Describe briefly how silk is produced.
In order to obtain silk, mulberry trees are cultivated, silkworms are reared and their cocoons are collected to get silk fibres. The various steps involved are:
(i) Rearing of silkworms: A female silk moth lays hundreds of eggs at a time. The eggs are stored by the farmers at suitable temperature and humidity under hygienic conditions. When the eggs hatch, silkworms come out of the eggs. The silkworms are fed mulberry leaves. After 25-30 days, the silkworms stop eating and get ready to spin cocoons. The silkworms enclose themselves completely inside the silken cocoons in two or three days.
(ii) Processing of cocoons to obtain silk fibres: The pile of cocoons is placed in hot water. Hot water makes the silk fibres of cocoons to separate out. The long fibres are obtained by unwinding the threads from cocoons. This process is called reeling.
(iii) Converting silk fibres into silk cloth: Silk fibres obtained from cocoons are spun (twisted) to form silk threads called silk yarn. The silk yarn is then woven on looms into silk cloth by the weavers.