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. Sometimes in a cotton fiber, the twist will be rather far
apart. Other times it will be rather close together. This piece----
Mr. EISENBERG. So that the fibers, the cotton fibers, to begin with,
matched in twist, that is, the cotton fibers you found in the paper bag
matched the twist of the ones that are contained in the blanket, and
you said they also matched in color?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. Yes, sir.
Mr. EISENBERG. I would like to ask you the same question as to color
that I asked you as to twist. How many different shades do you think
you can distinguish under the microscope in a green cotton? Would
the range be just 2 or 3 different shades, or do you think you could
distinguish between 20 or 30 different types of green cotton if you
laid them next to each other under the microscope?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. No; the range in green cotton fibers, for that matter in
any color, is tremendous. This could go to 50 sometimes 100 different
shades which you can distinguish under a microscope. To the naked
eye, it would look as if it is just green. But you could take, say
five different fabrics of the same type that have been dyed exactly
the same color or rather you think they are the same shade, and put
the individual fibers under the microscope and there will be a big
difference noted in shades.
Mr. EISENBERG. Now were the green cotton fibers in the blanket uniform
as to shade between themselves?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. No; these varied.
Mr. EISENBERG. To what extent?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. They go from a green to a very pale green.