174 CHArTER XI 



same length on all parts of the seed-coat. Most kinds, how- 

 ever, maJve shorter hairs at the micropylar end, i.e., the base or 

 pointed end of the seed. This is probably due to the slower 

 growth and later starting of the fibres on the base of the seed. 

 In the Upland cotton there is, in addition to the fibre proper, 

 an ' under-fleece ' (called fuzz or linters) which is very short, 

 as a result of the failure of a number of cuticular cells to 

 elongate. 



" Commercially, cotton contains lint from bolls of various 

 ages, and this affects length, the length of lint being correlated 

 to a certain extent with length of boll maturation." 



Cotton fibre is prevented from readily absorbing moisture 

 by an oily covering of each fibre which is said to make up about 

 2 per cent, of the fibre. Absorbent cotton represents cotton 

 from which this oily protection has been removed by treatment 

 with chemicals. The oily covering must be removed before the 

 yarn can be dyed. 



The characters which determine quality of lint are : — 



(1) Length of fibre. 



(2) Uniformity in length. 



(3) Strength of fibre. 



(4) Colour and cleanliness of fibre. 



Cotton lint should have a rich, bright, creamy colour and 

 should be free from trash and dirt. 



Kapok. — " This is a soft cotton-like down growing in the 

 seed pods of the silk-cotton trees, Ceiba pentendra and grandi- 

 flora and Bomhox malaharicum , native in the tropics of both 

 hemispheres. Although abundant in many parts of the tropics, 

 nearly all the kapok of commerce comes from the Dutch East 

 Indies and Ceylon. The pods are collected from the wild trees 

 and the down separated from the outer covering, and from most 

 of the seeds, and packed for shipment. It is too short and 

 brittle for spinning, but it is very light, fluffy and elastic, 

 making an excL41ent substitute for feathers for cushions, 

 pillows and mattresses, and it is also used in place of cork and 

 hair in life-preservers.'"" 



V.^RiETiES IN South Africa. — Although the production in 

 the Union is at present small, a large number of varieties have 

 been tried and a great many are still grown. The more impor- 

 tant of these are the following : — 



