| n is the most important natural fibre known to us | | | | The time period required for growth depends on |
| today. It has been around for centuries and | | | | the climate, the area and the type of cotton. It |
| empires have been built on its merits. It fuelled | | | | takes around 25 weeks for the seed to grow to |
| the colonial movements and subsequently became | | | | a stage where it can be harvested. It is grown in |
| one of the causes for freedom struggles around | | | | places with low humidity and dry summers. After |
| the world, even as it became the chosen fibre for | | | | harvest, it is sent to other places for being |
| comfortable clothing. This great fibre was and | | | | converted into fibre and then yarn. |
| continues to be so precious to us that the name | | | | To prepare the yarn, bales of the crop are first |
| “white gold” given to it does not | | | | opened and then cleaned. The fibres are |
| seem like an exaggeration. It is grown in more | | | | separated using a process called carding. After this |
| than 50 countries around the world and is | | | | most manufacturers comb the fibres and then |
| consumed by many more nations. It traces its | | | | the fibres are straightened by the process called |
| background to one of the earliest civilisations - the | | | | drawing. The fibres now go into the spinning |
| Indus Valley Civilisation and has only continued to | | | | machines where they get twisted together into |
| grow in importance with time. | | | | bobbins. The final stage before they become |
| We have the first evidence of cultivated cotton | | | | clothes is called weaving by which the threads get |
| coming from India and Pakistan- nearly seven | | | | woven together to become a stretch of cloth. |
| thousand years ago. The clothes of those times | | | | After this comes the finishing stages like bleaching |
| were crude and not of the quality we see them | | | | and dyeing and then the cloth becomes a |
| today. Most of the western world had not been | | | | garment- it can become anything from a sarong |
| introduced to it until the times of Alexander the | | | | to a night suit now. |
| Great. The real spread of cotton came after | | | | Cotton is used in many kinds of products. Denim, |
| colonisation. British traders imported it from India | | | | terrycloth and canvas all make use of it. It is also |
| and then slowly began cultivating it in other parts | | | | used to make synthetic fibres like polyester. It is |
| of the world. Soon America became an important | | | | blended with some other fibres like rayon. It is |
| region for cultivation, as the quality of cotton | | | | used largely for clothing but its seeds and leaves |
| produced in the US was more suitable for | | | | are used for other purposes too. A whole range |
| industrial production. Now China, India, US, Pakistan | | | | of clothes and cloth products we see today like |
| and Uzbekistan are leading producers of the crop. | | | | pants, shirts, t-shirts, skirts, frocks, scarves, |
| The journey of this crop can be summarised into | | | | sarongs, kaftans, canvas bags, shoes etc use |
| the following steps:a. Cultivatingb. Harvestingc. | | | | cotton in them. |
| Preparing yarnd. Spinning ande. Weaving | | | | |