In 1793, when Eli Whitney visited a plantation, cotton was cultivated and harvested primarily by slaves, especially in the United States. Plantation owners recognized that the labor-intensive and time-consuming process of removing seeds by hand kept too many slaves out of the fields, but textile mills would not accept cotton that was full of seeds.
Whitney invented a simple device that revolutionized cotton growing. His cotton gin spun the cotton through a roller covered with teeth and the seeds fell away. The machine was later improved by Hogden Holmes. Large gins could be powered by steam engines or water wheels.
This advance allows Farmers to improve Cotton plantations to Level I. Plantations will produce two units of cotton per turn.
