THE SILK HARVEST
The Bretton family spent the next week collecting and sorting their
cocoons into baskets, grouping together as well as they were able those
that were to be kept for breeding; those that were soiled or imperfect;
and those that were double. They also separated the cocoons that were of
different colors, for among the lot were not only white ones but many
that were yellow, and even some of a greenish tint. This varied, Josef
explained, with the different species of silkworms. Before the silk was
reeled off the cocoons would, of course, go through another and more
thorough classification under the hands of the experts at the filature,
as the reeling factory was called. But even this first rough grouping
was a help to the buyers.
In the meantime some of the caterpillars that worked more slowly were
still busy with their spinning, and could not be disturbed. Accordingly
much care had to be taken in removing the cocoons that were finished.
Those in the lower tiers of arches were first taken out, and afterward
the ones higher up on the shelves. The sooner the cocoons could be
collected, after their completion, Josef said, the better, for within
ten days they depreciated from seven to eight per cent., and if sold in
bulk, brought a lower price. In consequence the Brettons, who were to
sell their crop to a silk merchant who visited the town each year,
promptly set about gathering their harvest as soon as possible.
Many of the cocoons were really beautiful, being of a perfect oval
outline and of pale golden color.
Marie and Pierre were delighted.
"It is worth all the endless trays of mulberry leaves, isn't it,
Mother?" exclaimed Marie. "Why, even Father could raise no finer or
larger cocoons, I am sure."
"We have done well," her mother agreed. "But remember, we have had great
good luck. No epidemic or disease came to blight the lives of our
caterpillars; nor did annoyances of any sort interrupt their spinning.
We did our part, certainly; but favorable conditions had much to do with
our success."
"I only hope we have kept the right sort of cocoons for breeding," said
Josef. "That is all that is troubling me now. Upon our selection will
depend the quality of our next season's crop. There are so many things
to think of in choosing cocoons for hatching. Not only must they be as
perfect as we can get them, but they must have nicely rounded ends and a
fine, strong thread. I tried to search out those with the ring-like band
round the centre, for I have heard your father say that if we could get
those we would be sure of having vigorous silkworms, since only
caterpillars of the most powerful constitution make their houses in that
way."
"It seems to me we kept out a lot more than we shall need for breeding,
Josef," complained Marie.
"We always have to put aside more than we actually require, Marie,
because many will fail to hatch successfully and will be a loss,"
explained Josef. "Usually growers plan to devote about a sixth of their
crop to this purpose."
"A sixth! Why, that would cut down our sales dreadfully!" ejaculated the
girl.
"Better sell less now and be assured of a plentiful supply of eggs next
year," was the dry answer. "Don't you think so?"
Therefore the cocoons for hatching were gathered into one place and
after the floss that clung to the outside of them had been removed so
that it should not entangle the moth when it came forth from its house,
Madame Bretton took a needle and being extremely careful not to pierce
the chrysalis inside by putting it through the centre of the cocoons she
strung them on strings from three to four feet long and hung them over
some wires stretched across the top of the room.
"There!" she said. "Nothing can reach them now. They will be well up out
of the way of both mice and chickens, and in a month or two should hatch
out all right."
The weather in the meantime had become very hot. The southern sun beat
down on Bellerivre, parching its hillsides, and tanning its people to a
dusky brown. But the peasants complained not of the high temperature,
for was not this torrid sun that burned so fiercely the very factor they
were calculating upon to complete for them the final preparation of
their cocoons for the market? This consisted in killing the chrysalis,
or sleeping worm inside the cocoon, lest it come out and snap the
delicate threads that it had spun. In cooler countries the process was
accomplished by putting baskets of cocoons covered with paper and
wrapped in cloth into ovens about hot enough for the baking of bread.
Here they were left an hour or so until all moisture had exuded from
them, proving that the worm had been dried up. Sometimes a blast of
steam-heat was the method used for the destruction of the chrysalis.
Such methods required greatest care, however, lest in employing a
degree of heat sufficient to exterminate the worm the silk also be
damaged. But in Bellerivre no such artificial means had to be resorted
to. Instead the cocoons were spread out beneath the burning rays of the
sun and left to bake, being wrapped each night in heavy black cloth that
had also absorbed the heat and would retain during the night the high
temperature acquired through the day. For three days this process was
continued, the cocoons being spread in the sun from dawn until dusk, and
then bundled up inside the hot cloth throughout the night.
On the fourth day Josef said:
"Now it is time that we investigated and found out whether the worms are
really dead."
He thereupon took a few cocoons and cutting them open proceeded to
examine the chrysalis inside. It was motionless and dry. Again he looked
at it, this time touching it with the point of a needle. Still it did
not move.
"It is quite dead," he remarked. "And the others must be so too. What
wonder, when they have been so steadily exposed to this broiling sun? I
should be dead if I were to lie in it day after day without protection,
and so would you. We can now safely gather the lot into baskets and put
them away until Monsieur Leclerq, the buyer, comes for them at the end
of the week."
So once again the cocoons were collected to await their purchaser, and
the silk-raisers sat down with sighs of content to anticipate the
payment of the money they had so faithfully earned, and speculate as to
what they should do with it.
"I don't believe you are any more glad to rest than your silkworms are!"
reflected Josef. "When you consider that each one of them spins between
three and four hundred yards of thread you can't blame it for wanting to
sleep when its work is done."
"Do they spin as much as that?" gasped Marie.
"Indeed they do--some of them more. Certain of the finest varieties will
even turn out as many as six hundred and twenty-five yards. But that is
a high figure. They usually average less."
"It is all wonderful, isn't it?" replied Madame Bretton. "And to think
these tiny creatures are responsible for the silk the whole world uses!"
"I know it," agreed Josef. "Of course there are other spinners in the
universe, however. The spider, for example, is a most industrious
spinner, and I have read that in the past scientists tried to see if
some of the larger spiders could not be utilized for silk-making. The
velvety pouch, or bag, was removed and by some skilful process the
greyish thread inside it was carded off. But the experiment was
unsuccessful, for the silk thus made was far less firm and strong than
that which came from the silkworm. After this failure another set of men
tried to make silk by using the filament of the pinna."
"What is a pinna, Josef?" questioned Marie.
"The pinna is a variety of shell-fish not unlike the mussel; it fastens
itself to the rocks and from between its shells gives out threads
something like those of the spider or silkworm. By means of them it
spins a tough fibre by which it joins itself to any object to which it
wishes to cling."
"And did they succeed in making pinna silk, Josef?" demanded Marie
eagerly.
"They certainly did!" nodded Josef. "Along the Mediterranean were
several places where they manufactured pinna thread. They even spun some
fine, silky fabrics from it. But they never could get enough of the
filament to make the industry practical, although in 1754 they did send
to Pope Benedict XIV some stockings made from pinna silk. They were spun
from very fine thread, and were so closely woven and so hot that I doubt
if he cared to wear them unless in cool weather. Since then the weaving
of pinna silk has been abandoned, although now and then one sees bits of
it in some old fabric, or on exhibition somewhere. It is chiefly
regarded as a curiosity."
"What a lot you know, Josef!" murmured Marie, astonished.
Josef laughed.
"I just happened to see that in a book your father gave me," he said.
"It interested me because it told of something I wanted to learn about.
I don't care for reading as a rule. Most books are about things I never
heard of and are no use to me."
"But don't you like to learn about new things?" inquired Marie.
"Why, no, I don't think I do. What good is it?" interrogated the old
servant. "I'm not ever going out of this valley. Why, I'm 'most seventy
years old already! It is well enough for you to learn things--you're
young. As for me, the learning I have has stood by me up to now, and I
guess it will do me the rest of my days."
With a smile on his simple face the venerable man turned away.
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