COTTON IN EGYPT AND THE SUDAN. 55 



these brownish types are a number of golden yellow or butter-colour 

 varieties : 



The Hamouli, called after the place Hamoul, in the province 

 of Menufieh ; on account of its pale yellow-white, it is sometimes 

 called " Sukari," i.e., sugar, which is of a similar shade; it 

 has a short, but a very fine and very strong staple, and gives 35 

 per cent, of lint. In spite of the fact that it gives a good yield and 

 is very early, it belongs to those numerous kinds which have been 

 neglected, and have almost disappeared. It is not liked on account 

 of its pale colour and short staple. 



Highly valued are two new yellowish kinds, viz : 



Joanovitch, called after the Albanian who discovered it 

 in 1892, at Fagalla, near Cairo, among Mitafifi. It is being cultivated 

 since 1897, its ginning outturn is only 31 to 32 per cent, on account 

 of its large seed, which is 8 to 10 per cent, less than for Mitafifi ; its 

 staple has a length of 36 to 42 mm., is long, fine, strong, and very 

 glossy, and for this reason is always sold at a good price. This has 

 been the cause for its increased cultivation, although Joanovitch 

 requires a very good preparation of soil, attention during the grow- 

 ing period, and also very careful picking, as the bolls are very liable 

 to shed. According to areas cultivated Joanovitch comes third, after 

 Mitafifi and Ashmouni. 



Still more beautiful and more valuable is the still lighter yellow- 

 ish kind, 



Sakellaridis. Its name has been taken from its Greek dis- 

 coverer ; it is being cultivated since 1906, and is an early ripening 

 kind which gives, however, only 30 to 31 per cent, of fibre, but in 

 certain fields a higher yield per feddan than Mitafifi. Sakellaridis 

 surpasses, on account of its 38 to 45 mm. length of staple, its fine- 

 ness, silky appearance, and strength, all other Egyptian kinds ; it is 

 slightly higher valued than the above-mentioned Joanovitch. Its 

 cultivation has increased quickly, and at present the area under 

 cultivation with Sakellaridis is the fourth in importance. Even in 

 Upper Egypt people have lately made experiments with this kind. 



Much less important for Egypt, but still represented, are the 

 white kinds, of which one variety which is not cultivated, must be 

 mentioned, viz., 



Hindi cotton. It is not known whether it has been introduced 

 from Persia, or India (Hind), or from America, or whether it is a 

 degeneration of an Egyptian prototype. It is found all over Egypt, 

 growing partly wild on uncultivated or abandoned land, partly 

 in cotton fields between other kinds, especially between Mitafifi and 

 Joanovitch. It is systematically weeded out as it has a length of 

 staple of only 25 mm., no lustre, has a brittle, coarse, and irregular 

 fibre. The plant which is appropriately called l< Hindi weed," 

 which means Indian weed, is easily recognised on account of its 

 high growth, thicker foliage, and of its white, not yellow, flowers, 

 and on account of its bare, black seed, which has a sharp pointed 

 end. The young " Hindi " plants have red stripes along the stalk, 

 and a red spot on the stipule of the stalk, and arc therefore easily 

 recognised ; although these young plants may be the strongest, it is 

 necessary to pull them up when thinning out. As Hindi cotton 

 ripens late, the first picking contains usually very little of this admix- 



