INDIAN COTTON

There are many varieties of Indian cotton the chief sorts being, Cambodia, Tinnevelly, Broach, Punjab-American, Sind-American, Oomra, Dhollera, Bengal-Sind, Coompta-Dharwar, Salem, Commilla, Burma, Westerns, Northerns, Cocanada.

The most important of all vegetable fibres. It is grown in many parts of the world. The cotton plant is of the " Genus Gossypium " of the order " Malvacea," and the principal varieties are: - Goss. Barbadense, or Sea Islands cotton. Goss. Peruvianum, or Brazilian cotton. Goss. Herbaceum, or Egyptian cotton. Goss. Hirsutum, or American cotton. Goss. Arboreum, or East Indian cotton. Each of these varieties has many grades. Other countries producing cotton include China, Russia, Peru, Africa, etc.

" Hinganghat " or " Bant " cotton is probably the finest class of cotton grown in India, having a staple of fully 1-in. in length, and being fine and somewhat silky. This particular variety is rarely exported, being used mostly by Indian spinners for their better class yarns. The Indian cottonsof the Liverpool market are divided into three groups: Surats, Bengal and Madras Surats - Surat is a small port in the Bombay Presidency, from which a large quantity of this cotton was formerly exported. The cottons of the Surat group constitute by far the largest portion of the Indian crop They are: Surtee - This is one of the best of the Surat cottons, and has a staple of ⁷/₈-in. to 1-in. in length Broach is a good white cotton of ⁷/₈ in staple, with a good ginning percentage Dharwar is an acclimatised American cotton of ⁵/₈-in. to ³/₄-in staple. It has a nice colour, but is not very strong Dhollera is a cotton similar to Broach, grown in the Ahmedabad district of Bombay, and is much used in the local mills Oomra, or Oomrawuttee comprises a small group of cottons of various qualities, grown in the Central Provinces and Berar Khandeish is an Oomras cotton of a medium length. The Deccan grows a mixed Khandeish cotton of an inferior quality Comptah is a cotton descended from Broach and has a staple of ³/₄-in to ³/₈-in. Bagalkote is a North Bombay cotton Scinde - The native variety is the poorest of the Surat cottons. It has a very short staple, and is dirty. Recently, however, cotton from Egyptian and American seed has been grown, and shows fairly good results. Bengal - Bengal cottons are short and dirty, and of a quality similar to Scinde. They average about ⁵/₈-in staple, and are only suitable for the coarsest counts Madras - The Madras cottons are: Tinne velly, Westerns, Northerns, and Coconada Tinnevelly is the best and is one of the few Indian cottons which may be suitably mixed with American. It is very white in colour, clean and strong. A fair quantity is imported into England. Westerns is a poorer variety than Tinnevelly, being dull and harsh and not so clean, but it has a fairly long staple. Northerns is a better cotton than Westerns, being softer and silkier, though not so white. Coconada, or Red Coconada, as it is sometimes called, is a highly-coloured cotton, with a moderate staple. Cambodia (or "Tinnevelly American") is a new Madras cotton, which is very similar to Uplands American, with a fine, strong fibre of about 1-in. staple. This cotton has been a great success, and probably has a good future before it.

American is classed by grades, thus: - G.O. - Good ordinary. S.G.O. - Strict good ordinary. L.M. - Low middling. S.L.M. - Strict low middling. Mid. - Middling. S.M. - Strict middling. G.M. - Good middling. S.G.M. - Strict good middling. M.F. - Middling fair. ▪ Brazilian is classified thus: - Mid. fair. Fair. Good fair. Egyptian is classified: - Pair. Good fair. Fully good fair. Good. Fine. Extra fine. Peruvian is classified: - Mid. fair. Fair. Good fair. Good. Fine. East Indian is classified: - Good fair. Fully good fair. Good. Fully good. Fine. Superfine. Choice. Super choice. East African is classified: - Middling. Middling fair. Fair. Good fair. Good. Fine. Extra fine. West African is classified: - L.M. S.L.M. Mid. S.M. G.M. These are all native seed and S.G.M. American Seed. ▪ Weights of Cotton Bales: - American about 500-lb. per bale. East Indian (hard compressed) about 400-lb. Egyptian (hard compressed) about 730 to 750-lb. Brazilian 180 kg., about 396-lb. Peruvian, about 330-lb.

Many fabrics are shipped to India under this term and most of them are of the imitation linen style such as: - 34-in. wide, 40 ends and 40 picks per inch, 10's T., 8's W., preparation yams, cotton; also 34-in. wide, 64 ends and 60 picks per inch, 24's T., 16's W., American cotton yams, dyed in several colours. Another cloth to which this term is given is woven 37-in., 72 ends and 72 picks per inch, 22's T., 18's W., dyed and mercerised finish. Most of these fabrics are calender finish only.

Originally fine, closely woven cotton fabrics made in India, in plain weave, about 80 ends and 72 picks per inch, 90's warp, 100's weft. Usually piece-dyed, and used for dresses. Many qualities of plain weave cotton cloths now pass under this term.

This is a fine linen cloth from 28-in, to 40-in. wide, plain weave, 80 ends and 80 picks per inch or more, about 80's to 90's linen yarns. The same cloth is used in the home trade for many purposes. The name is also given to an all-cotton cloth made with fine yarns, the cloth being given a glazed finish.

A term which includes most of the fine cotton muslins made in India. Also a Lancashire fabric made as an imitation. It has about 72 ends and 64 picks per inch, 120's warp, 90's weft, Egyptian yarns.

Heavily sized, plain-weave cloths, made in many districts of Lancashire from ordinary cotton yarns, such as 37¹/₂-in. 37¹/₂ yards, 68 ends and 70 picks per inch, 10-lb. Shipped in the loom state to India.

A variety of Indian cotton grown in Berar, India, it has a staple about ⁷/₈-in. to 1-in., good creamy colour, is cleaner than most Indian cotton and is strong and fairly uniform. It is used for yarns up to 16's warp and 22's weft. There are two classes, the " bami " and the " jari." The bami is grown in the southern parts, and the jari in the deep, black alluvial soil and is the stronger.

Hyderabad cotton. Also known as Hinjanghat Barsi or Hyderabad Gaorani. Grown mainly in Hyderabad State. Best known stations are Umri, Bhensa, Nanded and Parbhani. It is the finest indigenous Indian cotton, staple i-in. to 1¹/₈-in., percentages of lint 25. The best Bani is suitable for 30's warp, 40's weft. It is leafy cotton with high refraction.

An Indian cotton used locally. The crop is a small one, and the cotton is picked by hand. Nuns originally picked the cotton and the yarn made from it was used to manufacture clothing for the priests.

A native Indian cotton of a poor class; it is not strong, but very dirty, and is only used for coarse, low quality weft. It is grown in the Bombay Presidency. Staple about ⁷/₈-in. Ginning 34 to 35 per cent. Spins up to 20's. It is a very mixed class of cotton and contains five varieties.

A variety of Indian cotton of recent origin in Kathiawar. It is a high yielder of lint, giving about 32 per cent, and early maturing. It substitutes Dhollera cotton to some extent, spins 10's/12's weft.

East Indian cotton, having a harsh, white staple, only used to blend with other cottons in low quality yarn production. The staple is about ¹/₂-in. and spins up to about 15's yarn.

A variety of Indian cotton - mostly used locally.

A variety of East Indian cotton.

East Indian cotton, having a medium long, white staple, often dirty; used for 28's to 30's warp yams.

A variety of East Indian cotton, having a coarse, weak and brittle staple used for spinning 10's to 20's yams; length ¹/₂-in.

West Indian cotton grown from American seed; has a fairly long staple (up to 1¹/₂-in.). Used for spinning up to 26's or 28's yarns.