Cotton

Cotton was grown by American Indians in the early 1500's, documented from sightings by the Coronado expedition 1540-1542. The Spaniards raised a cotton crop in Florida in 1556., Pioneers had to make all the thread they required for their clothing, draperies, sheets, towels and any other cloth needs. The making of material took a lot of time and work, which is why people had only a few sets of clothing. Girls would have learned how to spin, starting at the age of six. Boys wore shirts and pants made of cotton or buckskin, which is leather made from the skin of a deer. Girls wore skirts or dresses, usually made of brightly colored cotton called calico or gingham. It had stripes, checks or flowers in different colors., Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll. It is a self-pollinating plant and considered a perennial. An average boll will contain nearly 500,000 fibers of cotton and each plant may bear up to 100 bolls. A boll is a protective case around the seeds of the cotton., Although fiber is the most valuable product from a cotton field, it is important to remember that this versatile plant also provides many products for human and animal consumption. While the fiber is woven into apparel and home textiles, the seeds are used as a high-quality feed for cows., The seeds can also be pressed and turned into cottonseed oil that can be used in cooking, as well as cosmetics, soap, and food products like chips and salad dressing. Cotton by-products are in everything from ice cream to wallpaper, from hot dog casings to baseballs, not to mention lots of things we use at home, like cotton swabs, wipes, and even disposable diapers., The United States cotton industry exports 6 million to 9 million bales of raw cotton every year. The annual value of the cotton exceeded $3 billion. Today, cotton is still grown in the Florida panhandle as a fiber crop.