COTTON IN EGYPT AND THE SUDAN. 11 



then, to be paid in produce of the soil, could now be paid in 

 cash. This enabled the fellah to choose between the crops he wished 

 to grow, and gave him more freedom as to the sale of his products. 

 Besides, the export duty on cotton was reduced in 1860 from 10 to 

 1 per cent, of the value. 



The greatest stimulant to a wonderful extension was given to 

 the Egyptian cotton cultivation by the American Civil War of 1861 

 to 1865, and under the influence of high war prices rose to 

 $52 per kantar. These prices caused a real cotton fever in Egypt. 

 All other agricultural products were abandoned, and modern methods 

 adapted in the cultivation of cotton. The newly-introduced Ashmouni 

 variety proved to be suitable, and the exports in 1863 rose to 

 1,000,000 kantars, in 1865 to 2,000,000 kantars a record crop, 

 which remained for many years the highest in quantity and the best 

 as regards quality. Egypt proved to be a successful rival to North 

 America. 



A sudden and severe fall in the price of cotton after the finish 

 of the American Civil War caused an agricultural crisis in Egypt. 

 The price of Egyptian cotton had fallen in 1867 to $12^, but on 

 account of the exceptional reputation which Egyptian had gained 

 through her excellent quality and contrary to other countries, which 

 during the war had raised the extent of their cotton cultivation, but 

 had rapidly decreased it after its termination, the exports of Egyptian 

 cotton, after a fall by nearly half the export of 1865, reached again 

 in 1872 the figure of 2,000,000 kantars, and in 1876 it amounted to 

 3,000,000 kantars, and this remained more or less the annual crop 

 until 1890. 



The quality of the old Jumel cotton had deteriorated so much 

 since the middle of the sixties that the European spinners repeatedly 

 raised earnest complaints. In the cultivation and raising of new 

 kinds, such as Ashmouni, then Mitafifi, the Egyptians were very 

 fortunate ; particularly in the nineties the latter gave excellent results. 

 The size of the crops showed now a rapid increase. In 1890 

 4,000,000 kantars were raised ; only two years later we find an 

 increase of another 1,000,000 kantars, bringing the crop to 5,000,000 

 kantars; in 1897 it reached 6,500,000 kantars. It is true the price 

 fell in 1894 to 7 Talleri, and already at the beginning of the nineties 

 complaints as to the falling off in quality and the ginning outturn were 

 renewed. 



From 1898 to 1909 a period followed in which, in spite of an 

 increased area, the relative yield constantly fell. This falling off 

 in the relative yield came to about 40 per cent., and in 1909 the 

 absolute yield had also come down to 5,000,000 kantars. This, in 

 spite of the introduction in the early years of this century of the new 

 and better species of Jannovitch, Nubari, and Sakellaridis, which 

 were little by little taken up and cultivated freely. It is true the 

 prices rose quite considerably on account of the scanty crop in 1909. 

 May contracts of 1910 rose to $31f. The year of 1910 brought a 

 crop of 7,500,000 kantars the record so far, and therefore lower 

 prices. 



The commercial cotton of the world is made up by the United 

 States of America (60 per cent.), India (18 per cent.), and Egypt 

 (8 per cent.), in 1910, consequently the latter country, even if it is 



