LOWER EGYPT COTTONS. 35 



LOWER ECJYPT COTTONS. 

 MIT AKIKI. 



ITiidoubtcdly tho chief variety of cotton in Eirypl is Mil Alili (I'ls. 

 Ill, lij;. '2, and VI, lig. 1), so called from a village in (ialiiil)ich Prov- 

 ince, where it was lirst <;rown about ISS;]. It conslitiiles a very hiuh 

 percentajj:o of the total production of the country, and llie piicc at 

 which its (iljci- is soil forms a basis for that of olher \arieli<'s. Tlie 

 plant is normal in size; and not so large, generally speaking, as .laniio- 

 vitch. It is average as regards the time at which il riix'iis. Ash- 

 mouni, grown in upi)er Kgyi>1, comes into the market lii-st. Abbasi is 

 prol)ably a little earlier, and Jannovitch a little later than Alili. As 

 regards sowing, quantity of seed used, watering, picking, etc., the [)ar- 

 ticulars given in another part of this bulletin refer to this vai-iety. 

 The liber of Mit Afifi is brown in color, long, lustrous, generally very 

 strong, and fine to tlio touch. It attains an average lengtli of 1; to 

 1^ inches. There is a greatdemand for il ; in fact, it leads the market. 

 The total production per acre is good, being on an average highei- tlnin 

 that of any other variety. It is true that in cei-tain favoi-ed districts 

 Abbasi may rival and even surpass it in this respect, but no other 

 variety appears under all circumstances to yield 500 or (iOO pounds 

 per acre of lint on good average soil. The bolls are pointed and 

 rather small, l)ut the cotton is easily picked. Ginning is easy, and 

 from 105 to 10!) pounds of fiber are ol)tained i)er cantar, i. c., fi-oni 33 

 to 35 per cent. Afifi cotton does not show great differences in (|nality 

 in late pickings as do the other Lower Egypt cottons; that is to say, 

 the difference between the first and second pickings is less mai'ked 

 than with others. 



The origin of Afifi cotton is very doubtful. Some years ago there 

 existed in Egj'pt a considerable number of varieties which Avere short 

 lived, such as Hamouli, Gallini, Hindi, etc. Pure white cotton also 

 existed, but its cultivation was abandoned after the appearance of 

 Afifi. A variety known as "Bahmia" Avas also somewhat extensively 

 grown for sevei-al years and gaA'e good results on good quality land. 

 It Avas also rejilaced by Afifi. A \'ariety knoAvn as "Hariri" Avas first 

 cultiA'ated in tlie Goddaba district (Garbieh province). This Avas finer 

 CA'en than the A'ariety known as "Jannovitch" Avhich is cultivated 

 at the present time. The output in ginning, however, Avas very poor 

 (GO to 70 pounds of fiber per 315 pounds of raAV cotton), and its cultiva- 

 tion Avas abandoned because groAvers found it unprofitable. Gallini 

 was also first known in the Goddaba district Avhen this region Avas 

 badly drained and the land consequently salty. Since that time, 

 however, the quality has greatly deteriorated, and as the output in 

 ginning was poor it also Avas replaced by Aflfi. It Avas commonly 

 reported that this variety, Avhich Avas itself said t(; be of Sea Island 



