Hibiscus cannabinus

The Dewey Index was originally created by Lyster H. Dewey and consists of a card index containing references to literature on fiber plants. The cards are arranged alphabetically by genus and species. Major species sections are further subdivided into topical areas, such as cultural aspects, fertilizer usage, crop yields, diseases, pests, fiber quality, processing methods, and geographical locations of the plant subject. An additional section of the index simply titled "Fiber Crops" covers literature about several genera. Information indexed here includes literature on fiber history, planting information from Arlington Experimental Farm, transcribed letters, notes, documented conversations with visitors to the Fiber Office, consular reports, bibliographic records, and abstracts. Some index cards contain "book numbers," which refer to an assortment of materials originally organized in post-binders (these materials are located in Subseries II.C.). In some cases, the document described on a card is contained in a small envelope attached to the back of the card.