Final answer:
Short staple cotton was in fact preferred to long staple cotton prior to the invention of the cotton gin because it was better suited to the U.S. climate and easier to process by hand. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 by Eli Whitney changed this preference by facilitating the seed removal process for short staple cotton.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question regarding the MIS Quad Tendon Harvester Technique appears to be unrelated to the historical context provided about the cotton gin and the preference for short staple cotton prior to its invention. Nonetheless, the historical aspect of the question can be addressed.
Short staple cotton was preferred to long staple cotton prior to the invention of the cotton gin because it was more suitable for the climate in the United States and did not require as much manual labor to clean. The cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793, revolutionized the process by effectively removing seeds from short staple cotton, which significantly lowered the cost and increased the production pace, making it the more desirable option.