.r»'^- MERCHANDISE MANUAL SERIES : t 2XT. .2 C0TT0N5»mEN THOMPSON MMiMm rW LIBRARY School of Business MERCHANDISE MANUAL SERIES COTTON AND LINEN BY ELIZA B. THOMPSON Instructor in Salesmanship, High School, New Haven. Conn.; formerly Store Teacher, Stem Brothers, New York City, and A. I. Namm & Son, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Instructor of Textile Merchandise Courses, New York Univereity NEW YORK THE RONALD PRESS COMPANY 1922 INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE MERCHANDISE MANUAL SERIES COTTON AND LINEN BY ELIZA B. THOMPSON Instructor in Salesmanship, High School, New Haven, Conn.- formerly Store Teacher, Stern Brothers, New York City, and A. I. Namm & Son, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Instructor of Textile Merchandise Courses, New York University NEW YORK THE RONALD PRESS COMPANY 1922 Zfiii Attita in Sebitateb to Mrs. Henry Ollesheimer, Miss Copyright, 1917, by Virginia Potter, and Miss Anne The Ronald Press Company Morgan, who desiring to give greater opportunity for advance- ment to commercial Copyright, 1922, by employees and believing that all business The Ronald Press Company eflficiency must rest upon a solid foundation reserved AU rights of training and education gave years of enthusiastic service to the testing of this belief. 154-. 53 .y T3 7 EDITOR'S PREFACE As "Department Store Merchandise Manuals" these SERIES books were MERCHANDISE MANUAL originally written for salespeople and were designed to give them reliable information concerning EDITOR OF SERIES the sources and manufacturing processes of M.A. the mer- BEULAH ELFRETH KENNARD, chandise which they handle. When it was Department Store Courses. New York necessary Formerly Director of Courses to deal Clmirman of Committee on Merchandise with scientific or historical Un^ersity; Educational Director, material it was fo? nIw YOTk City Public Schools; Department Store Education Association treated as simply and concretely as possible and the pomt of view taken was that of CONSULTING EDITOR business rather than that of the school or laboratory. LEE GALLOWAY, Ph.D. In this form they have proved their Head of Department practical value not Professor of Commerce and Industry, only to the de- «/ Manaaement and formerly Director of Training School partment New York University: store salesperson but in for AachS of Retail Selling. the specialty shop Director,, the National Commercial fSJmJrly' Educational It has been pointed Gas Association out, however, that the material has a wider scope than that of sales manuals alone As reference books, librarians will find the short clear statements and full indexes invaluable. As an encyclopaedia of merchandise the series con- tains scientific information in a simple, compact form which makes it available for children and others to whom the subjects treated are unfamiliar As textbooks they are adapted for use in commercial schools, high schools, night schools, settlement classes and by teachers of household arts and domestic science' VI EDITOR'S PREFACE As source books for practical story-telling, kinder- gartners, primary and vacation school teachers will find in them an abundance of interesting material for AUTHOR'S PREFACE short "true" stories on the various industries and crafts the manufacture of household articles, such as pins Textiles comprise a large part of the merchandise in and needles, as well common use. as the making of pottery Purchasers as well as salespeople therefore glass, and steel. These should know how cotton is grown and manuals contain just the picked, how it is material often hunted manufactured into cloth, and especially should for in vain by teachers and understand librarians. the finishing processes which make one cotton material As household helps differ from another. Otherwise they cannot judge quali- and shopping guides the young ties and values. housekeeper will find the manuals her best friends be- Linen should be cause they studied in the same way, from flax to not only describe the manufacturing pro- table linen, or other fine material. cesses but tell her how to distinguish well-made articles As these two vegetable of good fibers are alike in so many ways materials from the inferior and badly made and are sold and used for the same purposes they may They also tell her how to care for the clothing or well be studied together. This manual includes the prin- household goods which she has bought. cipal departments in which cotton and linen are found, For salespeople and storekeepers they supply the except the upholstery and curtains, the laces, and the general and specific information about their merchan- ready-to-wear departments which need special treatment. dise which is indispensable Thanks to efficiency, yet very are due to Dr. Paul Nystrom, the author of hard to gather from "Textiles," Miss the scattered sources upon which L. R. Balderston, and Mrs. Ellen B. they now depend. McGowan of Teachers' College, and to James Mc- These changes should enlarge Cutcheon and Company for valuable help and criticisms. the usefulness of the For manuals without losing any of illustrations thanks are due to The United States their specific value in the field of salesmanship. Department of Agriculture, The American Museum of Natural History, We wish to express our James McCutcheon and Company, The grateful appreciation to the Spool Cotton Company, and The York Street Flax Spin- manufacturers and experts who have given us such ning Company. valuable counsel and cordial co-operation. Eliza B. Thompson. Beulah Elfreth Kennard. vu i \ CONTENTS PART I — THE COTTON GOODS DEPARTMENT CHAPTER PAGE I Introductory I Uses of Cotton Goods Divisions of the Department Cotton Yard Goods II Sources and Cultivation of Cotton Importance of Cotton Conditions Necessary for Cultivation of Cotton United States the Chief Source of Supply Varieties of American Cotton Egyptian Cotton Peruvian Cotton Indian Cotton Other Sources of Supply Properties of Cotton Cotton Growing Cotton Picking Cotton Ginning Baling Marketing Grading The Cotton Exchange Spot Sales and Future Sales III Spinning .... H Processes of Manufacture Spinning Origin of the Art of Spinning ix 1 CONTENTS CONTENTS XI CHAPTSI rAd CHAPTEB PAGE Hand Spinning Imitations of Wool The Spindle Names of Imitation Goods The Distaflf Tests for Cotton Materials Hand Cards Cotton Under the Microscope Spinning Wheels Inventions of Spinning Machines VII Color and Design in Cotton Fabrics The Industrial Revolution 45 Samuel Slater Importance of Color Arrangement Effect Spinning in the Mill of Colors Upon Each Other Sizes or Counts of Yarns Effect of Artificial Light on Colors Color Combinations IV Reproducing the Design Weaving . 26 Other Effects Definition Origin VIII Dyes and Dyeing The Primitive Loom 50 Origin The Upright or Vertical Loom The Hand Loom Natural Dyes Parts of the Hand Loom Animal Dyes The Flying Shuttle Vegetable Dyes The First Power Loom Mineral Dyes The Jacquard Loom Artificial or Aniline Dyes Direct Cotton Dyes The Power Loom in the United States (Substantive Dyes) Weaving Processes Sulphur Dyes Inspecting Mordant Dyeing Vat Dyes V Finishing Methods of Dyeing 34 The Dyeing Process Importance of Finishing Processes Printing Outline of the Processes Block Printing Mercerization Machine Printing Discovery of Mercerization Direct Printing Process of Mercerization Discharge Difference between Mercerization and Calendering Resist Thickened Dyes VI Mixtures, Adulterations, Imitations, IX Cotton Fabrics and Tests for Cotton . 39 6x Mixtures Classification Adulterations Batiste Calico Imitations Cambric Imitations of Linen Canton Imitations of Silk Flannel « XIS CONTENTS CONTENTS Xlli CHAPTER PAGE CHAPTER Challis PAGE Chambray X The Lining Counter Cheese-Cloth 77 Corduroy Attractiveness of Linings Crepe or Crepon Varieties of Linings Damask (Cotton) Buckram Denim Cambric Dimity Canvas Drilling Crinoline Duck (Cotton) Drilling Flannelette Farmer's Satin Galatea Interlining Gingham Percaline Huckaback (Cotton) Quilted Lining India Linen Sateen Indian Head Silesia Jaconet Wadding Khaki Wigan Lawn Linon XI History and Centers of Cotton Indus- Long Cloth ^TRY Madras g^ Marquisette History of Cotton Mull Cotton in America Mosquito Netting Centers of the Cotton Industry Muslin XII Nainsook Classification of Stock of Cotton Organdy Goods Departments Osnaburg g^ Outing Flannel Percale PART II Piqu6 — THE LINEN DEPARTMENTS Poplin XIII Ratine Introductory Oq Shirting Linen Display Swiss Divisions of the Department Tarlatan XIV Sources Terry Cloth and Preparation of Linen for Ticking Manufacture qj Tucking Sources Velveteen Characteristics of Linens from Various Sources Voile Properties of Linen CONTENTS XIV CONTENTS XV CHAPTER PAGE The Flax Plant CHAPTEB PAGE Harvesting Simple Tests Processes for Removing the Fiber Washing or Rubbing Test Rippling or Threshing Acid Test Retting (or Rotting) Microscope Test Drying Breaking XVIII Linen Yard Goods IIS Scutching Art Linen Bird's-Eye Linen XV Process of Manufacture 98 Butcher's Linen Spinning Processes — Line Spinning Cambric Roughing Crash Hackling Damask Sorting Diaper Linen Spreading Linen Duck Drawing and Roving Glass Toweling Spinning Handkerchief Linen Weaving Process Holland Linen Principal Weaves Huckaback Weaving Machines Linen Lawn Finishing Processes Pillow-Case Linen Bleaching Sheeting Grades of Bleaching Toweling Beetling Calendering XIX Toilet Linen 120 Classification XVI Other Vegetable Fibers 105 Towels Varieties Turkish Towels Ramie and China Grass Wash Cloths Preparation of Ramie Damask Towel Design Jute Coarse Towel Design Preparation of Jute Design