Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Cotton Facts What is Cotton? (video from the Oklahoma Cotton Council) 215 pairs of jeans and 1,217 T-shirts can be made from a bale of cotton. A bale of cotton weighs about 480 pounds. US paper currency is 75 percent cotton lint and 25 percent linen. A bale of cotton can be made into 313,600 dollar bills. Cotton fabric has been used to me clothing since 2200 BC. Scientists at USDA's Agricultural Research Service are creating a new, heat-tolerant fabric by mixing cotton fibers with clay. The combination contton-and-clay product has a heat tolerance of 20-30 degrees Centigrade above that of unbleached cotton. Agricultural researchers in North Carolina have created a cotton-flax denim blend that will make jeans more comfortable to wear in summer. Flax is the fiber used for making linen. The cotton-flax blend naturally absorbs and transfers moisture away from the body and helps keep skin cool. It also allows the fabric to dry faster. Cotton Lessons Back to Ag Facts Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is a program of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Oklahoma State Department of Education.