84 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1884. 



of other interests. A list of the vegetable fibers in the collection was 

 published in No. 24 of the u Proceedings" of the Museum, but since this 

 was prepared the collection has largely increased. 



A complete list of vegetable textile fibers, with common, local, and 

 botanical names, alphabetically arranged, is in course of preparation, 

 but it will not be published for a year or more. This list will give also 

 the classification of the fibers according to the system adopted in the 

 Museum. 



Present state of collection. — During the year 1883 our Smithsonian 

 collection specimens have been catalogued. All of these are not, how- 

 ever, desirable for exhibition purposes. There are now on exhibition, 

 approximately, 2,000 specimens. 



The number of duplicates and of specimens in the study series cannot 

 be satisfactorily estimated at this time. 



Recommendations and remarks. — To increase the interest of the collec- 

 tions, to make them more instructive and intelligible, it seems desirable 

 to make use of photography to illustrate the textile industries, even to 

 as great an extent as has been done already in illustrating the fisheries. 

 What little has been done has enabled the curator to judge as to the 

 value and practicability of such a scheme, and since it does not involve 

 the employment of a photographer, but only some additional work on 

 his own part, it is recommended that every facility should be given to 

 carry out the scheme in a satisfactory manner. The plan advised, tak- 

 ing the subject of cotton for example, is to. begin with the cotton in the 

 field and follow it through its entire commercial history by photographic 

 representations of the picking, ginning, baling, shipping, and handling 

 until it reaches the mills. There it is also followed through the various 

 machines, until it is finally photographed in the piles of woven fabrics 

 in the warehouse ready for market. 



One great want which is severely felt in this department is that of 

 books of reference regarding textiles. 



