112 FIBER-PRODUCING PLANTS 



ods of handling have made cotton one of the most profitable crops 

 that can be raised in the South. Although cotton was originally a 

 tropical plant, it makes its best growth in temperate climates. 

 In fact, some authorities think that by proper selection of hardy 

 cold-resistant plants the time may come when the plant can be 

 made to grow and thrive in many States now considered too far 

 north for its successful culture. In the United States cotton 

 seems to make its best growth in the Gulf States and the Atlantic 

 States as far north as Virginia; it is being successfully grown in 

 Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. Cotton 

 usually makes its best growth in medium loams and well-drained 

 soils. 



The principal varieties of cotton are: Upland, India, Sea Island, 

 Egyptian, and Peruvian cotton. The Upland and the Sea Island 



are American grown. 



American Upland Cotton. 

 This is the ordinary cotton that 

 we find growing in the cotton 



belt of the United states - li 



haS a St Ut Stem ab Ut a 



States. Best of the world. 



The world's cotton crop. ter f an llich tMck alld 



one to five feet high. The 



leaves are large and are three to six inches long and two to five 

 inches wide. The leaves of this variety generally have five very 

 distinct lobes. 



The flowers open at sunrise or just before and close late in the 

 day, never to open again. In the morning, on opening, they are 

 creamy white, but during the day they gradually turn pink. By 

 the following morning the deep pink portion of the flower falls 

 away and the young capsule or boll may be seen. The bracts 

 surrounding it are frequently called squares by farmers. The 

 bolls grow until they reach the shape and size of a hen's egg. 

 The lint is very fine in texture and is short, so that this va- 

 riety is commonly known as short-staple cotton. There has 

 been developed a long-staple variety which is now grown in 

 considerable quantities. 



India Cotton. This plant is cultivated mostly in southern 

 Asia. It has more slender, less woody stems, with leaves having 



