THE COTTON PLANT 



SEED-COTTON is the fruit of a plant belonging to the 

 same botanical order as the mallow, hollyhock, and 

 okra. It belongs to the genus Gossypium, and the number 

 of species or types is variously stated to be from four to 

 forty-two. Agriculturally and commercially, cotton is 

 usually classified by "grade," according to quality, length 

 of fiber, etc., and the locality in which it is produced. 



Two great classes are recognized: Oriental and Occi- 

 dental, or Eastern and Western. The chief distinguish- 

 ing feature between these two classes lies in the color of 

 the seed, the Eastern cotton having black seed, while 

 the Western varieties are green seeded. There are two 

 distinct types of North American cottons, (i) the famous 

 "Sea-Island" (black-seeded) or "long staple," and (2) the 

 "New Orleans" (green-seeded) or "short staple." 



Sea-Island cotton seems to require the even moist 

 climate of low-lying districts, where frost is scarcely known. 

 As this fiber is produced in a limited area, its cultural 

 importance to the general cotton planter is not great. 

 The greater part of American cotton production belongs 

 to the "Upland." This "upland," or short staple cotton, 

 covering a vast proportion of the cotton area, is the cotton 

 of the planter, and the kind referred to in this book where 

 no other grade is specified. 



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