• A bale of cotton weighs about 500 pounds.

• U.S. textile mills will spin almost 3 million bales of cotton this year. That's enough cotton to make more than 600 million pairs of men's jeans and more than 2 billion men's dress shirts.

• One bale of cotton can make...

• 215 Pairs of Jeans

• 249 Bed Sheets

• 409 Men's Sport Shirts

• 690 Terry Bath Towels

• 765 Men's Dress Shirts

• 1,217 Men's T-Shirts

• 1,256 Pillowcases

• 2,104 Pairs of Boxer Shorts

• 2,419 Pairs of Men's Briefs

• 3,085 Diapers

• 4,321 Mid-Calf Socks

• 6,436 Pairs of Women's Knit Briefs

• 21,960 Women's Handkerchiefs

• 313,600 $100 Bills

Sources of Information: USDA ERS, FAO, EPA, USDA Census of Ag, USDA FAS and NCGA.