I'IBRE CROPS. 260 



The acreage in cotton in the United States is now 

 only exceeded by corn, wheat, hay and oats. It ex- 

 ceeds in value the oat crop. The following table 

 gives the essential features of the crop of cotton of 

 1888: 



Area, acres 19,000,«)00. 



Yield, bales 7,000,000, 



Value, dollars 292,000,000. 



Yield per acre, pounds 180. 



Price per pound, cents 8i. 



Value per acre, dollars 15.30. 



A bale of cotton containing 400 to 500 pounds is 

 considered a good yield per acre. Over 2,500 

 pounds of cotton have been reported from a single 

 acre. 



The United States produces about half the cotton 

 grown in the world. About two -thirds of it is ex- 

 ported in the raw state. Practically all the cotton of 

 commerce is manufactured in Europe and the United 

 States, The latter manufactures about one-fourth of 

 it. The rest is about equally divided between the 

 United Kingdom and the Continent. 



Use. — The cotton plant is in many respects the 

 most important upon the globe. It furnishes the 

 clothing of the larger portion of the inhabitants of the 

 world. It is subject to more extended and varied 

 uses under the widest conditions of climate and civili- 

 zation than is any other fibre. It is the most im- 

 portant article of trade. 



The seed yields about fifteen per cent of its weight 

 in oil, which is used as a lubricant in paints, for burn- 

 ing in mines and for making soap. The refined oil is 

 used as a food directly or in butterine and lard and 

 in place of olive oil. Although a perfectly desirable 



