COTTON 157 



two types of cotton. Generally speaking, in the Highlands 

 cotton of Upland American type has been most successful, 

 and after several years of work the Nyasaland Upland type 

 was definitely established in 1909. It is not very long in 

 staple, but is very clean and silky, and Nyasaland seed has 

 given very good results in other countries. It fetches as a 

 rule from about id. to 2^d. over Middling American. In the 

 Lowlands, cotton of the Egyptian type has given the best 

 results, and Abassi better than Affifi. It is, however, 

 possible that even more satisfactory results might be ob- 

 tained with long-stapled American cotton of the Allen's 

 or Griffin type. 



In the early days the Association had no branches of 

 their own, but the African Lakes Corporation were 

 appointed as their agents, and a very large amount of 

 financial assistance has been given by us to a number of 

 European planters to enable them to start cotton growing. 

 The Association lost a good deal of money through these 

 advances, but on the whole the results have been quite 

 satisfactory from a cotton growing point of view. The 

 establishment of an entirely new industry is a difficult 

 matter, and especially so in a tropical country. 



In 1906 an attempt was made to establish cotton grow- 

 ing as a native industry, and the Association made arrange- 

 ments for the African Lakes Corporation to purchase all the 

 cotton grown on their behalf. This industry did not pro- 

 gress very rapidly at first, and in 1910, in consequence of 

 representations from the Government, the Association 

 decided to establish their own branches, without, however, 

 interfering with the friendly relations which existed with 

 their agents. A ginning factory and buying station was 

 established at Port Herald, and a powerful hydraulic press 

 was erected so as to help the planters in obtaining low raters 

 of freight. Two other ginning and buying stations have 

 since been established at Chiromo and Vua (on Lake 

 Nyasa), and the Association have just purchased another 

 ginning factory at Fort Johnston, which would otherwise 

 have been closed owing to the company which owned it 

 going into liquidation. The Association continue to give 

 considerable financial assistance to the planters and others, 

 though probably in the future the system of financing crops 

 will be discontinued, and cash advances against actual cotton 

 will take its place. Nyasaland is only a small country, and 

 very large results cannot be expected, but it is satisfactory 

 to be able to record that the crop increased from 192 bales 

 in 1903 to 1,444 bales in 1906, and the 1912 crop amounted 

 to 6,800 bales. 



