USDA Crop Fiber Research Collection

The USDA Crop Fiber Research Collection was begun in the early 1900s by Lyster H. Dewey, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) botanist in charge of fiber plant investigations. The collection was referred to as the "Dewey Index." A separate set of reference materials, mainly on hard or cordage fibers, was started when Harry Edwards took over the hard fiber research in 1915. After he retired, all references were filed in the Dewey Index in the order they were received. The Dewey Index grew unchanged to thousands of index cards and thousands of indexed publications and reprints. Fiber specialists researched, traveled, and observed commercial production of fiber and research projects around the world. When research work began at the USDA research facility at Arlington Farm, fiber plants were included and research gradually became a greater part of the activity. Later, cooperative research was expanded to other parts of the United States, especially in Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon, California, Florida, and Maryland, but was not limited to those states. In 1943, the fiber office moved from the USDA Administration Building in Washington, D.C., to Beltsville, Maryland, in buildings 003 and 001 of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. In 1965, the research on plant fibers other than cotton was discontinued, and the fiber research staff members were transferred to other work. However, those interested in the index continued to update some of the reference material. In 1970, a retired employee (Nelson) volunteered to review literature, make index cards, and accumulate reference material. The index moved to the National Agricultural Library in 1984.