FIBER PLANTS 167 



COTTON 



Cotton, beyond question, is the most important of all known 

 fiber plants. The original home of the cotton is uncertain, but 

 it was probably India or Persia. Cotton has been well known 

 in India since 800 B. C. and perhaps earlier. All wild species 

 of cotton are tropical and perennial, but in commercial plan- 

 tations the crop is grown almost universally as an annual. 



While the true wild forms of cultivated cottons are not 

 known botanically, names have been given to certain groups of 

 commercial cottons. Gossypium barbadense is commonly con- 

 sidered as including Sea Island and Egyptian cottons. Both of 

 these forms of cotton produce yellow flowers, smooth seed, 

 that is without short fuzz, and a long silky lint or fiber. G. 

 peruvianum includes the Peruvian, Bolivian, and Kidney cot- 

 tons. These varieties of cotton develop very large leaves, yel- 

 low flowers, smooth seed, and a harsh lint of medium length. 

 The American Upland cottons are referred by botanists to G. 

 hirsutum. These forms are invariably grown strictly as an- 

 nuals, the flowers are white, and the seeds fuzzy. G. herbac- 

 eum is a closely related species, which includes the short staple 

 Indian and Chinese cottons. Many hybrid cottons have been 

 produced and distributed, particularly in tropical countries 

 with claims of unusual merit. Among these mention may be 

 made of Caravonica and Mamara cotton. The Caravonica cot- 

 ton is supposed to be a hybrid between the Sea Island and 

 Kidney cottons, although the statements regarding its origin are 

 somewhat at variance with one another. Three types of this 

 cotton may appear from the same sample of seed, namely, a 

 practically pure Kidney cotton with the seeds of each boll 

 cemented together, a type like Sea Island, and another com- 

 monly called Caravonica wool, which appears like a true hybrid 

 or blend between Sea Island and Kidney cottons. The Cara- 

 vonica and Mamara cottons are not adapted to cold climates for 

 the reason that a season of 7 or 8 months is required for the 



