Mr. Stombaugh.

because to mercerize cotton is an added production factor used in cotton.

Mr. Eisenberg.

How great a variation do you get in degree of twist?

Mr. Stombaugh.

You are referring to between mercerized and un----

Mr. Eisenberg.

No; within unmercerized cotton.

Mr. Stombaugh.

This would depend on the quality of the cotton and the length of the cotton also.

Mr. Eisenberg.

But I mean as samples come across your desk in your office, or as you read about them in books, is there a great variation in twist or a small variation?

Mr. Stombaugh.

It depends--there is a small variation but this would depend on the type of cotton. There are different types of cotton, and each is determined from the length of the individual cotton fiber.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Could you tell what kind of cotton you were dealing with in the blanket?

Mr. Stombaugh.

No; because here we are not dealing with a full-length cotton fiber. We are dealing with a fragment of a single fiber.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Now, could you determine whether there was a variation in the twist of the cotton fibers within the blanket itself as there was, you say, in the diameter of the viscose fibers?

Mr. Stombaugh.

The twist seemed to coincide with the twist found in the cotton from the blanket.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Yes. But looking just to the blanket now for a second, you said the brown viscose or the viscose generally in the blanket itself varied as to diameter. Did the cotton in the blanket vary within itself as to twist or was the cotton of a fairly uniform twist?

Mr. Stombaugh.

No; it was fairly uniform twist.

Mr. Eisenberg.

And you said the fibers you found, the green cotton fibers you found, in the bag were the same twist as the twist of the cottons which composed the blanket?

Mr. Stombaugh.

That is correct.

Mr. Eisenberg.

And just to tie this into the questions I was asking a few seconds ago, would this degree of twist be significant, that is can you determine under the microscope 4 different kinds of degrees of twist or 20--how many different degrees of twist can you determine under a microscope, just approximately?

Mr. Stombaugh.

Are you referring to the same type of cotton----

Mr. Eisenberg.

Well, when you get a piece of cotton?

Mr. Stombaugh.

Or cotton as a whole?

Mr. Eisenberg.

When you get a piece of cotton under the microscope and you don't know what type it is? I am referring to cotton as a whole.

Mr. Stombaugh.

I see. The degree of twist could be now if we are dealing with fresh cotton, cotton running right from the plant, then the degree of twist, this varies, and this could be used in the identification of the type of cotton. But in the manufacturing process quite frequently when the cotton is spun into yarns then this twist is affected.

Mr. Eisenberg.

Well, at this point I am not interested in determining the type of cotton. What I am interested in is determining how significant the degree of twist is as an identifying factor.

Mr. Stombaugh.

I would say no significance at all as far as the sole identifying characteristic-goes, whether or not this cotton of this cotton has the same twist. The twist we use is for identification purposes only, supplementing other identifying characteristics.

Mr. Eisenberg.

That is the only purpose I am interested in.

Mr. Stombaugh.

Yes; that is the only purpose.

Mr. Eisenberg.

But in getting to that, how valuable is it for identification purposes? I am curious as to how many--how much a twist can vary. As you pick up a random fiber, and put it under your microscope, I am interested in how much the twist can vary. For example, if there are only two possibilities, then it isn't too helpful that you get a match in twist, but if there are great variations in twist in cotton fibers as they come under your microscope, it would be helpful in making your identification.

Mr. Stombaugh.

I see what you are getting at. There are great variations.