Tussah, or wild silk, is not generally reeled by the wet reel process, as the cocoons are apt to be closed up at each end by gum. In China this gum is softened by burying the cocoons in manure instead of immersing them in hot water. This is known as dry reeling. It very often happens that the tussah cocoons are unfit for reeling, due to being pierced or tangled. Silk from these imperfect cocoons is again classed as “waste,” along with the frisons, or outside and inmost layers of the cultivated cocoons, which, as has been stated, are used to make spun silk. In this country waste silk is often called schappe, although strictly speaking this name should only be applied to waste silk degummed by the French process of fermentation. [Sidenote: _Baling_] [Sidenote: _Picul Bale_] The raw silk, having been reeled and twisted into skeins, is next marked and tied together in bundles of skeins known as “books” each bearing the mark or “chop” of its grade. These are packed in bales for shipment, the weight of the bales varying in different countries. In Japan and China they are called picul bales and weigh 133⅓ pounds. Italian silks, on the other hand, are packed in shipping bales of about 200 pounds. 4. SOURCES OF RAW SILK Of the countries producing raw silk, Japan and China occupy the leading positions by a large margin, the former contributing roughly one half of the world’s supply, and the latter about one third. Italy ranks a poor third with about one tenth, and France, the Near East, India, Spain and the Balkans contribute the balance. [Sidenote: _Japan_] Although the greater part of the raw silk produced in the various countries is exported for manufacture abroad, a certain percentage is retained for home spinning and weaving. It is estimated that about 65 per cent of the Japanese output is exported, approximately 90 per cent. of which goes to the United States. [Sidenote: _China_] In China over one half of the output is held for domestic consumption, the remainder being divided about equally between Europe and America. [Sidenote: _Italy_] The Italian raw silk—a very high quality product—finds its largest market in France, principally in the city of Lyons, the silk center of Europe. CHAPTER III MARKETING RAW SILK 1. MARKETING METHODS [Sidenote: _Principal Markets_] The principal raw silk markets of the world are Yokohama, Lyons, New York, Milan and Canton. Of these, Yokohama is probably the largest and most important, due to the pre-eminent position of Japan in raw silk production. RAW SILK PRODUCTION, INCLUDING TUSSAH SILK SEASONS 1917-1918 TO 1922-1923