Cotton is the seed covering of a cotton plant. We use it for making many kinds of clothes. Cotton plants are grown in the countries that have hot moist summers. When the plants have flowered they form seed pods called cotton bolls. In each boll there are up to forty seeds. Fibres grow on the seeds. As the fibres grow, the seedcase, or boll, swells up and then bursts open. When this happens the cotton bolls are collected and the fibres are separated from the seeds by machines.

One machine has long teeth-like combs. As one set of combs put the cotton through narrow slots, the seeds are pulled off. Then the fibres are untangled with a machine that works rather like a hairbrush. After the cotton has been untangled it is spun into yarn.

Cotton is made into many kinds of fabric such as gingham, denim, flannelette and winceyette.