90 COTTON GROWING IN UGANDA 



Year. Quantity (lb.). Year. Quantity (lb.). 



IQOI . . 881,600 



1902 . . IIO,2OO 



1903 . . 808,100 



1904 . 1^2,400 



1905 . . 1,469,300 



1906 . . 1,689,700 



1907 3,232,500 



1908 . . 3,967,200 



1909 . . 2,865,200 



1910 . . 6,391,600 



1911 . . 9,129,200 



1912 . . 6,000,000 



1913 5,132,000 



1914 . . 3,774,000 



1915 . . 9,492,000 



1916 . . 6,488,000 



The fluctuation in the quantity produced from 

 year to year is largely due to variations in the Tokar 

 flood conditions. 



UGANDA PROTECTORATE 



The cultivation of cotton in Uganda on a com- 

 mercial scale was first undertaken in 1904, when seed 

 of several different varieties was introduced by the 

 Government and the Uganda Company. It was 

 found that American Upland cottons were superior 

 to Egyptian varieties, as they gave larger yields per 

 acre, were hardier, matured more rapidly, and proved 

 better adapted to the local conditions. Unfortunately 

 owing to the lack of any organisation for controlling 

 the industry, the seed became mixed, and for some 

 years the crop consisted of a mixture of the different 

 varieties which had been introduced in which the 

 American Upland character largely predominated. 

 The staple was consequently very irregular, and 

 spinners expressed dissatisfaction with the product. 

 In 1908, the Government turned their attention to 

 the matter, and an Ordinance was enacted under 

 which rules were made which prohibited the sowing 

 of any seed except that provided by the Government. 

 An American Upland variety, known as (< Black 

 Rattler," was distributed to the growers, and efforts 

 were made to eradicate all cotton of the Egyptian 

 type. A more uniform type of cotton was thus 

 produced, but the quality was still of a somewhat low 

 grade. The Agricultural Department, therefore, en- 

 deavoured to effect the production of an acclimatised 

 cotton of superior quality, and work in this direction 



