384 THE FORAGE AND FIBER CROPS IN AMERICA 



485. History. The general cultivation of cotton is not very 

 ancient as compared to that of wheat. In a limited way it was 

 cultivated in southeastern India in early times. The clothing 

 of the ancient Egyptians was made of wool and flax. Alex- 

 ander the Great is supposed to have brought the culture and 

 use of cotton from India to the native Europeans. It was 

 found in cultivation and use from Mexico and the West Indies 

 to Brazil and Peru when America was discovered. 



The cultivation of cotton was limited before the Revolu- 

 tionary War. It is said that in 1784 eight bales of American 

 cotton were confiscated in Liverpool on the plea that cotton 

 did not grow in America. The saw cotton gin, as invented in 

 1792 and patented in 1793 by Eli Whitney, with improvements 

 patented by Hogden Holmes in 1796, greatly decreased the 

 labor of removing the lint from the seed. This unique inven- 

 tion and the excellent adaptation of southern United States to 

 the growth of the cotton have been prime factors in making the 

 culture and manufacture of cotton the world's greatest industry. 



Practicums 



486. STUDY OF COTTON PLANT IN FIELD. Students may be taken to the 

 cotton field at any time during the picking season, preferably at the second 

 picking. Materials needed are a tape measure and a small fine-toothed comb. 



Distance apart of rows ft., in. 



Distance apart of plants in row: average of 10 plants in. 



Ground: levei, ridged; weedy, clean; compact, mellow. 



Plants: height ft., in.; width ft., in. 



Stem: continuous, divided; branches, abundant, medium, scarce; largest 

 branches at bottom or middle. 



Branches: cylindrical, not cylindrical; boll-bearing, not; internodes or joints 

 in. 



Fruit branches: where do they occur? Length in. 



Range of number of bolls to 



Leaves: number and depth of lobing Are leaves opposite or 



alternate? Are stipules present or absent? 



Hairiness of stems, branches and leaves: strong, medium, slight, absent. 



Bolls: no. on plant ; no. open ; average length ; 



average circumference ; round, ellipsoidal, oval, irregular; pointing 



upward, downward; length of pedicel in. Sketch a longitudinal 



and cross section <jf bolls. 



