Cotton 
21] 
THE FIELD OF CONSUMPTION 
We have now followed the cotton through the intricate steps of 
manufacturing and are ready to trace it through the market to the 
store where it is purchased, ready to wear or to use in your home. 
You and the other users of the product use up, or consume, the 
goods made in the fields of production and manufacturing; hence 
the fourth field with which commercial and industrial geography 
deals may be called the field of consumption. 
Cotton goods consumed as clothing. There are two principal 
markets for cotton cloth — people and industries. Certain cottons 
zo directly to people, to be used by them in clothing or for various 
household purposes; others go to industries to be made into more 
complicated goods, usually in combination with several other 
materials. 
A little thought will convince you that in your clothing cotton is 
used more than any other material. The fiber is so strong, so readily 
cleansed, so inexpensive, and so well adapted for many kinds of cloth 
that it has naturally become almost the universal clothing material. 
The many names given to different kinds of cotton cloth of them- 
selves suggest a great variety of uses. Gingham, percale, muslin, 
canvas, khaki, and denim are familiar as names of fabrics adapted to 
special purposes. All the different kinds of weaves, patterns, 
weights, and colors are required to satisfy our need of comfort, long 
service, beauty, or style, or our desire for a change. 
We demand different cottons at different seasons. In summer we 
naturally incline toward white or light-colored goods and those of 
light weight, not only because they reflect the sun’s rays and keep us 
cool, but also because they make us look more comfortable. For 
summer, cotton apparel has an advantage over other materials 
because it is at the same time the coolest and the cheapest. Woolen 
cloth prevents the heat of the body from escaping, while silk and 
linen are too expensive for most of us. 
Most people prefer cotton underwear at all seasons, because the 
fibers do not irritate the skin as wool does. Moreover, cotton under- 
wear, unlike woolen, shrinks but little in washing. 
The consumption of cotton for household use. We have been 
thinking thus far of the cotton goods consumed in our clothing. Now 
let us consider those in use in our houses. A glance about your home 
will give you an idea of the large amount of cotton your family con- 
sumes directly. You may walk upon cotton rugs, pull down a cot-