is stretched by a downward 
 motion of the lower pin, which is worked by steam 
 power. This brightens the silk, giving it the lus- 
 trous, glossy appearance noticeable in all Corticelli 
 goods. The silk comes from this machine quite stiff, 
 and the hanks are next placed on the "stringer," 
 which twists the hank first in one direction and then 
 in the other, as one would ring out water. There is 
 
 38 
 
 Spinning Corticelli 
 Silk 
 
no water in the silk, however, bnt this action makes 
 the silk smooth and soft. Many of the machines 
 used by this company are of their own invention, pat- 
 ented and controlled b}' them, which, together with 
 the experience of over sixty-three years in silk manu- 
 factnring, enables th^m to produce silk goods of nn- 
 eqnaled quality and of exceptional luster and brillianc}'. 
 From the large skeins the silk is again 
 wound on to bobbins, and then spooled, balled, 
 coned, braided, or skeined, according to the kind 
 of silk and the use for which it is intended. 
 
 Rows of 
 girls, seated 
 at the rap- 
 idly re- 
 volving 
 spindles 
 of the 
 spooling 
 machines, 
 change the 
 big bobbins to 
 loo-yard spools of 
 Corticelli Spool Silk — 
 "Best Twist,'' as reads the 
 legend in red and blue on the 
 end of the spools. One of 
 the accompanying illustrations shows a young lady 
 
 Twisting Corticelli 
 Silk. 
 
spooling ounce spools of white Corticelli ^lachine 
 Twist. The balling machine is equally interesting, 
 as one watches sixteen empty wooden spools trans- 
 formed as if by magic, in less than three minutes, 
 into sixteen symmetrical balls of Corticelli Crochet 
 Silk. 
 
 Then comes the labeling and the boxing, and the 
 goods are taken to the stock room, where huge 
 shelves, arranged in tiers, are filled high with silk of 
 every description, from the very finest OOO to the 
 coarsest size, and from the tinv spools of Corticelli 
 Buttonhole Twist to the big ounce spools of Corti- 
 celli Machine Twist. From the stock room., are 
 shipped each da\-, to the eight wholesale city sales- 
 rooms of this company, case after case, packed snugly 
 with neat boxes all filled with spools or skeins of silk, 
 which find their way into the stores of nearly every 
 merchant in the land. 
 
 The various uses made of silk are truly wonderful. 
 vSome of the ones not generally known are here 
 given. The electrician uses it for insulating wires 
 for the incandescent lamps, for filaments within the 
 same, carbonizing it for this purpose; the surgeon to 
 tie arteries and sew together cuts in the flesh, and to 
 cover silk cloth with gum-tragacanth for adhesive 
 and non-poisonous plasters for wounds and abrasions; 
 the dentist to clean betw^een the teeth and tie the 
 pellicle in filling; the bookmaker to tie his little 
 
DOUBLIXG AND SPIXXIXG CORTICELLI SILK— DOWX SVSTEM. 
 
fancy booklets and cards; the snrveyor to calcnlate 
 the" cnrve of tlie earth; and the fisherman, to stiffen 
 his rod by winding, or to snell the hook with which 
 he deceives the wary fish. 
 
 The variety of goods made at the Corticelli Silk 
 Mills is a snrprise to almost every one. Corticelli 
 spool silk is of conrse a familiar object in every 
 household, as few indeed are the workbaskets that do 
 not contain one or more of these lOO-yard spools. 
 Besides this, there is the Corticelli machine twist, 
 crochet silk, knitting silk, lace silk, filo silk, Persian 
 floss, Roman floss, rope silk, etching or outline silk, 
 twisted embroidery silk, buttonhole twist, dental floss, 
 surgeons' silk, darning silk, and underwear silk. 
 
 Perhaps one of the most enormous uses to which 
 the product of the Corticelli ]\Iills is put, is that of 
 embroidery and art needlework. It is a truly femi- 
 nine accomplishment, sometimes even excelling an 
 artist's brush in the exquisite workmanship displayed. 
 Corticelli embroider}' silk ranks first in popular favor 
 for this work, not only on account of its smoothness 
 and luster, but for its absolutely fast color. The per- 
 fection of the multitudinous colors, and almost inde- 
 finable gradations of hue enable the embroiderer to 
 shade the petals so as to closely imitate the real 
 bloom of the flowers. 
 
 To meet a growing demand from teachers, students, 
 schools, and museums interested in instructing chil- 
 
TWISTIXC CORTICELI.I SiLK— DOWN SVSTKM. 
 4.^ 
 
dren how silk is made, this company has prepared a 
 "Silk Culture Cabinet/' This is a wonderfully in- 
 teresting case, substantial!)- made and niceh- finished, 
 and shows ever\- step in the culture of this wonderful 
 insect. It contains small bottles, hermeticalh- sealed, 
 with the eg^s of the moth, and the silkworms in 
 different stages of development, from a few da\s old 
 to the full grown worm; also the chrysalis, the moth, 
 cocoons, and specimens of reeled and manufactured 
 silk. These cabinets sell for two and a half dollars 
 
 CoRTicELLi Water Stketcher 
 44 
 
apiece, and so great is the desire for them from insti- 
 tutions all over the country, that the company can 
 hardly supply the demand. The value of the cabinet 
 is apparent at once to anyone interested in education, 
 and many of the largest and best schools in the country 
 have already secured one of them to place in their 
 museums. To accompany the cabinet is a Teachers^ 
 Silk Culture Chart, which is intended to hang on the 
 wall of the schoolroom. This sells for a nominal 
 sum. Together they make it possible for anv teacher 
 to give an object lesson of exceeding interest to all 
 children. 
 
 RliELING CORTICELLI SiLK INTO SKEINS TO SEND TO THE DYE HOUSE. 
 
 45 
 
The quantity of raw silk used each \ear 1)\- the 
 Corticelli ]\Iills can scarcely be comprehended. ^ Fig- 
 ures almost lose their meaning. Briefly and approxi- 
 mately stated, three thousand cocoons will yield one 
 pound of silk fiber about seven hundred and fifty 
 miles in length ; and as one thousand pounds are 
 used daily by the Xonotuck Silk Conipau)' in the 
 manufacture of Corticelli silk thread, it follows tliat 
 the product of three million cocoons is required, 
 yielding an aggregate length of seven hundred and 
 fifty thousand miles of cocoon fiber to operate the 
 mills one da}-. About one hundred cocoon fibers 
 are required to make medium thickness sewing silk, 
 hence the daily product of Corticelli Silk ]\Iills is 
 about seven thousand fi\-e hundred miles of finished 
 silk thread — enough to girdle the world in three 
 and one-third days. 
 
 Many attempts have been made to find a substitute 
 for silk, especially for sewing purposes. Cotton 
 thread, in imitation of silk, is sold under various 
 names, but vegetable fiber becomes worthless if mil- 
 dew from dampness gets in its work, whereas silk is 
 in its element when wet, as the following incidents 
 prove : In 1874 a silk mill was totally destroyed by 
 the breaking of the Williamsburg, ^Massachusetts, 
 reservoir dam, and sewing silk was scattered for miles 
 below, and has been plowed up by farmers frequently 
 since and found to have its orig^inal strenoth. A 
 
47 
 
tangled mass, weighing several pounds, was found in 
 1 901, having been twent\'-seven years in the mud at 
 the bottom of a mill pond. After washing and dry- 
 ing, the color (black) was good, its luster fair, and its 
 strength unimpaired. Manufacturers, tailors, dress- 
 makers, and women everywhere should 
 ll ml pi'ofit bv this hint. In fact it is 
 
 Stringing Corticelli Silk. 
 48 
 
mst] 
 
 "penny-wise and ponnd- 
 foolisli ' ' to nse poor ma- 
 terial in a needle for any 
 purpose, and the growing- 
 popularity of Corticelli 
 Silk indicates increasing 
 wisdom of the people on 
 this subject. 
 
 Corticelli Silk holds the 
 world's record for supe- 
 riority, having won 40 
 Highest Awards at the 
 Expositions held in the 
 United States and abroad 
 since 1838. Wherever ex- 
 hibited Corticelli Silk has 
 always taken the Highest 
 Award. At the Pan- 
 American Exposition h.eld 
 at Buffalo, 1901, the jury 
 gave 4 Gold Medals to 
 Corticelli. This was the 
 largest number of highest 
 
 awards given to any exhibitor for variety or quality of 
 silk goods. The ])eautiful booth of the Corticelli Silk 
 Mills situated in the Manufacturers' and Liberal Arts 
 Building was visited daily by thousands of women. 
 
 On one of the following pages is shown a small 
 
 Steam Fixisher. 
 
engraving of the Corticelli Silk Mills. From a close 
 examination of this illustration one realizes how ex- 
 tensive are these great factories that make the silk 
 that supplies so many of our homes. A great change 
 has taken place in the silk industry during the last 
 fifty years. Silk, once regarded as a luxury, is 
 now considered a necessity, and no one concern has 
 done more to make this possible than the Corticelli 
 Silk Mills. 
 
 1 Mi.K OX Spools. 
 
Teachers' Silk Culture Cabinet. 
 
 This engraving gives an accurate idea of the 
 Corticelli Silk Culture Cabinet originated and intro- 
 duced by us. It is made of cherry, handsomely 
 finished and varnished, with glass top sealed to prevent 
 dust getting inside. The cabinet measures 5X12 
 inches and contains the following handsomely 
 mounted specimens : — 
 
 1 Eggs of the Silkworm Moth. (Sericaria Mori.) 
 
 2 Silkworm 10 days old. Preserved in Alcohol. 
 
 3 Silkworm 20 days old. Preserved in Alcohol. 
 
 4 Silkworm 30 days old. Preserved in Alcohol. 
 
 5 Chrysalis. Preserved in Alcohol. 
 
 6 Cocoon, pierced by escaping moth. 
 
 7 Moth, mounted by latest improved process. 
 
 8 Cocoon as spun by Silkworm. 
 
 9 Cocoon, floss removed, ready for reeling. 
 
 10 Skein of Raw vSilk ready to manufacture. 
 
 1 1 Spool of Corticelli Best Spool Silk, size A. 
 
 The cabinet is of convenient size to be examined 
 by members of the class and by its use each step in 
 the culture of silk can be easily explained. Suffice it 
 
to say that we have sold hundreds of these cabinets 
 to many of the best schools, academies, and colleges of 
 this country and in every case they have given entire 
 satisfaction. 
 
 1^°^ Caution : Several imitations of this cabinet, 
 which contain cheap specimens of no scientific value, 
 
 r— 
 
 
 
 ^H : S:^ c r."""- r — 
 
 yS1 1! 
 
 Sv^ 
 
 «»v 
 
 HB^H ' NONOT^'Sc^siL^' COMPANY '"fiL»"m^^^^ "''' ^'' VB 
 
 ^^m _ '^ ""CT:. '• 
 
 m^ Jatll 
 
 
 are offered for sale by unscrupulous dealers. Remember 
 we are the originators and are the only firm making 
 the genuine "Teachers' Silk Culture Cabinet.'' We 
 will consider it a favor if our friends will report to us 
 the names of any agent or dealer offering for sale one 
 of our Teachers' Cabinets under a different name. 
 Such infringements will l)e prosecuted promptly. 
 The price of the Cabinet is $2.50, express charges 
 to be paid by the purchaser. 
 
 CoRTicRi^Li Silk Mills, Florence, Mass. 
 53 
 
How provoking it is to use silk that 's constantly breaking ! Use 
 Corticelli Spool Silk and sewing will become a pleasure. Any sewing 
 for which you use silk at all deserves good silk. As Corticelli costs 
 YOU no more than poor silk, why not ask for the best ? 
 
 If your dealer does not keep Corticelli Silk it is because he prefers 
 to make a little more money selling some inferior kind. Do not accept 
 substitutes, but go to some store where you can get "Corticelli" — 
 the Dressmaker's Favorite Spool Silk. 
 
 CORTICELLI SILK MILLS, Florence, Mass. 
 
 J^^ A ho Tuakers of Corticelli Filo Silk, Crochet Silk, and Purse Twist. 
 

 lb ivi^ a % 1 . 
 
 r ^ CORTICELLI SILK. 
 
 
 1 ^Mt^^^^^^^^H 
 
 BI^Cl 
 
 Teachers' Silk Culture Chart 
 
 This chart has seventeen engravings showing the 
 different steps in the cultnre of silk. Printed on 
 heavy coated cardboard with reinforced top and 
 bottom and cord for hanging to schoolroom wall. 
 Price, 20 cents, carefnlly packed in pasteboard tnbe 
 for mailing, or will be sent by express, charges to be 
 paid by purchaser, for 12 cents. Address 
 
 CoRTicELLi Silk Mills, Florence, Mass. 
 
■1Q^. 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^yi)fticeUiy SEWING 
 
 ^- -^ Silk 
 
 The best silk is the most economical. One of the 
 secrets of the superiority of Corticelli Silk over all other 
 kinds is because nothing but the choicest selected and best 
 long fiber Corticelli raw silk is used in its manufacture. The 
 result is a perfectly even, smooth, and round silk thread of 
 great strength. As unscrupulous dealers often offer you 
 substitutes, careful shoppers will please remember to always 
 specify "Corticelli" when buying spool silk. 
 
 CORTICELLI SILK MILLS, Florence. Mass. 
 
Box of Two Corticelli Cocoons. 
 
 For those who want samples in addition to the 
 Teachers' Silk Culture Cabinet and Silk Culture 
 Chart we furnish two cocoons spun by genuine 
 Corticelli Silkworms packed in a neat little box. 
 These boxes make very attractive souvenirs and many 
 
 scholars are onl>- too glad to buy these to take home. 
 Teachers will please notice that we make a special 
 offer on orders for large lots. Each box contains two 
 cocoons. Price, by mail, postpaid, i box, 5 cents; 10 
 boxes, 40 cents ; 25 boxes, 75 cents. 
 
 C0RTICK1.L1 S11.K Mills, Florence, Mass. 
 
Wash Embroidery Silk 
 
 For fancywork and art needlework Corticelli Wash Embroidery 
 Silk is the best silk made. Every color is dyed absolutely fast and 
 our guarantee goes with every skein. 
 
 Corticelli Filo Silk. 
 
 For the fine and delicate 
 shading of flowers, 
 leaves, and conventional 
 designs on any smooth, 
 closely woven material, 
 especially linen, use Cor- 
 ticelli Filo Silk. Made 
 in over 350 fast colors. 
 Corticelli Persian Floss, a loosely twisted silk of medium size 
 
 used for finishing the edges of centerpieces and doilies. 
 
 Corticelli Roman Floss is intended for embroidering large 
 
 designs on heavier material. Curtains, counterpanes, and cushions 
 
 are worked with this thread, although for very bold designs Corticelli 
 
 Rope Silk is preferable. 
 
 Corticelli Etching or Outline Silk is a fine, hard twisted silk, 
 
 and, as its name implies, is for outline embroidery and etching. 
 
 Corticelli EE Twisted Embroidery Silk is best suited for gen- 
 eral fancywork. This silk is quite hard twisted and is very durable. 
 
 Corticelli Mountmellick Embroidery Silk is made in four 
 sizes, F, FF, G, and H. It is a silk of special spin and twist. The 
 sizes F, FF, and G are furnished in shades of White, and 177, 179, 
 538, 540, 644.8, 645, and 794. Size H is supplied in shades of 
 White and Delft Blue 794 only. 
 
 58 
 
Dressmaking Made Easy 
 
 C^ SF 
 
 J^c^elli SE 
 
 If you use 
 
 SPOOL 
 
 SEWING 
 
 LK 
 
 Corticelli Silk-is too strong to break, isevenlytwislod. lias no knots, no kinks.no short mtasure. 1 
 use for hand or machine sewing brings delight instead of. despair. Cheap iilk ii clear al any price. 
 your dealer does not keep Corticelli go to some other store. It will pa/ you to do so. Send for oi 
 •■ Sprtng and Summer Costume Booklet." Just out. New styles. Profusely illustrated. Free for a posta 
 
 CORTICELLI SILK MILLS, 26 Brid^'c Street, Florence, Mass. 
 
Purse Twist 
 
 A three-cord thread of special spin and twist, smooth working 
 and of great durability. For purses, chatelaine bags, opera bags, 
 and other crocheted articles it cannot be excelled. 
 
 Made in the following colors: 
 
 Lily r;ray, No. 137. 
 Crimson Rose, No. 637, 
 Black, No. 900. 
 Blue, No. 904. 
 Navy Blue, No. 911. 
 Purple Blue, No. 914- 5- 
 Seal Brown, No. 966. 
 
 Canary, No. 9S2. i. 
 Olive Green, No. 1002.5. 
 Bronze Cireen, No. icxx^ 
 Nile Green, No. 1016. i. 
 Orange, No. 1054.5. 
 Scarlet, No. 1061. 
 Cardinal, No. 1062. 
 Cardinal, No. 1063. 
 
 Garnet, No. 1065. 
 Old Rose, No. 1098. 
 Gray, No. 1164. 
 Slate, No. ii72-3- 
 Grav, No. 1189. i. 
 Blue White, No^ 1 190 
 Cream White, No. 11 
 
 Put up on long black spools with the name " Corticelli " on 
 the end. Purses made of genuine "Corticelli" Purse Twist will 
 last a lifetime. Don't let some clerks substitute an inferior brand. 
 Insist on having what you call for; if one dealer does not keep it, 
 go to another store. Price, 50 cents a spool. 
 
 CORTICELLI SILK MILLS, Florence. M^lss. 
 
SPOOIy 3II^K 
 
 Besides Corticelli Spool Silk we make the best Machine Twist, 
 Buttonhole Twist, Stitching Silk, Crochet Silk, Knitting Silk, Purse 
 Twist, and all varieties of Wash Embroidery Silk. When ordering 
 any of these goods always ask for Corticelli. If one dealer does 
 not keep it, go to another store. Questions cheerfully answered. 
 
 CORTICEI/I/I SII.K MII<I,S, Florence, Mass. 
 
»tl»^»^»J*^-4*^<J*<J*»^^^J»»**»J»*J**J**J*-^*J»<J*^**J»*J^^ 
 
 I 
 
 Crochet and Knitting Silli 
 
 ♦^ 
 
 THOSE who crochet or knit know how important it is to 
 obtain the best silk. Corticelli Crochet and Knitting 
 ► Silk is a perfect silk, as it is made from the best raw silk, ^ 
 
 I is even in size and twist, smoothly finished, and is dyed in abso- 
 ^ lately fast wash colors. It is made in two sizes and is put up on 
 y neat balls each containing one half an ounce of pure silk. No. 
 [ 300 is the more popular size for all kinds of crochet work and is 
 ^ furnished in a large variety of colors, while No. 500 is finer in 
 h size and is supplied in black and shades of white only. When * 
 I buying silk for crocheting or knitting always ask for " Corticelli." *: 
 k « 
 
 62 
 
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