East Indian type of cotton fibres measure on an average but half an inch, as compared with 2 inches in Sea Island type.
Cotton Duck.—Duck being a fabric which is sometimes woven in linen, to refer to it simply as Duck might be misleading; hence, although when used by itself the term Duck is generally recognised to mean a cotton fabric, to differentiate between the two the word Cotton or Linen is used. This fabric is described under "Duck."
Cotton Flannel.—As the name implies, Cotton Flannel is a material woven in cotton in imitation of the real all-wool flannel. It is either a plain or a twill woven fabric which has had the weft on one or both sides of the fabric "raised" or "napped." This is done by passing the fabric, whilst it is tightly stretched, over a revolving cylinder, the surface of which is covered with small steel hooks or teasels; these, scratching as they do the surface of the fabric, tear up very slightly the short fibres and cover the fabric with a "nap," which is afterwards cut down uniformly. Cotton Flannel was first made for the Canton market. Cotton Flannels may be either "single raised" or "double raised"; in the first only one side of the fabric is raised, in the second both sides are raised. Whilst Cotton Flannel clearly shows that the fabric is a cotton one, the term Flannelette does not necessarily mean that it is a purely cotton fabric identical with Cotton Flannel. Flannelette may contain wool, even if only in very small percentage, but by trade usage the name is used to designate only an all-cotton fabric.
Cotton Plush.—The term Plush being a generic term applied to cut-pile fabrics having the pile deeper than ordinary Velvet, Velveteen, etc., it follows that Cotton Plush is essentially a cotton-pile fabric with a somewhat deeper pile than Velveteen. Cotton Plushes may be woven with either plain or twill back, the plain-backed variety being known as a "Genoa" Plush and the twill-backed variety as a "Tabby" Plush.
Cotton Yarn Measures.—
| 54 | inches | = | 1 thread (or circumference of wrap reel). | |
| 4,320 | " | = | 80 threads = 1 lea. | |
| 30,240 | " | = | 560 " = 7 lea = 1 hank. | |
| 1 hank | = | 840 yards. | ||
| 1 bundle is usually 10 lb. in weight. | ||||