Linen was formerly the most important vegetable fiber, and was commonly
used for all household purposes. Of late years it has been largely
replaced by cotton with which it may be compared although there are
still uses for which we demand linen, and others for which we prefer
linen to cotton.
The linen fiber is long, smooth and quite lustrous, when spun into
a thread. It is very strong and there are not so many fuzzy ends as
are found in cotton. Cloth made from it is not only lustrous and rich
looking, but because of its smoothness stays clean longer than cotton.
The snowy whiteness of linen obtained with some difficulty in bleaching
is quite permanent, and since the fiber takes dyes with difficulty
and parts with them quite readily, it also does not retain stains as
persistently as cotton does.
Linen is much more expensive than cotton, and when linen prices are
paid linen should be demanded. Since the two fibers are rather hard
to distinguish, especially when heavily starched and given a good
finish, it is quite easy to deceive the buyer. “Linen” collars are
frequently largely cotton, “linen” handkerchiefs may not have a thread
of linen, as is apt to be the case with rather inexpensive embroidered
handkerchiefs, and table “linen” may be mercerized cotton, cotton and
linen, or even ordinary cotton.
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