Abstract
Vegetable particles found in rectilinear-combed top appear to originate largely from a region near the front of the top comb. From here and elsewhere, their transfer to the combed sliver seems to be dependent on the proportion of the number of fibres in transit and on how firmly they are held. A simple mathematical theory is presented that supports this view. The transfer of neps to combed sliver is also dependent on these factors and on whether they have a fibre extending from them into the detaching zone according to the nep distributions in the detached tufts, many of them originate from behind the top comb.