MEADE COTTON REPLACING SEA ISLAND. 



21 



Table 3. — Results of comparative spinning tests of Meade and Egyptian Sakel- 



laridis cottons in 1918. 



Items of comparison. 



Extra 



fine 



Sakel- 



laridis, 



size No. 



120. 



Meade, 



size No. 



120. 



Good 



Sakel- 



laridis, 



size No. 



100. 



Meade, 



size No. 



100. 



Loss: 



Scutching 



Carding 



Combing 



per cent. . 



do 



do.... 



do.... 



pounds.. 



3.00 



6.00 



21.50 



4.96 



6.50 



21.50 



3.50 



6.50 



21.50 



4.96 



6.50 



21.50 



Total 



30.50 



32.96 



31.60 



32.96 



Strength 



15.90 

 116.50 



15.50 

 116.50 



18.58 

 97.50 



18.50 

 97.50 







The Sea Island and Meade tests were conducted in cooperation with 

 the Bureau of Plant Industry to determine the advisability of urg- 

 ing farmers to plant the Meade variety instead of the Sea Island. 

 The results of the waste tests gave the Sea Island cotton 21.9 per 

 cent and the Meade 26.6 per cent. The results of the tensile-strength 

 tests on these cottons are given in Table 4. 



These tests were conducted during the fiscal year 1918-19 to deter- 

 mine the relative value from the spinner's point of view of Sea Island 

 and Meade cottons in the manufacture of airplane fabric. Both of 

 these cottons were If inches in length of staple and about equal in 

 grade. The result of this test indicated that Sea Island cotton was 

 about 5 per cent less; wasty than the Meade and from 8 to 20 per cent 

 stronger, depending upon the number of yam spun." 



Table 4. 



-Breaking strength of Sea Island and Meade cottons in pounds per 

 skein of 120 yards. 



Size of yam. 



Sea Island (fancy, If inches) 

 twist factor. 



Meade (S. G. M., If inches) 

 twist factor. 



3.25 



3.50 



3.80 



No. 100 pounds. . 



No. 80 do. . . . 



No. 60 do.... 



No. 40 do.... 



No. 28 do.... 



17. 78 

 25.71 

 39.90 

 69.50 



128.7 



17.60 

 25.91 

 39.40 

 69.75 

 128.0 



17.18 

 25.52 



38.78 

 68. 48 

 122.2 



16.18 

 24.43 

 35.77 

 58.74 

 108.4 



16.33 



24.09 

 35.38 

 60.09 

 109.2 



16.00 

 23.20 

 34.92 

 66.93 

 103.3 



'■" Mr. D. E'. Barle, then, specialist in cotton classing, Bureau of Markets, in cliarge of 

 these tests, stated that the Sea Island hale used was much superior to the average 

 Georgia Sea Island cotton. In fact, several hundred bales of Sea Island cotton grown 

 in the vicinity of Statesboro, Ga., were examined before one was found of length and 

 grade equal to the Meade. In order to make the test strictly comparable, the two bales 

 were run through all machinery at the same settings, no attempt being made to adjust 

 the machinery to the best advantage for either of the cottons used. But it was found 

 after the test had been made that the Meade comber waste contained considerable long- 

 fiber which if it had not been rejected by the comber would have materially reduced 

 the total percentage of waste shown for the variety. This rejection of long fiber by the 

 comber possibly was due to the Meade fibers not being made parallel to the same degree 

 as the Sea Island in the draA\ing preparatory to the formation of the comber lap. If 

 the Meade fiber had been further drawn before combing, doubtless fewer long fibers 

 would have been rejected and the consequent waste would have been reduced. 



