280 SOUTHERN FIELD CROPS 



(2) Leaves with much longer and slenderer lobes ; 



(3) The absence of hairs from leaves and stems ; 



(4) The yellowish color of the fresh blooms and the pres- 

 ence of red spots near the base of each petal ; 



(5) The much smaller, slenderer boll, with usually only 

 three, or sometimes four, locks ; 



(6) The longer, finer fiber and the naked black seed 

 nearly or quite free from fuzz. 



The usual length of fiber is 1| to 2 inches. In quality 

 Sea Island cotton is fine and silky. It is used in the manu- 

 facture of the most expensive cotton fabrics, such as laces, 

 fine hosiery, and lawns. 



In recent years some grades of Sea Island cotton have 

 commanded a price above 35 cents per pound, and espe- 

 cially fine strains a still higher figure. 



252. Peruvian and Egyptian cotton. True Peruvian 

 cotton, including the leading varieties now grown in 

 Egypt, have a brownish lint. The fiber of Egyptian cotton 

 is longer than that of American upland long staple but 

 shorter and less valuable than that of the Sea Island. It is 

 an interesting fact that, though the United States exports 

 millions of bales of upland or short-staple cotton, American 

 manufacturers find it necessary to import annually about 

 150,000 bales of Egyptian cotton. This is because Egyp- 

 tian cotton is needed for special purposes; for example, it is. 

 the kind best suited to the chemical treatment known as 

 mercerization, by which a silky luster is imparted. Mer- 

 cerization consists in treating the fiber with a solution of 

 caustic soda, washing it, then treating the fiber with dilute 

 sulphuric acid, and again washing it. 



Some varieties of Egyptian cotton have white lint and 



