SECTION III: EGYPTIAN COTTON 223 



with samples of the plants presently being cultivated in Egypt, but 

 with the special plants and hybrids produced from these that are under 

 his observation. The following may be given as the chief ideas formed 

 by me through the study of these and other Egyptian cottons. 



Jumel cotton would appear to have been G. brasiliense (which Special 

 see page 312) and was thus similar to the Nyam Nyam cotton of the y * 

 Soudan to-day. Peruvianum, Sea Island, and Hindi cottons were 

 experimentally grown side by side with Jumel, with the not unnatural 

 consequence that new forms appeared (hybrids very possibly derived 

 from two or more of these exotics, the first being the ashmouni. 

 This is, therefore, as Professor Foaden tells us, the oldest of the 

 special cottons now called Egyptian. In due course there followed 

 the mit afifi, and jannovitch, &c. The mit afifi is generally regarded 

 as one of the best Egyptian cottons, while the ashmouni is nowadays 

 almost confined to Upper Egypt, and is the least important of the 

 series. Moreover considerable difference of opinion seems to prevail 

 as to what should be called ashmouni. Professor Foaden says the 

 seed is clean, that it has no fuzz, and thus possibly it is a form with 

 a strong strain of G. brasiliense. But I have seen more than one 

 example of what has been called ashmouni with a large amount of 

 fuzz, and with the leaves, flowers, &c., almost identically the plant 

 named G. microcarpum. 



From the mit afifi, we are told, came the zafiri, and that in 

 course of time gave the abassi, the last and perhaps the best in 

 point of merit of floss, of the special races. The gallini and 

 jannovitch cottons appear to be acclimatised forms of Sea Island, Acelima- 

 but in addition to all these there are several other races that are island, 

 undoubtedly best assorted under either G. barbadense and G. 

 vitifolium, without their being supposed to be degenerated states of 

 Sea Island. These, however, take no material position as commercial 

 cottons, and may therefore for the present be disregarded. But from 

 time to time efforts have been made to acclimatise the Upland Acclima- 

 cottons of America, and accordingly among the samples supplied by uplands. 

 Mr. Balls are several of that description. These never seem, how- 

 ever, to have attained a position of importance in Egypt, though 

 they may have helped hybridisation toward the production of some 

 of the special races that are now important and the survival of the 

 ' Hindi Weed,' which often does serious injury to the superior crops 

 by crossing with them, is one of the ultimate expressions of the 

 Upland influence. (Of. p. 182.) 



