Trash from bracts makes up the majority of leaf trash used to assign leaf grade indices of raw cotton fiber. Recent studies revealed leaf grade index and marginal bract trichomes increased as leaf pubescence rating increased. Marginal bract trichomes may help explain the variation in leaf grade indices. Two studies were conducted in 1996 to 1) evaluate variation in number of trichomes on bracts and leaves of individual plants and 2), evaluate variation in number of marginal bract trichomes among cultivars in the 1996 Arkansas Cotton Variety Test.