248 



COTTON 



COTTON 



tensively in the United States, a third group, 

 known aa long-staple uplands (Fig. 357), is grown 

 in considerable quantity, over 100,000 bales 

 being produced annually. The long-staple upland 

 cotton ranges from one and one-fourth to one 

 and five-eighths inches in length of lint. While 

 the derivation of the long-staple upland varieties 

 is not positively known, it is probable that they 

 have developed from variations of the ordinary 

 short-staple upland, and they are ordinarily referred 

 to the same species (G. hirmtum). 



History. 



In what land and in what period of antiquity 

 cotton was first used will probably never be known. 

 Its use seems to be coeval with human history. Early 

 writers tell us that it was worn by the ancient 

 Egyptians and used for other purposes, more than 

 a thousand years before Christ. With the progres3 

 of civilization it has grown in favor and in extent 

 of cultivation, until it has become one of the most 

 important crops in the world, the greatest of all 

 fiber crops, and the most widely manufactured of 

 all textiles. This great extension of the industry, 

 however, has developed within comparatively 

 recent years. Previous to the middle of the eight- 

 eenth century, cotton had to be spun and woven 

 by hand machines. There was also great diflSculty 

 experienced in separating the seed from the fibers, 

 as it had to be done by hand. This work was 

 usually done at night. After finishing the ordinary 



tie. 356. A, Mature boll of Truitt, a big-boiled upland cot- 

 ton; B, mature boll of Peterkln, a small-boiled upland 

 cotton ; C_, mature boll of sea-island cotton; D, mature 

 boll of G-rifiSn, a loug-staplis upland cotton. (About one- 

 half natural size.) 



day's work, the members of the family would 

 gather around the fireside and begin the work of 

 pulling the fibers from the seed with their fingers, 

 the task of each one being to separate foUr pounds, 

 or enough seed to fill one of his or her shoes. Because 





of these primitive methods of manufacturing the 

 article and the great dfificulty in separating the 

 lint from the seed, it was for a long time produced 

 only in limited quantities, mainly for domestic 

 purposes, and thus prevented assuming the dignity 



of an important 



■ - — ^^ 



industry until 

 little over a cen- 

 tury ago. In the 

 latter half of 

 the eighteenth 

 century there 

 was a great in- 

 dustrial revolu- 

 tion. The cotton 

 industry was 

 greatly stimu- 

 lated, mainly 

 by the invention 

 of the spinning- 

 jenny, the self- 

 acting mule, the 

 power loom, the 

 steam engine, 

 the saw-gin, and 

 other useful ma- 

 chines. After 

 these inventions, 

 the house indus- 

 try soon gave 

 way to the fac- 

 tory, and ma- 

 chines were 

 substituted for 

 hand labor. The demand for raw material became 

 greater, and production was immensely increased. 

 There was a minute division of labor and a great 

 specialization of the industry. The markets for the 

 manufactured products were enormously extended, 

 and thus was developed almost as oy magic the 

 most widely diversified industry in the world. 



The growth of the cotton industry in this country 

 has been marvelous indeed. With but few inter- 

 ruptions, there has been a rapid and steady increase 

 in production since the invention of the saw-gin by 

 Whitney. Estimating 500 pounds as an average 

 bale, in 1792 less than 6,000 bales were produced; 

 in 1820 the production was 320,000 bales, in 1840 

 it reached 1,668,221 bales, and by 1860 it had in- 

 creased to 4,483,311 bales. During the great civil 

 war in the sixties, the production of cotton prac- 

 tically ceased, thereby causing a cotton famine in 

 this country and in Europe. Hundreds of mills had 

 to cease running, thousands of operatives were 

 thrown out of employment, and prices soared be- 

 yond all bounds, reaching the high mark of over a 

 dollar per pound and carrying the shock of the con- 

 test to the uttermost parts of the globe. During 

 this period great efforts were made to stimulate 

 the production of cotton in India and other parts 

 of the world. The failure of other countries to 

 supply the demand while stimulated by these fabu- 

 lous prices is a splendid demonstration of the prac- 

 tical impossibility of maintaining the industry 

 without the American cotton. After the close of 



Fig. 357. Seeds of cotton, showing staple. 

 (1) Sea-island cotton; (2) long-staple 

 upland cotton (Allen) ; (3) upland 

 cotton. (Slightly over one half nat- 

 ural size.) 



