Yarns are sold according to their “actual” counts, though when they are woven into cloth they frequently attain nominal or brevet rank. There has been a long-continued discussion, which between buyer and seller sometimes degenerates into a dispute, on the subject of moisture in yarns, and the difficulty is not confined to the Lancashire industry. The amount permissible, according to the recommendation of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, is 8%, but while it may be assumed that yarns at the time of their sale rarely contain less than this, they frequently contain a good deal more. It is a matter of experience that cotton yarns which when spun contain only a small percentage of moisture will absorb up to about 8% when they are exposed to what may be rather vaguely described as natural conditions. The exigencies of competition prompted the discovery that if yarn were sold by weight fresh from the spindle its comparative dryness made such early sale less profitable than if it were allowed to “condition.” Between loss and delay the spinner found an obvious alternative in damping the yarn artificially. As it was often clearly to the advantage of the buyer that he should receive immediate delivery he did not object to water in moderation, but art soon began to run a little ahead of nature. The essentially dishonest practice of deluging yarn with water, which has sometimes even degenerated into the use of weighting materials deleterious to weaving, has been recognized as a great nuisance, but while various attempts have been made to protect the buyer the question seems to have pretty well settled itself on the principles which commonly rule the sales of commodities between those who intend to do business continuously. The spinner who persists in over-weighting his yarn finds it difficult to obtain “repeat” orders.

A remarkable point in the Lancashire yarn trade is the looseness of the contracts between spinner and manufacturer. Doubtless some kind of sale note or acknowledgment usually passes between them, but in the home trade at least it is quite usual to leave the question of delivery an open one. It would not be correct to say that this system or want of system is satisfactory, but the trade manages to rub along very well with it, although inconveniences and disagreements sometimes arise when prices have advanced or declined considerably. Thus when prices have advanced the manufacturer may find it difficult to obtain delivery of the yarn that he had bought at low rates, for some spinners have a curious, indefensible preference for delivering their higher-priced orders; and, on the other hand, when prices have fallen the manufacturer sometimes ceases to take delivery of the high-priced yarn and actually purchases afresh for his needs. Yet positive repudiation is very rare though compromises are not uncommon, and a good many illogical arrangements are made that imply forbearance and amity. Litigation in the yarn trade is very unusual, and Lancashire traders generally have only vague notions of the bearing of law upon their transactions, and a wholesome dread of the experience that would lead to better knowledge.

The average yearly values of the exports of cotton, yarn and cloth from Great Britain for the decades 1881-1890 and 1891-1900 respectively, are given by Professor Chapman in his Cotton Industry and Trade, in million pounds:—

1881-1890.1891-1900.
Cloth£60.4 £57.3 
Yarn12.3 9.3 
—— —— 
Total£72.7 £66.6 

During the earlier decade the prices of cotton were comparatively high.

The whole of the cloth exports represent, of course, a corresponding home trade in yarns. The following table, taken from the Manchester Guardian, gives in thousands of ℔ the amounts of cotton yarns exported from Great Britain during 1903, 1904 and 1905 respectively, according to the Board of Trade returns, together with the average value per lb for each of the countries:—

1903. 1904. 1905.
℔.* Price
per ℔.		 ℔.* Price
per ℔.		 ℔.* Price
per ℔.
d. d. d.
Russia 814 30.22 713 30.71 557 30.66
Sweden 1,526 11.00 1,486 12.55 1,512 11.12
Norway 1,656 9.54 1,511 11.05 1,606 9.73
Denmark 2,429 8.91 2,368 10.18 2,860 9.51
Germany 27,239 16.05 40,295 .27 39,513 16.38
Netherlands 29,591 9.10 29,384 10.48 37,341 8.93
Belgium 3,970 15.89 5,864 16.50 7,205 16.12
France 3,974 17.59 3,084 20.01 3,518 22.64
Italy 204 21.78 174 24.70 204 22.21
Austria-Hungary 2,662 11.60 3,329 14.36 3,066 13.36
Rumania 4,608 8.55 5,072 10.13 7,856 9.73
Turkey 12,966 8.93 14,253 10.05 17,389 9.37
Egypt 4,590 8.66 4,381 9.83 4,382 8.59
China (including Hong-Kong) 4,660 9.45 2,457 10.24 8,441 8.70
Japan 1,406 2.98 681 11.46 4,071 13.99
British India—
 Bombay 6,286 10.80 8,145 11.88 13,112 10.86
 Madras 6,683 11.07 8,288 12.48 10,930 11.91
 Bengal 6,777 11.04 6,596 12.82 11,068 11.20
 Burma 5,611 12.17 3,388 12.39 4,211 12.31
Straits Settlements 1,945 10.81 1,137 11.57 2,149 10.71
Ceylon 33 11.92 44 16.51 42 13.55
Other countries 21,129 12.39 21,252 13.28 23,970 12.43
Total and average 150,758 11.79 163,901 13.11 205,001 12.08
* 000 omitted.

It should be understood, however, that in some cases the Board of Trade figures represent only an approximation to the ultimate distribution, as the exports are sometimes assigned to the intermediate country, and in particular it is understood that a considerable part of the yarn sent to the Netherlands is destined for Germany or Austria. The large business done in yarns with the continent of Europe is in some respects an extension of the British home trade, though certain countries have their own specialities. A considerable business is done with European countries in doubled yarns and in fine counts of Egyptian, including “gassed” yarns, which are also sent intermittently to Japan. “Extra hard” yarns are sent to Rumania and other Near Eastern markets, and Russia, as the average price indicates, buys sparingly of very fine yarns. The trade with the Far East, which, though not very large for any one market, is important in the aggregate, is a good deal specialized, and since the development of Indian and Japanese cotton mills some of the trade in the coarser counts has been lost. The various Indian markets take largely of 40s mule twist and in various proportions of 30s mule, water twists, two-folds grey and bleached, fine Egyptian counts and dyed yarns. China also takes 40s mule, water twists and two-folds. The general export of yarn varies according to influences such as tariff charges, spinning and manufacturing development in the importing countries and the price of cotton. A particular effect of high-priced piece-goods is seen in various Eastern countries that are still partly dependent on an indigenous hand-loom industry. The big price of imported cloths throws the native consumer to some extent upon the local goods, and so stimulates the imports of yarn. It appears that as the native industries decline the weaving section persists longer than the spinning section.

Cotton Goods.—Cotton goods are of an infinite variety, and the titles that experience or fancy have evoked are even more numerous than the kinds. Descriptions of the following fabrics, which are not of course invariably made of cotton, will be found in separate articles: [Baize], [Bandana], [Bombazine], [Brocade], [Calico], [Cambric], [Canvas], [Chintz], [Corduroy], [Crape], [Cretonne], [Denim], [Dimity], [Drill], [Duck], [Flannelette], [Fustian], [Gauze], [Gingham], [Longcloth], [Moleskin], [Mull], [Muslin], [Nankeen], [Print], [Rep], [Ticking], [Twill], [Velveteen]. The following are notes on other varieties.

Grey cloth is a comprehensive term that includes unbleached cotton cloth generally. It may be a nice question whether “yellow” would not have been the more nearly correct description. A very large proportion of the Lancashire export trade is in grey goods and a smaller yet considerable proportion of the home trade.