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Plants Impotant to Man | ||||||||
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Cotton Cotton has many uses including clothes, diapers, explosives, hats, shoes, and food. The cottonseed part of the cotton plant is used for oil and animal feed. In the past cotton was used for clothing, binding of sandals, and harnesses for elephants. Some economic problems with cotton is that farmers have competition with synthetic fibers and high production prices. This problem has made cotton farmers not make as much money as they used to. Asiatic cotton grew wild in East Africa. The people of what now is Pakistan cultivated cotton many years ago. Persians took cotton growing methods from the people of the country of India. Alexander the Great brought cotton to Europe in about 300 BC. The English wove cotton in the 1600s. The natives of America grew cotton in the 1600s century. Eli Whitney made the first cotton gin in 1793. A cotton gin removes the seed from the fiber. During the 19th century cotton mills grew in the South in the United States. The places where cotton is most grown and produced is: ·
China Cotton comes from the mallow family, Malvaceae. It come more specifically from the genus, Gossypium. Potatoes Potatoes are used to make potato chips, instant mashed potato powder, flour, and some starches. Food canners make hash, soup, and stew. One problem with potatoes is that it must be planted annually. This must be done because the plant dies after the tubers mature. The potato was originally from South America. The Inca Indians grew potatoes in the valleys of the Andes Mountains in South America. When Spanish explorers came to South America they were introduced to the potato plant. Spaniard brought potatoes to the continent Europe in the middle of the 16th century. Ireland soon depended on potatoes. Potatoes mainly came to the U.S. when crops in Ireland failed, and the Irish immigrated to the United States. The 1900s was a time that potatoes were used for many purposes. According to The World Book Encyclopedia (1991 Edition) the leading growers of potatoes are: ·
Soviet Union In the United States the top potato growing states are: ·
Idaho The four main varieties of potatoes grown in the United States are the Russet Burbank, Norchip, Kennebec, and Katahdin. Other varieties are Chippewa, Cobbler, Red LaSoda, Red Pontiac, Superior, and White Rose. Some insects that destroy the potato are aphids, flea beetles, leafhoppers, potato beetles, and potato psyllids. The tubers of the potato are attacked by cutworms, grubs, potato tuber worm, and wire worms. These insects are controlled by using insecticides. The white potato is in the nightshade family, Solanceae. Soybean Some uses that the soybean plant is used for is glycerin, paints, soap, linoleum, plastic, and printing ink. Some food products it is used for is soy milk, curd, cheese, and meat. The soybean was originally created by cultigen. Cultigen is when a species is created through cultivation. The soybean’s wild ancestor is Glycine max. The soybean was first cultivated in China, and became a main source of food in the Orient. In the late 1800s the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) began researching soybeans. After this the United States became a leading producer of soybean. Bibliography
Plants Important to Man © 1998 Jacob Eapen. |