ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF GREEN PLANTS 125 



Raw Materials. — Besides use as food, green plants have many- 

 other uses. Many of our city industries would not be in existence, 

 were it not for certain plant products which furnish the raw ma- 

 terials for many manufacturing industries. Many cities of the 

 east and south, for example, depend upon cotton to give employ- 

 ment to thousands of factory hands. 



Cotton. — Of our native plant products cotton is probably of 

 the most importance to the outside world. Over eleven million 

 bales of five hundred pounds each are raised annually. 



COTTON 



^3 /to BO bales persaaare mile 

 \over£0 . 



Cotton Crop in United States — Percentage Source 



'1.0 



20 



I^MJM^^^dmm^J^mi^ 



3.0 



40 

 I 



5.0 



60 

 _i_ 



7.0 



80 



_l 



90 



WWM ML 



Texas 



Georgia 



Miss. 



Alabama S.Car. 



Ark. Okla. N.C. La. Otli. 

 Sta. 



[ir.'.^iy.vy//'/'/'/'^-''- 



Cotton Crop in United States — Percentage Consumption 



10 20 30 M 50 60 70 80 90 



V^//^,i//^^/ \ ' ■ I 



r ] 



J± 



United States 

 North South 



Great Britain & Ireland 



Germany France It. Rest ol 



World 



The cotton plant thrives in warm regions. Its commercial 

 importance is gained because the seeds of the fruit have long fila- 

 ments attached to them. Bunches of these filaments, after treat- 

 ment, are easily twisted into threads from which are manufactured 

 cotton cloth, muslin, calico, and cambric. In addition to the 



