SECTION III: G. PERUVIANUM 



is probably a little earlier and jannovitch a little later than afifi.' 

 ' The fibre of the mit afifi is brown in colour, long, lustrous, generally 

 very strong and fine to the touch. It attains to a length of If to 1^ 

 inch. There is a great demand for it ; in fact it leads the market.' 

 It yields 500 to 600 Ibs. clean lint per acre. The bolls are pointed 

 and rather small, and the cotton is easily picked. 



'The origin of afifi cotton is doubtful. Some years ago there Egyptian 

 existed in Egypt a considerable number of varieties which were short- cotton 6 

 lived, such as hamouli, gallini, hindi, &c. Pure white cotton also 

 existed, but its cultivation was abandoned after the appearance of 

 afifi. A variety known as " Bahmia " was also somewhat extensively 

 grown for several years, and gave good results on good quality land. 

 It was also replaced by afifi. A good variety known as " Hariri " 

 was first cultivated in the Goddaba district. This was finer even 

 than the variety known as jannovitch, which is cultivated at the 

 present time.' ' What is known as " hindi" cotton is really the old 

 native variety, and is now unfortunately found in almost every 

 quality of cotton to a greater or less extent. This, of course, causes 

 deterioration in the staple and also reduces the output in ginning.' 



' The silky nature of the Egyptian cottons, and the fact that they 

 possess a brown colour probably indicate that they are really of Sea 

 Island origin, but there is no evidence to show whence their deeper 

 coloration than Sea Island arose unless it was by means of a cross 

 with some highly coloured variety such as Peruvian. It has often 

 been suggested in the United States that the peculiar soil conditions 

 of Egypt, the Nile mud, &c., may account for this ; but there exists 

 in Egypt a pure white variety, abassi, which has now been grown for 

 many years, and there has been no tendency whatever toward the 

 development of any brown coloration, which seems to preclude this 

 idea. Again, previous to the appearance of afifi, the common white 

 cotton was grown ' (p. 35). 



Abassi. ' This is the only white cotton now grown in Egypt. It Egyptian 

 made its appearance about 1891-92. At first it was grown only on 

 large estates, but it gradually increased in favour, though at the 

 present time its cultivation is diminishing. Afifi is the general 

 cultivator's cotton, as it were ; it is more suited to all conditions, 

 requires less care in picking, and the market is always certain.' 

 'Abasi, owing to its colour, requires more care in picking. It is 

 said to be more hardy than afifi, resisting periods of drought and 

 adverse climatic changes more successfully. In the late summer and 



