ngth. The sea island cotton grown chiefly on the islands off the coast
of Georgia, Carolina, and Florida is the most valuable variety, having a
fine fiber, one and one-half to two inches in length. Some of the
Egyptian cotton belongs to this species. Sea island cotton is used
chiefly for fine laces, thread and knit goods and for the finest lawns
and muslins.

[Sidenote: Upland Cotton]

The short fiber or upland cotton is the most common and useful variety.
It is grown in Georgia, North and South Carolina and Alabama. Texas
cotton is similar to upland, but sometimes is harsh with shorter fiber.
Gulf cotton occupies a position between upland and sea island cotton.

[Illustration: UPLAND COTTON PLANT WITH FULLY DEVELOPED BOLES

From Bulletin No. 31, Georgia Experiment Station.]

[Illustration: COTTON BOLE FULLY DEVELOPED

From Year Book of the Department of Agriculture, 1903.]

[Illustration: BOLE OPENED, COTTON READY FOR PICKING

Year Book of 1903.]

The Brazilian and Peruvian cotton yields a long staple and is sometimes
used to adulterate silk and other fibers. Some varieties of this cotton
are harsh and wooly and are prized for use in mixing with wool.

[Sidenote: Nankin Cotton]

The Nankin cotton grown in China and India and in the southwestern part
of Louisiana is characterized by its yellow color. It is used in weaving
cloth of various kinds in the "fireside industries" which have become
popular in the United States and England.

[Illustration: COTTON FIBERS

_A A_--Unripe Fibers; _B B_--Half-ripe Fibers; _C C_--Ripe Fibers.]

[Sidenote: Spinning Qualities]

Very fine yarn can be spun from cotton because of the spiral character
of the fibers. This twist of the fibers is peculiar to cotton, being
present in no other animal or vegetable fiber. On account of this twist,
cotton cloths are much more elastic in character than those woven from
linen, the fibers of which are stiff and straight.

After the removal of the seed, no other fiber is so free from
impurities--5 per cent is the loss sustained by cleaning and bleaching.
In its natural condition, cotton will not dye readily because of a waxy
substance on the surface of the fibers. This must be removed by washing.

[Sidenote: Picking and Ginning]

Cotton should be picked only when it is fully ripe when the pods are
fully burst and the fibers expanded. The unripe fiber is glassy, does
not attain its full strength and resists the dye. Afte