Harvesting
For many years, people picked cotton by hand. In some countries they still do. It is hard work. Now, most farmers in the U.S. use machines.
A cotton picker pulls cotton from the bolls.
| State | Tons of Cotton Grown in a Year |
|---|---|
| Texas | 1,111,000 |
| California | 657,000 |
| Mississippi | 466,000 |
Cotton needs sunny weather. It grows best in southern regions.