What would winter be like without your cozy bedroom slippers or your soft
pajamas that keep you warm? What about the hand-me-down blue jean comforter that
you can't sleep without? Well, all of these things have one thing in common: they are
Cotton has been used since prehistoric times, scientists think the earliest known
cotton plant was about 7000 years ago. It has been used in India for at least 5000 years,
cotton was even around when pilgrims landed in America in 1607.
Back then, cotton was hand picked and seperated by hand, which took many
workers and a lot of hard work. Around 1793, Eli Whitney invented the Cotton Gin, used
to separate the cotton fiber from the seeds. Cotton soon later became one of the most
The leading cotton-producing states are Texas, California, Mississippi, Arkansas,
Louisiana, North Carolina, Arizona, and of course, Georgia. In the United States, cotton
is only 35 percent of the fibers produced in textile mills. But the United States isn't the
only country that produces cotton, it only produces one sixth of the cotton in the world.
other countries include China, India, Pakistan, Brazil, and Turkey.
You know why cotton is so widespread? Cotton has great durability, absorbency,
and it is very easy to dye. If you live in the United States you most likely use cotton on an
everyday basis. The fiber in cotton is most commonly used as fabric to make you favorite
t-shirt, or yarn for knitting. It s also used in automobile tires, and plastic reinforcing. The
rest of the cotton plant is also used. Cotton hulls are used for fertilizer, fuel, and packing.
Fiber from the stalk is used for pressed paper and cardboard.
Cotton is very important to the economy and our every day lives. So when you go
to Wal-Mart and you are looking at clothes or blankets, think about whats cool,
comfortable, and durable: cotton. I know that without my blu
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