the use of common forms that
prevailed among the tribes. The designs were always conventional and
sometimes monotonous. The decoration never interfered with its use. "The
first beauty of the savage woman was uniformity which belonged to the
texture and shape of the product." The uniformity in textile, basketry,
or pottery, after acquiring a family trait, was never lost sight of.
Their designs were suggested by the natural objects with which they were
familiar.

[Illustration: PICKING COTTON.

From Department of Agriculture Bulletin, "The Cotton Plant."]

FIBERS

Both the animal and vegetable kingdoms furnish the materials for
clothing as well as for all the textiles used in the home. The fleece of
sheep, the hair of the goat and camel, silk, furs, and skins are the
chief animal products. The principal vegetable fibers are cotton, flax,
ramie, jute, and hemp.

[Sidenote: Chief Fibers]

Cotton linen, wool, and silk have heretofore formed the foundation of
all textiles and are the principal fibers used for clothing materials.
Ramie or China grass and pineapple fibers are sometimes used as
adulterants in the manufacture of silk. When woven alone, they give soft
silky textiles of great strength and beauty.

COTTON

[Illustration: PRODUCTION OF COTTON]

Cotton is now our chief vegetable fiber, the yearly crop being over six
billion pounds, of which the United States raises three-fourths. Texas
is the largest producer, followed by Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
The remainder of the world supply comes chiefly from India, Egypt,
Russia, and Brazil. The Hindoos were the first ancient people to make
extensive use of the cotton fiber. Not until the invention of the cotton
gin by Eli Whitney in 1794 did the cotton begin to reach its present
importance. Only four or five pounds of the fiber could be separated by
hand from the seed by a week's labor. The modern saw gins turn out over
five thousand pounds daily.

[Sidenote: Native Home]

Cotton is the white downy covering of the seed of several special of
cotton of cotton plant. It is a native of many parts of the world, being
found by Columbus growing in the West Indies and on the main land, by
Cortez in Mexico, and Pizarro in Peru.

[Illustration: COTTON FIBER ATTACHED TO SEED]

[Sidenote: Sea Island Cotton]

The value of cotton depends upon the strength, and evenness of the
fiber. In ordinary cotton the individual fiber is about an inch in
le