The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-04-25

CBy c. M. GIBBS. University of 1llinois.)
Linen was formerly the most impor-
important vegetable fiber, and was
commonly used for all household pur-
poses. OF late years It has been
largely replaced with cotton, with
which 1t may be compared, although
there are still ses for which we de-
mand linen. and others for which we
prefer linen to cotton.
The linen fiber is long, smooth and
quite lustrous, when spun into 4
thread. 1t is very strong and there
are not &C many fuzzy ends as are
found in cotton. Cloth made from
It Is not only lustrous and rich look
ing, but because of its smoothness
stays clean longer than cotton. The
snowy Wilderness of linen, obtained
with some dif1culty in bleaching, IL
quite permanent, and since the fiber
takes dyes with difficulty, and parts
with them quite readily, 1t also does
not retain stains IS p%ersistently as
cotton does.
Linen is much more expensive than
cotton, and when linen prices are paid
linen should be demanded. Since
the two fibers are rather hard to dis
tinguish, especially when heavily
starched and given a good finish, it
is quite easy to deceive the buyer.
Linen" collars are frequently large
ly cotton, linen" handkerchiefs may
not have a thread of linen, as is apt
to be the case with. rather inexpen-
sive embroidered handkerchiefs, and
table linen may be mercerized cot.
ton. cotton and linen, or ven ordi-
nary cotton.
To distinguish linen from cotton, ex-
anime the threads carefully; cotton ID
made up Of short fibers which project
from the surface of the thread, and
become fuxsy when the thread Is rub.
bed between the fingers; when broken,
cotton has a tuffted end, while linen
fibers break more ~unevenly and leave
q more pointed end. The linen thread
should be stronger than the cotton;
it has more luster, and is usually more
uneven. Some kinds of linen have
nat threads, but cotton 10 frequently
finished in imitation Of nat thread
linen. >
The old test of ~moistening the
finger and putting it under the cloth
is not always a sure one. as the moist
ure will not come through . heavy lin.
en-, or one with much starch in 1t, and
it will come through a sheer, tightly
twisted cotton. A better test IL to
put q drop Of olive oil on the cloth
and press between plotting papers.
The linen becomes more transparent
than the cotton.
There il q peculiarly eathery feel
about good table linen, which cotton
will not give, and the luster is differ.
ent. although the difference is hard
to describe.
The typical weaves used for linen
Are a. follows: The damask, satin or
sateen weave used for table linen and
towels is especially good for the for.
mer because of the very smooth lus.
trous surface it affords, but not %
good for towels a. it does not ab.
sorb moisture very readily, although
1t 10 very attractive. Huck. IN IN.
even weave. giving . good surface for
the absorption of water. makes splen-
did towels, and decorated with Do.
signs In damask eav may be very
handsome. Many linens in plain
weaves arc available for clothing, ON.
broidery. Etc.. while the coarse Rus
sian crashes r becoming quite pop.
ular for decorative purposes.
heavier kinds hang well in folds, Ml
Nat on . table. and Are very artis'
tic for many purposes.