COTTON FIBRE 87 



Some few years ago I was associated with my friends Messrs. 

 Cross, Bevan and King in the publication of a little book on 'The 

 Indian Fibres and Fibrous Substances' (published by E. & F. N. 

 Spon, London, 1887), in which a method of chemically investigating 

 fibres was described by these distinguished chemists (more especially 

 by Mr. Cross). The following abstract of some of the points brought 

 out may be given here : 



1. Moisture. All the celluloses hold, in their ordinary state, a 

 certain proportion of moisture. This may be called the water of 

 condition, which, within the limits of variation (1 to 2 per cent.) 

 due to atmospheric changes, is definite and characteristic of each 

 fibre. The proportion of hygroscopic moisture may be used as an 

 index of susceptibility of attack by hydrolytic agents. The textile 

 fibres of the highest class are distinguished by low moisture. To 

 ascertain the moisture present the fibre requires to be heated to 

 110. Bowman states that the quantity of water in cotton varies 

 with different seasons from 1 to 4 per cent, in the new crop, and 

 rather less as the season advances. 



Other observers have accepted a higher percentage of moisture as 

 occurring in ordinary trade samples, say up to 7 or even 12 per cent. 

 Mr. T. C. Bradbury, of Gartside and Co., Manchester (according to 

 Hannan in ' Textile Fibres of Commerce,' 1902, p. 89), ' made a 

 number of experiments to determine what should be considered 

 a reasonable amount of moisture in cotton. He found that ordinary 

 raw cotton, after being exposed for several days in the usual 

 process of manufacture to the working temperature of a mill, viz. 

 from 70 to 80 F., till a balance of moisture was obtained, and then 

 placed for twenty-four hours on the ground floor of a building open 

 to the outer air, absorbed from 1'6 to 3'6 per cent, of moisture, the 

 amount varying with the state of the weather. In other words, 

 cotton in its ordinary marketable condition would lose moisture in 

 the course of manufacture about 5 per cent., and afterwards the 

 yarn made from it, exposed for some time to a Lancashire atmo- 

 sphere, would regain from 2 to 4 per cent, of moisture.' The 

 question of the behaviour of the various species, under the influence 

 of moisture, is a subject never apparently critically investigated, and 

 yet upon that very issue, it will be seen, the Dacca hand-spinners of 

 the yarn used for the fine muslins of that town lay great stress 

 (p. 106). Mr. B. A. Dobson (' Humidity in Cotton-spinning ') deals 

 in an able manner with the subject of the influence of atmospheric 



