Abstract

Cotton, the crop that for over 150 years defined both the culture and economy of the South, has once again returned to the region after decades of decline. In 1995, the state of Georgia recorded a monumental harvest of nearly 2 million bales, the largest output in the state since 1918. Predictions for 1996 call for an even greater cotton harvest. Cotton once again has become a prominent crop in Georgia and throughout the South. Increase in cotton production can be attributed to high prices, increased demand, worldwide shortages, and eradication of the boll weevil. Whether this growth is merely a cyclical response to changing global conditions or represents a significant structural change remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that cotton—once the region's dominant crop—has returned to prominence in Georgia and in the South.

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