12 HINDI COTTON IN EGYPT. 



much more difficult, if not entirely impracticable. From this point 

 of view it is easy to understand why the culture of Sea Island cotton 

 or of the superior wdiite varieties of Egj-ptian, such as Abbasi, has 

 not become more extensive. 



The superiority claimed for the lint of the white varieties, such as 

 Abbasi, is in accordance with other indications of a general correla- 

 tion between the color and the length of the lint. Study of the lint 

 characters of many variations and hybrids seems to indicate a general 

 tendencv in brown fibers to be shorter and coarser than white fibers. 

 Thus the Jannovitch variety has lint longer and whiter than the Mit 

 Afifi, though still with a very slight tinge of brown. The Abbasi lint 

 is still longer, but is pure white in color." 



If the need of sorting the fiber were removed by more effective 

 methods of eliminating the Hindi variations, the way would be open 

 to a larger use .of white-linted varieties. Though brownish lint is 

 jDreferred for a few purposes, the color seems to be valuable chiefly 

 for the aid it gives in sorting out the inferior fiber that results from 

 the Hindi contamination. If American growers are sufficientl}^ care- 

 ful to keep out the Hindi contamination, they may be able to groAv 

 Avhite varieties that have longer and stronger fibers than the brown- 

 linted varieties now popular in Egypt. 



In addition to the long fibers that compose the lint, the seeds of 

 typical Egyptian plants are always provided with short fibers, or 

 " fuzz," that continue to adhere to the seed after the lint has been 

 removed by ginning. The fuzz may be confined to small tufts at the 

 ends of the seed or may extend down one side, or may be more widely 

 spread over the surface. The seeds of the typical Hindi cotton, on 

 the other hand, are entirely without fuzz. The black surface is left 

 entirelj' naked after the lint has been removed. The absence of fuzz 

 makes the small, sharp-pointed, black stalk or funiculus at the base 

 of the seed much more conspicuous in the Hindi cotton, though it is 

 present in other varieties. 



The seeds of the Hindi cotton are more angular in shape than those 

 of the Egyptian cotton. Though not adhering like the seeds of kid- 

 ney cotton, they seem to be more closely crowded together in the boll 

 than the seeds of the Egyptian cotton, and this mutual pressure tends 



"The production of Abbasi cotton is said to be irregular because the price 

 fluctuates with Sea Island cotton. When Sea Island cotton is cheap there is 

 small deniaiul for the Abbasi. Another variety that gave very promising results 

 in an experiment in Arizona in 1900. the Nubari, is said to In* not very highly 

 appreciated in Egypt because of a tendency to produce small bolls. While 

 many sniail-boUcd plants \ver(> found in th(> Nubari Held in Arizona, there was 

 less diversity in this and other respects than in any other lot of plants grown 

 from imported seed. 

 210 



