CHAPTER VII 



COTTON 

 By John R. Fain, B.S.* 



Cotton grown in the United States can be divided into two 

 general classes, the upland and the long staple. The upland can 

 be divided further into the ordinary upland and long staple 

 upland. These classifications are based on the kind of fibre pro- 

 duced. The fibre of the upland cotton usually runs from seven- 

 eighths to one and one-eighth inches in length. Long staple runs 

 from one and one-quarter to about one and one-half inches, while 



the long staple runs above one 

 and one-half. Some Sea Island 

 as iQiig as two inches is produced. 

 In general tlie requirements for 

 a cotton soil are that it should 

 be well drained, should Avarm up 

 quickly in the spring, and be at 

 least reasonably well supjolied 

 Avitli mineral constituents. Cot> 

 ton is grown on all types of soil 

 from a coarse sand to a stiff clay, 

 and, irrespective of the type, 

 where it meets the above condi- 

 tions a fair amount of cotton can 

 be produced. A good manj^ bot- 

 tom land soils are known as cold 

 soils and do not produce cotton. 

 This is unquestionably due to a 

 surplus of moisture. A soil that 

 does not crust is desirable in get- 

 ting a stand of cotton because the crust interferes materially 

 with the germination of the cotton seed, or at least it interferes 

 with the cotton seed getting out of the ground after germination 

 starts. 



One of the principal climatic requirements of cotton is that 

 there should be enough heat units during the growing season to 

 properly develop the cotton. While there are some very early 

 cottons grown, the type that makes the heaviest yield is one 



* Professor of Agronomy, Georgia State College of Agriculture, 



135 



Lidiich, b. fiuit (1„, 

 ing; c. seed with fibers 

 Itossidlo. 



