280 SOUTHEBN 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 cjuite free from fuzz. 



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

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

 facture of the most expensive cotton fal:)rics, such as laces, 

 fine hosiery, and lawns. 



In recent years some grades of Sea Island cotton lia\'e 

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

 cially fine strains a still higher figure. 



252. Peruvian and Egyptian cotton. — True Peru\'ian 

 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 l^ut 

 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 liales of Egyptian cotton. This is liecailse 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. ]\Ier- 

 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 



