Cotton Reels by Jeanne Arnieri
Tariffs or Import Taxes are believed by some economists to encourage domestic manufacture. Whether that is a good or practical idea depends on the trade. We are interested in cotton prints.
We do not print cottons in the United States. Naive and/or gullible fabric customers may think taxes on cotton yardage from Japan, Korea, India and other Asian nations will return U.S.-produced cottons to our quilt shops. Below and next post: Two major reasons why that will not happen:
1) Domestic production for quiltmaking stashes and garments would mean the cotton is grown in the U.S. One has to understand the agricultural needs of the fussy cotton plant to know why that will not happen.
We used to grow quite fine cotton (long staple) in the Sea Islands off the Carolinas & other parts of the Lowland South but this hardy insect upended those economics in the early 20th century.
With strong insecticides you can kill the weevils that destroy the cotton but it's not a healthy prospect for the humans and animals in the area. Rather than poison the neighbors and their dogs the American cotton industry just gave up on fine cotton agriculture over 100 years ago. Southern Asia does not have the weevil problem and they have taken over the finer cotton production.
Teddy Pruett who lives in North Florida discovered that cotton mills in her area once produced cotton yarn for knitting. "When the boll weevil wiped out cotton crops throughout the south, we were out of business. This area produced cotton all through my growing up years, but thousands of acres of cotton in the fifties and sixties is all gone now."
She adds: "It’s my understanding that the weevil eradication programs have been extremely successful. I have read some articles from University of Florida and it would appear there’s really nothing to keep us from growing cotton."
After a century we have vanquished the weevil. So why do we not grow fine cotton?
Virginia Berger found an answer. Sea Island cotton, the fine stuff, requires some TLC that machine harvesting cannot provide. Skilled farmworkers in Asia harvest fine cotton by hand, carefully pulling the bolls from the plants.
https://knowingfabric.com/what-is-sea-island-cotton-fabric/
Americans do not want those kind of jobs. When I worked at a Chicago hospital many years ago my friends used to tell me about their teen-age years picking cotton in Arkansas. They were happier in Chicago---much happier.
Cotton Reels by Jeanne Arnieri
Cotton, once a principal foundation of the U.S. economy and a major excuse for slavery, remains a very useful commodity worldwide and an important export in our international trade. But not fine cotton.
The U.S produced 14.4 million bales of cotton last year and exported a good deal of it. Some goes for clothing but other industrial uses include cottonseed oil, tires & furniture. We also see sturdy cottons in items such as canvas cotton bags - a good use for American-grown cotton===bags printed and stitched overseas.
Even if we developed modern, efficient American technology for printing on cotton yardage we would still be importing the goods. Those who tell us we should return to raising high-quality cotton know very little about the cotton industry.
1) Domestic production for quiltmaking stashes and garments would mean the cotton is grown in the U.S. One has to understand the agricultural needs of the fussy cotton plant to know why that will not happen.
Vinay Shekhar's slide showing types of cotton and their quality----
measured by the length of the "staple."
Historically, problems began with the boll weevil.
We used to grow quite fine cotton (long staple) in the Sea Islands off the Carolinas & other parts of the Lowland South but this hardy insect upended those economics in the early 20th century.
1914 advice for cotton farmers
With strong insecticides you can kill the weevils that destroy the cotton but it's not a healthy prospect for the humans and animals in the area. Rather than poison the neighbors and their dogs the American cotton industry just gave up on fine cotton agriculture over 100 years ago. Southern Asia does not have the weevil problem and they have taken over the finer cotton production.
Employees of the Coats Cotton Knitting Mill, Lake City, Florida,
Early-20th-Century
Teddy Pruett who lives in North Florida discovered that cotton mills in her area once produced cotton yarn for knitting. "When the boll weevil wiped out cotton crops throughout the south, we were out of business. This area produced cotton all through my growing up years, but thousands of acres of cotton in the fifties and sixties is all gone now."
She adds: "It’s my understanding that the weevil eradication programs have been extremely successful. I have read some articles from University of Florida and it would appear there’s really nothing to keep us from growing cotton."
After a century we have vanquished the weevil. So why do we not grow fine cotton?
A recent harvester from John Deere
Virginia Berger found an answer. Sea Island cotton, the fine stuff, requires some TLC that machine harvesting cannot provide. Skilled farmworkers in Asia harvest fine cotton by hand, carefully pulling the bolls from the plants.
https://knowingfabric.com/what-is-sea-island-cotton-fabric/
India
Cotton, once a principal foundation of the U.S. economy and a major excuse for slavery, remains a very useful commodity worldwide and an important export in our international trade. But not fine cotton.
1939 article on California Cotton
The U.S produced 14.4 million bales of cotton last year and exported a good deal of it. Some goes for clothing but other industrial uses include cottonseed oil, tires & furniture. We also see sturdy cottons in items such as canvas cotton bags - a good use for American-grown cotton===bags printed and stitched overseas.
Even if we developed modern, efficient American technology for printing on cotton yardage we would still be importing the goods. Those who tell us we should return to raising high-quality cotton know very little about the cotton industry.
Machine-stitched reverse-applique quilt from 1908 of short staple cotton,
coarse fabric not viable for fine sewing
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