The question of classification of raw silk for market and the various terms used for its purchase and sale is a complicated one. Standardization has been sought after for a good many years and committees both here and abroad have studied the problem on various occasions—but without entirely satisfactory results. The chief source of trouble appears to lie the many types of variation that may occur, not only on account of the great number of qualities required in the product, but also due to the varying conditions under which the silk is produced. In the early days of the industry, when farm production was the chief source of supply, particularly in Japan and China, satisfactory grading was almost an impossibility. However, now that sericulture and reeling has come more and more into the hands of the large companies and filatures, a greater degree of standardization can be reached. [Sidenote: _Quotations_] The following is an actual example of a recent quotation list in the New York market as it appeared in a commercial paper:— JAPAN (Ninety Days’ Basis, 13-15 Denies) Kansai Double Extra Cracks $6.15 @ $6.20 Kansai Double Extra “A” 6.05 @ 6.10 Kansai Double Extra “B” 6.00 @ 6.07 Kansai Best Extra 5.95 @ 6.02 Kansai Extra 5.90 @ 5.97 Kansai Best No. 1 to Extra 5.87 @ 5.95 Kansai Best No. 1 5.85 @ 5.92 Kansai No. 1 5.82 @ 5.90 Sinshiu No. 1 5.77 @ 5.85 CANTON (Ninety Days’ Basis) King Seng gr. 14-16 $6.40 Favorite—Double Extra 20-22 6.00 Favorite—Double Extra 22-26 5.90 SHANGHAI (Ninety Days’ Basis) CHINA STEAM FILATURE Gold Double Deer, new crop $7.50 Geranium, new crop 7.25 Comet 6.60 Tsatless Blue Dragon and Flying Horse 5.60 Black Lion, No. 1-2 5.10 Tussah—Best chops 3.90 ITALIAN Grand Extra Classical $7.00 Extra Classical 6.80 Best Classical 6.70 [Illustration: RAW SILK PRICES NEW YORK MARKET 1913-1923 Courtesy of The Silk Association of America ] [Sidenote: _Kansai and Sinshiu_] In the Japanese classification, Kansai and Sinshiu originally indicated the section of Japan where the silk originated, but of recent years they have come to mean hard or soft natured silks respectively. The “Sinshiu No. 1” is usually considered the standard quotation to use in judging the market trend. [Sidenote: “_Chops_”] The Chinese quotations are probably the most difficult to understand since they go almost entirely by “chop”—that is, well-known brands which are marked in some distinctive way, as shown on the above list of quotations. CHAPTER IV MANUFACTURE OF THROWN AND SPUN SILK