VARIETIES OF COTTON 467 



The individual strands or fibers consist of single cells, ranging 

 from J/ to 2J/ inches long in the different varieties. Each 

 fiber or cell is much twisted, a feature which distinguishes 

 it from other fibers. It is estimated that there are some- 

 times as many as five hundred twists to the inch. The fiber 

 is very strong for its size and can be woven into a very fine 

 thread, though not as fine or as strong as silk. The value of 

 the lint depends on its color, cleanness, length, and strength. 

 The importance of cotton as a textile material is due largely 

 to its cheapness and durability. 



Ordinary varieties of upland cotton yield about 1 pound 

 of lint to each 3 pounds of seed cotton; i. e., 3 pounds of seed 

 cotton will yield one-third, or 33 per cent, of its weight in 

 lint. The usual variation is between 30 and 35 per cent, 

 though nearly 40 per cent is occasionally obtained. Sea 

 Island and Egyptian cotton yield rather less, only about 30 

 per cent. Long-staple upland, a type with specially long, 

 strong lint, yields less lint than ordinary upland, but the 

 value per pound is much greater. 



615. Varieties. The varieties of cotton are numerous, 

 probably as many as two hundred names being known in 

 the United States, though not all represent distinct varieties. 

 They differ in length of lint, earliness, productiveness, size of 

 boll, and other features. The principal classes are the short- 

 limb or King type, the big-boll type, and the long-staple 

 type. The productiveness and earliness of cotton depend 

 to a considerable extent on the length of the internodes and 

 the length of the branches. The limbs appear in the axils 

 of the leaves along the main stem and the flowers are pro- 

 duced on the secondary branches which grow from these 

 main limbs. A type of plant with limbs close to the ground 

 and with short joints is ordinarily earlier and more pro- 

 ductive than one with fewer and longer limbs. 



