CHAPTER III 



CLIMATE AND SOILS 



WHAT is commonly known as the 

 cotton belt of the United States 

 lies below latitude 37 degrees. This 

 embraces the larger part of the following 

 states, viz: Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, 

 Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, 

 North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Ten- 

 nessee, and small portions of Virginia and 

 Missouri. The climatic conditions of this 

 particular region are perhaps more thoroughly 

 adapted to the successful growing of the culti- 

 vated varieties of cotton than any other yet 

 known. The summers are long and the tem- 

 perature relatively high. The average annual 

 rainfall is between forty and fifty inches over 

 the larger part of the cotton territory. Cotton 

 being naturally a tropical plant, it does best 

 in a warm, humid climate; but, on the other 

 hand, can be grown profitably under semi-arid 

 conditions. To reach full development, the 



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