The secret was discovered by a Frenchman, but it was no accidental
discovery--he only achieved his success after forty years of patient
study.
This Frenchman, Count Hilaire de Cordonnet, had watched and studied the
work of the silkworm, and had long thought that there ought to be some
simpler process of spinning silk than the tedious and complicated method
employed by the worms.
The Count had noticed the preference silkworms have for the leaves of
the mulberry and osage-orange trees, and, after experimenting with these
plants for some time, he decided that if he could reduce them to pulp
and treat them in certain ways, the result would be silk-fibre. But the
result was not altogether satisfactory. He found that something was
wanting to make his silk like that the silkworm produced.
He studied their work again, and found that they covered the fibre with
a kind of gum, which gave it gloss and strength.
After years of patient study he discovered the materials of which this
gum was composed, and then made another trial to see whether he had not
learned the secret at last.
By the aid of machines he tore the plants bit from bit, until they were
reduced to pulp, just as the insect reduced the leaves in the process of
eating and swallowing.
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