Cotton

October 16, 2009

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Profile America — Friday, October 16th. Even in a world of Dacron, rayon, polyester and other artificial fibers, cotton remains a major player. Today and tomorrow, Lee County, South Carolina, is holding its 33rd annual harvest festival for “king cotton,” long a mainstay of the local economy. Cultivated throughout history, cotton is still known as a wonder fiber for its versatility. Almost all the crop is grown in 17 states, with Texas the largest producer. The U.S. harvests 19 million bales of cotton a year — third behind China and India. To understand how much cotton is in a bale, more than 1,200 t-shirts can be made from a single bale. You can find these and more facts about American agriculture from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: www.cotton.org
www.discoversouthcarolina.com
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 818
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2009edition.html