Volume 8 Article 5 Number 3 The Iowa Homemaker vol.8, no.3
1928 Cotton Is Back Again Margaret E. Davidson Iowa State College
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Recommended Citation Davidson, Margaret E. (1928) "Cotton Is Back Again," The Iowa Homemaker: Vol. 8 : No. 3 , Article 5. Available at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/homemaker/vol8/iss3/5
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Publications at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in The oI wa Homemaker by an authorized editor of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE IOWA HOMEMAKER 7 Cotton Is Back Again Making Use of Iowa's Waste By HELEN GOEPPINGER By Margaret E. Davidson Cornstalks, a hitherto useless by product of the farm, have recently been found to be a valuable product, especially in the making of rayon ma terial and cornstalk board. Professor 0. R. Sweeney of the Iowa State College Chemical Engineering Department has been conducting some interesting experiments with corn stalks during the last few years. He has found that by treating cornstalks with weak caustic lye that alpha-cellu lose is obtained, from which rayon may be manufactured. Rayon is not quite as good as silk because it does not re tain its strength after it gets wet, being seven-tenths to nine-tenths as strong. However, Professor Sweeney believes that within the next few years the quality of rayon will be brought to a degree of excellence equalling or bettering that of silk. Even now it is possible to get more wear from one dollar's worth of rayon than from one dollar's worth of silk. Cotton was first used in making rayon. Then rayon makers found that PTize winning cotton dTesses at 1-H Club gi1·ls' convention. cotton linters could be used just as well. These are too short to use in OTTONS are again used to express found in cotton. Each smart style has making any other fabric. Later the C the mode! New youthful styles been developed from the particular hulls which are left behind after the are fashioned from gay, crisp cot material which can be used to best linters are removed were found satis tons, which give a feeling of bright advantage, for cotton is so versatile factory in manufacturing rayon. Still ness and charm impossible with other that it may be woven into countless later, chemists found they could get fabrics. different fabrics. With the new fab material similar to cotton but cheaper Cottons were high in favor ten years rics, each dress has become delightful than linters by cooking wood with ago.· Every woman wore gingham, to wear, and astonishingly simple to alkali and purifying. The last discov and the younger generation's standby care for, and best of all, the color is ery has been the one centered around for summer parties was an organdie fast. Cotton fabrics may be so easily the use of cornstalks. dress. Gradually, however, there was laundered that spots are removed and This use of cornstalks for rayon pro a change. Those who still wore the the dress may always be restored to duction will make the cost of its man simple cotton frock offered excuses for its original freshness in a way which ufacture much cheaper. "Within five its appearance- they were so cool, adds to its charm and comfort. years, one billion pounds of rayon will they washed so easily-all of which Gingham, shirting, broadcloth, lawn be marketed in the. United States and meant that the wearer still thought and pique are all used. But these are cornstalks will be a very important they were practical, but acknowledged not the same ginghams, shirtings, source," says Mr. Sweeney. The Dan that they were no longer smart. Three broadcloths, lawns and piques of ten ville, Illinois, Cornstalk Product Cor years after the peak-season for cotton-s, years ago. The American cotton man poration is at the present time· build the house dress and children's cloth ufacturers followed the lead of the silk ing a million dollar plant to make ing were all that were shown anywhere manufacturers, and have employed alpha-cellulose from cornstalks, with in cotton. Even underwear was no styles designers, with the result that which rayon may be produced. This longer made of cotton. the cottons of today, -beside being ad seems to foretell already the success New silks printed in gorgeous col mittedly practical, have the added ap Professor Sweeney believes is on the ors caught Dame Fashion's fancy and peal of being extremely fashionable. way. were seen everywhere. Beside these The trend for cotton dresses was gaily colored fabrics, the cottons well illustrated by the 4-H Club girls' Cornstalk board has recently been seemed dull and lifeless-and conse style show, held recently at their an found of value for use in place of lath quently were dropped. nual convention in Ames. Material and shiplap on houses. It insures a The cycle of fashion has turned, and was furnished through the Cotton-Tex cooler house in summer and a warmer again the cotton frock is fashionable. tile Institute of New York, to one girl one in winter, and will save about From slim tailored sport dresses to from the clothing club of each of 35 dollars in fuel for one winter in the gay picturesque frocks, all are again (Continued on page 18) average six-room house. 18 'l' H E I 0 W A H 0 ME MAKER
Sources of Home Economics state. This money is used for "paying Cotton Is Back Again the necessary expenses of conducting Research (Continued from page 7) investigations, or making experiments, (Continued from page 6) twenty counties in Iowa. This girl bearing directly on the production, This Act a uthorized an a ppropria was chosen by the club to make her manufacture, use, distribution and tion of $20,000 for the year ending dress and represent them at the style marketing of agricultural products and J une 30, 1926, with annual increments show in Ames. Each girl made for including such scientific researches as of $10,000 thereafter until the total herself that dress which would best have for their purpose the establish amounts to $60,000 annually for each interpret her own personality through ment and maintenance of a permanent the fabric. At the style show in Ames. and efficient agricultural industry, and r------~1 where the finished dresses were ex such economic and sociological inves hibited, Miss Irma Miller of Powe I Lincoln Barber Shop t igations as have fo r their purpose the shiek County was chosen as having I We specialize in bobbing. development and improvement of the best succeeded in interpreting herself I South side next to Mallory's I rural home and r ural life." 1 corner I through her dress. The county of th2 I J. Q,_ MEREDITH I The projects in home economics faU winning girl received $100, the county I I under the general heads: foods and nu ~------~ of the 'second place winner was given trition, including studies on vitamins $50 and the county of the third place ··------1 and the importance of other minute winner received $25. In addition, each I Phone 307 food accessories, household manage county participating in the contest ment, and clothing and textiles. Ti:J.e I fc-:· soft water shampoos I was given $5. I marcells permanent waves 1 aim of the investigation is purposeful, This project was backed by the I I thoro, conclusive and progressive from LeVerne Beauty Shop 1 Textile-Cotton Institute to stimulate I East or Stephensc-:1'S I one point to another. The ultimate aim the use of cotton fabrics, and to show is to be practical and to give practical the possibilities of this fabric This ~------· facts. The object is to aclvance the contest was the first of its kind, and science as well as the art, to improve was marked by the unusually fine re Expert ------]Shoe Repairing the art on the basis of science. sults in dresses of cotton fabrics. I If your shoes have that r undown At the present time, Iowa, with all New, bright, smart cotton fab~ics in the heel feeling, bring 'em to of the work carried on in or near Iowa are in iucreasingly great demand for I us-We can fix 'em. 1 State College, has $7,850 with which to dresses of many types, but the possi LINDER SHOE REPAIR SHOP I I carry on investigations in just home bilities for its use are unlimited, and 1 Opposite Campus 1 economics under the Purnell Act. The extend with the development of new ~------~ work at Iowa State is being supervised styles of the cotton fabric. by the following people: Dr. P. Mabel ~------~ Hummingibird 'Hose I Nelson, A. T. Erwin, M. D. Helser, I wear longer. I J. B. Davidson and Dr. E. E . Hoyt. I All pure silk extra length I The outlook for productive research I • n ') 1.50 1 -"''· I Table of Contents I STEPHENSON'S l in home economics is especially bright, Opposite Cam pus 1 with all of the projects and investiga I 1 Where the fi nest fabrics come tions being carried on under the direc " Science with Practice" ______4 I from. I tion of these three organizations. ~------~ ,. Pottery from Iowa Clay______" ~------~ Sources of Home Economics I PARNO'S I EXPERT w AT'CH, CLOCK & I R esearch ------6 I I JEWELRY REP AIRING I I Jewelry Store Oldest Established Jt ewelry Store in 1 Cotton Is Back Again______7 1 1 Campus own 1 I I P hone 251 Two Watchmakers 1 I CRANFORD BLDG. ALL WORK GUARANTEED I Making Use of Iowa's Waste __ 7 ~------~ State Association Page ______8 ~------~ I THEY ARE HERE I 4-H Club ------10-11 I Those w