4 BULLETIN 733, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



QUALITIES REQUIRED FOR SPINNING. 



The heavier-producing and well-recognized staple-producing sec- 

 tions of the country show an increase in production. This was be- 

 cause of the premiums previously paid for extra-length cotton and for 

 the reason that early maturing strains have been propagated in re- 

 cent years which have been found to be about as early and prolific as 

 the shorter varieties of lint. Length of staple does not always deter- 

 mine spinning quality. Buyers pay a considerable premium for cot- 

 ton combining both length and strength of fiber over cotton of con- 

 siderable length but of poor strength. For this reason certain local- 

 ities in which years of experience have demonstrated the power to 

 produce this extra-quality staple receive a considerable premium over 

 new staple districts or over sections where weather conditions tend to 

 unfavorably affect the length or strength of fiber from year to year. 

 Spinners, being satisfied with results from a certain section, offer 

 premiums for cotton from the same point of origin year after year. 

 Mills are willing to pay an extra price for " hard cotton " or " extra- 

 hard cotton." Ordinarily there is less waste in spinning this cotton, 

 and it is sometimes used to mix with soft lint to lessen spinning waste 

 and to improve the strength of the fabric. After a mill finds by 

 actual experience that cotton from a certain section invariably meets 

 its requirements, that from other sections apparently just as good is 

 view with suspicion until it is thoroughly tested. In some sections 

 l T Vinch cotton brings a premium over 1^-inch cotton grown in other 

 sections of the same States. 



The style and hardness of staple of equal length is very im- 

 portant to the Manchester and American mills, and the man who 

 passes on staple should be a good judge of staple cotton, taking into 

 consideration that even, smooth staple cotton is worth considerably 

 more than uneven cotton. 



DIFFERENCES IN CLASSIFICATION OF COTTON ACCORDING TO 

 LENGTH OF STAPLE. 



There is a considerable difference between the American and 

 Liverpool ideas as to length of staple. Much of the Texas crop, 

 which averages around 1 T V inches, is sold in Liverpool on types vari- 

 ously described as " good 1£," " full 1|," " hard l-£," etc., when most of 

 this cotton would probably not staple over 1^ F inches, American 

 standard, or measured by rule. Because of this great confusion in 

 stapling, the millimeter standard is gaining ground, as there is a 

 general understanding of what is meant, for instance, by 32-milli- 

 meter cotton, whereas a reference to 1^-inch cotton brings forth the 

 query, " What kind of inch-and-one-eighth ? " It is for this reason 

 that the millimeter standard is gaining friends, especially by the 

 exporters of staple and many of the cotton manufacturers. 



