FIBER CROPS 321 



410. Qualities of Lint. Some of the factors which give 

 cotton value as compared to other fibers, particularly vege- 

 table fibers, are its cheapness, uniformity, flexibility, and 

 wearing quality. The wearing quality is doubtless due to the 

 fact that each fiber is a single cell and therefore the fiber is 

 less readily disintegrated by wear or the application of alkalis, 

 soap and the like in washing. It is adapted to nearly all forms 

 of woven fabrics, and is spun into yarn with greater ease 

 and rapidity than any other vegetable fiber. 



The factors which give one sample of cotton spinning value 

 compared to another are length, uniformity of length, fineness, 

 strength, and the number and uniformity of twists. As lint 

 occurs in commerce the purity and color of the sample are im- 

 portant factors. 



411. Linters. In addition to the fibers just mentioned, 

 known in commerce as lint, the seeds of upland cotton are cov- 

 ered with a dense undergrowth of short fuzzy fibers. These 

 short fibers in ginning mostly remain with the seed. They are, 

 however, more or less removed with the lint and thus materially 

 affect the commercial value of the latter. This short fiber, 

 which constitutes about 10 per cent, of the total weight of the 

 fiber, is known usually as "linters" before it reaches the manu- 

 facturer and afterwards as "neps," although neps may consist 

 also of broken fibers caused by the manufacturing process. 1 



412. Proportion of Parts. The table following shows the 

 percentage of parts of the upland cotton plant as obtained by 

 the Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama stations. The results of 

 the Georgia Station are the proportion of the air-dry parts, 

 while in the Tennessee and Alabama stations the proportion of 

 the water-free substance is given. The difference in the mode 

 of expressing the results explains, in part, probably the differ- 

 ence in the result obtained as given on the next page. 



1 Matthews: Textile Fibres, p. 129. 



