Aqueous extracts of card dusts collected from cotton grown in California, Texas, and Mississippi, and processed at the Cotton Quality Research Station, USDA, Clemson, SC, were freeze-dried and then, derivatized and analyzed by capillary gas chromatography. Silylated derivatives of phosphoric acid or phosphate, glycerol, fumaric acid or fumarate, malic acid or malate, citric acid or citrate, fructose, glucose, arabitol and mannitol were identified in the chromatographic profiles of the dust samples. The gas chromatographic profiles can be used to differentiate the samples according to area of growth but not according to variety. Derivatized extracts of the California samples have relatively high levels of malate and citrate and low levels of mannitol. Derivatized extracts of the Mississippi and Texas samples have low malate levels and high mannitol levels. Variations in the relative levels of mannitol and malate may be related to variations in plant senescence or microbial degradation at harvest by area of growth.