The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1855-12-15
varletie. of Cotton.

ported and used III Great Britain have beer
%examined under the microscope by DR.. Urs
and by Mr.. E.SWilson. To their observations
we are indebted for the following measure
ments: In examining a sample of cotton, til
usual to. take q portion of it between the fore
finger and thumb, and laying the portions as
they are successfully drawn out back again OF
and parallel to the flments from which they
have been drawn out, and repeating this pro
cess several times, small tufts are formed, ii
which the respective lengths Of staple may bt
observed.
The fbres Of cotton when drawn out from
the mass in which they appear entangled, dis
play. SO many irregular twists as to give then
a jointed appearance, and, as Mr.. r. Wilson
observes, !" in this state they resemble q string
of oval beads, pointed ct each extremity, AND
connected by their points" mr.
The entire fibre appears to taper finely tc
both ends, that which is adherent to the seed
being somewhat the thickest. Under the mi.
croscope the fibre is observed to be continuous
moderately twisted, fiat, ribbon-like, clear and
transparent in the middle and opaque towards
each margin. The finer and more uniform the
fibre, and more inclined to twist, the better it
is suited for spinning into fine yarn. But il
the fbres are short, broad and formed Of himsy
ribbons, they are less suited for machine spin
ming, though they may yet, as before mentioned,
be twisted into thread by the delicate fingers OF
the Hindoo. -at
The value Of cotton depends on the length,
strength and fitness, as well as on the ~softness
and equality Of the fibre. But these essential
qualities are modified by color and cleanliness
that is. freedom from knots and impurities, so
that there may be less waste in spinning.
Formerly, color had great influence, but now
the great distinction is into long stapled and
short stapled. The different kinds Of cotton
differ from each other not only in the above
properties, but also in considerable differences
in quality between different samples of the
same kind Of cotton. The finest quality Of Sea
Island is sometimes worth TIRES times as much
as the common quality Of the same class. The
variation Of quality in most of the other de-
nominations is from 20 to Is per cent. and in
none OF them is more than so per cent" These
are sometimes divided into three or four quail
ties, as ordinary, middling. fair and fine. At
other times these are still further sub-divided,
as into inferior, ordinary, middling, good
middling, middling-fair, fair, good-fair, fine, or
good and fine. "Except the better qualities Of
nou conGnod IN ;+s nso ~ uo ~ WV ns 20
elusive nrrnasa pr ~, ,;i nss"a.a ~ ~ ~
cether and bv corof;} roananan aantl ~ n ssoas,~ "
tha m;xture for sn;nn;nn tha ,a ~ peepa,.ns
can now make a substitute for almost anv mar
ticular kind of cotton. except the very hest II
is only reouisite to add that tha lonr stonled
cottons are generally used for the twist or
warp, and the short STABBED for the weft."
Sen Island or lone st,nlod oo+ton AZ noo
HIGHLY estaamad ~ ffbe apttanS ~ .as n, y.
for tIo lenntL and frnnoss rs rs - a ell" ~ e.e
ito s;lLy soffnass Amonn ,,h;ta 10 oa u4.' . 'Ga :.
d;stinan;sbad hn . sl;nI} Will" ,.al,en GolVo ~. ~ ~
color Th;s l;nj cole ; - 1I,,oy, e nv s1sn, a;.Se VI
nance to +wn sh;l;nn, - aad =" vi ii0n a lsnLeeu
I've and seven sh;lIigns anu . nonna so'u rs as n,sn us
~ ;s l;r,;ted f.nm ~ doy:na. Ane Yualli
ren,;ra5 a. W. y. pnys ni'
fhres ore eo,ohla ahon+ ~ pa apas ~ -. Ine
and eSan,;p aap un1aa o1 ti'a ,1oaes ~ lengln'
two thonsand+h bAu nort - of ln as ISL anoul one
formed of Aattane5 or1;ndors ~ tn,n =. ua,n.': -
the middle onsnua tomauSr rs' +h .," nlpa ~
more or less twisted. DR.. Ure -bas observed
some kinds crimped transversely with irregular
bandases, and some with Aimsv ribbons and
warts, which adhere to the sides Of the fla.
ments, called neys by s%pinners. Mr.. Wilson
describes the Sea Island as thick and narrow
but looking the finest of all as seen with the
naked eye. This kind is EMPLOYED far sninn;na
the finest yarns.
Upland. or. short stan1o cot+o, nnaou H.,
names are now nsnaIl1 ;n cI " tha whlen
of the interior If Gao,y;o oma Nv. .He produce
AZ Alabama, M;ss;ssi5n; Tan;a;ann ana, ~ US T wen
nessee, II ,,sed to hpp and 1G = anu zen
called Roved from Tho WV $3.50 = so'4e ee stll'
hay;ag. heon, Es,naorlz olaono .1. 'N:.1 VI georgia
cotton how, T,bonnI shortaa " WI. .ha e~he-ihafa4
UNEQUAL. this is whita in color ~ m rmv S'aple, ana
on5 ~ fan,, va. 10 : viii mi Az color' much esteemed
in length. The hest kinds ore ~ e., u,;a.:N@
as nigh as NC, 90. some hirhar. tho cbor+n,