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There are ten main named cotton species which fall into three categories: herbaceous cotton, shrub cotton and tree cotton. Plants vary in height from 18 inches (.45 metre) to 20 feet (6 metres). Pods can also be different shapes: either rather angular or almost circular; and the leaves vary in size and shape. The cotton 'wool' is usually white but in one or two species it has a dull yellow hue. Cotton growth is influenced by factors such as climate, soil and the way it is cultivated. In 1927 an article on the importance of cotton breeding by S.C. Harland (Head of the Department of Genetics at the Cotton Research Station in Trinidad) was published in the Crompton Centenary Issue of the Textile Recorder. He stated that some cotton varieties were better for spinning than others and the basis of his thesis was that environmental conditions (soil, temperature, water supply, insects, pests, disease, etc) were the crucial factor in the quality of the cotton staples. He quoted examples of Sea Island cotton grown on St Vincent (in the West Indies) that was very different and somewhat superior to Sea Island cotton grown in the Sudan and the Punjab-American cottons 4F and 285F which became similar to the California Upland strain of cotton when grown in Trinidad. F.S.Parsons (Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture) in 1924 studied the effects of water supply on staple quality and concluded that too much water made the staple hairs long and walled, while too little water caused the staple hairs to become short and thickened; as happened to the Sea Island cotton when grown in the Sudan. Individual hairs compete for nutrients form single seeds but many cotton bolls have some half grown dead seeds (up to 25%), though this can be reduced by selection of plants producing only good seeds. Mr. Harland concluded however that ultimately the quantity and quality of cotton was due to the interaction of both hereditary and environmental factors. Absolutely uniform cotton was therefore impossible because cotton plants do not have identical make-up or identical environments. Brazilian or Peruvian Upland cotton types were considered impure varieties, while Californian Acala was very pure and West Indian Sea Cottons 'the purest in the world'. There a number of cotton fabric types. The most common are: * Broderie anglaise - white embroidered cotton fabric * Buckram - stiffened cotton fabric * Calico - plain weave unbleached cotton fabric * Candlewick - cotton fabric with heavy soft cotton loops on one surface * Canvas - heavy close weave cotton fabric * Chintz - plain weave cotton fabric, originally hand painted, with highly glazed finish * Corduroy - cotton fabric with weft cut into pile along fabric length * Denim - twill weave cotton fabric with hard wearing warp thread and softer weft thread * Dimity - lightweight cotton fabric with raised warp * Duck - closely woven cotton fabric with double warp and weft threads * Flannelette - soft cotton fabric in twill weave with raised surface both sides * Fustian - hard wearing strong cotton pile fabric (originally linen warp and cotton weft) * Gauze - very fine open weave cotton fabric * Gingham - striped or check cotton fabric * Lawn - fine sheer cotton fabric made from good quality yarn * Moleskin - cotton pile fabric (weave based on that for satin) * Muslin - closely woven thin fine cotton fabric * Oilcloth - strong cotton fabric coated with linseed oil and pigment on one surface * Organdie - thin highly starched cotton fabric made from tightly twisted cotton yarn * Pique - cotton cord fabric with quilting in the weave * Poplin - light cotton fabric with 'fine rib across width of cloth' * Sateen - cotton fabric in satin weave with weft thread on the face of the fabric * Seersucker - cotton fabric with alternating plain and puckered stripes * Towelling - cotton cloth with uncut loops of cotton on both surfaces * Velour - soft cotton pile fabric, like velvet * Velveteen - cotton fabric with overall even close set pile * Voile - sheer light open weave cotton fabric * Winceyette - plain weave cotton fabric with cotton warp using soft yarns and woollen weft Further reading: Hardingham, Martin. The Illustrated Dictionary of Fabrics. Studio Vista, 1978. (ISBN 0 289 70847 8) O'Hara, Henry. The Cotton Plant and the countries adapted to its culture. Cotton Supply Assoc. 1862. GG View the Varieties of cotton collection to find out more > |
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| Associated Images |
"Encyclopedia of Cotton Fabrics for Students and others in the Cotton Trade" [Hough ECF], 1921, Hough, Walter |
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| Related Narratives |
Varieties of cotton |
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