By:  Montford                                          S.R. No. 309
    1-1                           SENATE RESOLUTION
    1-2        WHEREAS, Cotton Day at the State Capitol will be celebrated
    1-3  on March 7, 1995, in recognition of the important role the crop
    1-4  has played and continues to play in the economy of our state; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, Cotton has earned its title of "King" in Texas for
    1-6  more than a century; since 1880, Texas has led all other states in
    1-7  cotton production and the annual cotton harvest is approximately
    1-8  1/3 of the total production in the United States; and
    1-9        WHEREAS, The bountiful crop was first cultivated by the
   1-10  Spanish missionaries in San Antonio as early as 1745 when it was
   1-11  reported that several thousand pounds were produced annually; and
   1-12        WHEREAS, Anglo-American colonists began cultivating cotton
   1-13  in 1821 when Stephen F. Austin brought families to settle on the
   1-14  fertile soil between the Trinity and Brazos rivers; and
   1-15        WHEREAS, New areas for cotton production were opened as the
   1-16  Indian tribes were pushed westward by an ever-expanding population
   1-17  of settlers; the introduction of barbed wire and the building of
   1-18  railroads increased the industry further; cotton growing spread to
   1-19  the plains and the prairies of the Panhandle by 1908 as irrigation
   1-20  brought much needed water to the regions; and
   1-21        WHEREAS, Grown exclusively for its fiber in the beginning,
   1-22  cotton has become a versatile plant whose seeds are used for
   1-23  cooking oils, livestock feed, and cleansing products, as well as
    2-1  various other products made from its linters, hulls, and meats; and
    2-2        WHEREAS, Since 1983 the annual cotton crop has averaged 3.81
    2-3  million bales; the total value of upland and pima lint cotton
    2-4  produced in Texas in 1992 was $789,889,000, and cottonseed value
    2-5  in 1992 was $144,022,000; and
    2-6        WHEREAS, An electronic marketing system ties the state's major
    2-7  cotton-producing areas together; the network provides farmers with
    2-8  a centralized market and links producers with a large number of
    2-9  buyers; and
   2-10        WHEREAS, Texas exports much of its cotton to all parts of the
   2-11  world with major buyers located in Japan and South Korea; cotton
   2-12  continues to be a major source of income for our state and Texas
   2-13  remains an important supplier of cotton products for the world;
   2-14  now, therefore, be it
   2-15        RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
   2-16  74th Legislature, hereby declare March 7, 1995, as Cotton Day at
   2-17  the Capitol and recognize all those who are associated with the
   2-18  success of the cotton industry; and, be it further
   2-19        RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared as an
   2-20  expression of the appreciation and high regard of the Texas Senate.
   2-21                               ______________________________________
   2-22                                       President of the Senate
   2-23                                    I hereby certify that the above
   2-24                               Resolution was adopted by the Senate
   2-25                               on February 27, 1995.
    3-1                               ______________________________________
    3-2                                       Secretary of the Senate
    3-3                               ______________________________________
    3-4                                        Member, Texas Senate