On the Subject of Cotton

So what about Cotton? I'm sure probably everyone has at least one item in their closets--probably more--that is made out of cotton. A cotton t-shirt, cotton underwear (at least mine is, unless of course you prefer silky stuff but we won't go any further with that train of thought =P .) Well, let's start with the basic's, cotton comes from a cotton plant. The original cotton plants were only found in tropical regions between the 5th and 4th millennium BC (according to Wikipedia, I actually got a book out of the library to but it's out in the car and it is wet and nasty outside, so I will have to make use of it later.) The original form of the cotton plant, did not spread very far due to the fact that it could not survive well in harsh or colder climates. It's spread was limited to parts of India and into parts of Africa; this variety of cotton had a much shorter fiber then the longer Egyptian variety.

The second type of cotton was supposedly found in China, and had adapted to grow in a much harsher climate. This variety of cotton quickly spread from China across Eurasia and into parts of Africa. It was later that the American variety of cotton was also found. Through out a long span of time different kinds of cotton has been spun, woven and dyed. The seeds were also used for their oils. According to the article on Wiki, the earliest known cultivate that was discovered in the Americas occurred in Mexico, around 8,000 years ago.

Originally cotton was only used as a weft thread on the loom and linen as the warp, "Hundreds of years before the Christian era cotton textiles were woven in India with matchless skill, and their use spread to the Mediterranean countries. In the 1st cent. Arab traders brought fine muslin and calico to Italy and Spain. The Moors introduced the cultivation of cotton into Spain in the 9th cent. Fustian's and dimities were woven there and in the 14th cent. in Venice and Milan, at first with a linen warp. Little cotton cloth was imported to England before the 15th cent., although small amounts were obtained chiefly for candlewicks. By the 17th cent. the East India Company was bringing rare fabrics from India. Native Americans skillfully spun and wove cotton into fine garments and dyed tapestries. Cotton fabrics found in Peruvian tombs are said to belong to a pre-Inca culture. In color and texture the ancient Peruvian and Mexican textiles resemble those found in Egyptian tombs." (Wiki)

Alright out of time, more on Cotton later.

Sources & Interesting Places:
Cotton Incorporated, http://www.cottoninc.com/
Cotton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton
Natural Cotton Council of America, http://www.cotton.org/
Miss MacDonald Had A Farm, Cotton, http://www.valdosta.edu/~clmcdonald/topic.html