220 WILD AND CULTIVATED COTTONS 



ture,' but which will be found to deal briefly and in a most admirable 

 manner with the rise, growth and present position of the Egyptian 

 cotton industry. Regarding the varieties of the plant grown, Pro- 

 fessor Foaden says their origin is lost in obscurity. 



Jumel Cotton. ' Previous to the year 1820 an indigenous cotton 

 existed in Egypt, but, as already stated, its cultivation was 

 practically unknown. In that year a variety of ordinary white 

 cotton was brought to Egypt by a Frenchman, M. Jumel, and even 

 its origin is somewhat uncertain. It was, however, probably 

 brought from the Upper Nile regions. In the growth of this cotton 

 the Khedive took great interest, and he compelled cultivators to 

 grow it in several districts. At that time the irrigation of Lower 

 Irrigation. Egypt was greatly modified by the making of deep canals capable of 

 carrying the low summer water of the Nile, and the cultivation of 

 cotton began to assume greater importance. From the year 1825 to 

 1839 it is said Sea Island cotton was grown regularly in Egypt ; and 

 though it is unknown now, old natives occasionally speak of a 

 variety whose name certainly appears to be a corruption of the 

 words "Sea Island." Again it is stated that Peruvian cotton was 

 introduced and grown.' 



Ashmouni. ' All that can be asserted with safety is that out of 

 the varieties existing in the country " ashmouni " cotton was evolved 

 and of the varieties at present cultivated in Egypt this is the 

 oldest.' 'Ashmouni cotton, although at first discovered in the 

 Delta, where its cultivation was at one time general, is now 

 practically confined to Upper Egypt, in the provinces of Beni-Suef, 

 Fayum and Minieh, being watered by the Ibrahimia Canal.' 

 Professor Foaden gives the yield as 1,300 Ibs. seed-cotton to the acre 

 and the produce (expressed as English bales of 500 Ibs.) as 86,400 bales 

 (the Egyptian bale is equal to about 750 Ibs.). He then adds that it 

 differs from other forms of Egyptian in that the seed is ' clean ' 

 that is, it possesses no adhering fibre (pp. 33-4). 



Chief Mit Afifi. The mit afifi Foaden says is undoubtedly the 



chief variety of cotton in Egypt. It is so called from the name 

 of a village where it was first grown in 1883. ' It constitutes a very 

 high percentage of the total production of the country, and the price 

 at which its fibre is sold forms the basis for that of other varieties. 

 The plant is normal in size, and not so large, generally speaking, as 

 Jannovitch. It is averaged as regards the time at which it ripens. 

 Ashmouni, grown in upper Egypt, comes into market first. Abassi 



