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Tusser (TUSSORE or TUSSEH the silk)

TUSSORE, or TUSSEH, the silk spun by the tusser silkworm. The centers of the traffic are in Bengal, the Central provinces, Berar, and the Nizam's country. There are generally two crops of the insect during the year. The cocoons are purchased in May and June by the rearers from those who have TUSSOCK MOTH collected them from the jungle; the female cocoons are the larger. They are almost perfectly smooth, of a gray color, with darker veins across the outer surface. When mature, the largest are about two inches long by one and a quarter broad, those of average size about an inch and a half long. The inner layer of the fiber is quite loose, forming a soft cushion for the insect within. The silk, when obtained, has a glossy or vitreous look. It is now manufactured in Europe as well as in India, being largely used for cloaks and mantles designed for winter wear. No kind of silk so closely imitates sealskin or is so durable. It is used in the manufacture of Utrecht velvet, and has the rigidity requisite to render it a valuable material for carpets.