COTTON POSSIBILITIES IN ITALIAN SOMALILAND AND 

 JUBALAND (BRITISH EAST AFRICA). 



By Dr. R. ONOR. 

 Director of Agriculture, Italian Somaliland. 



THE production of long-stapled cotton of Egyptian 

 type is almost a privilege of Egypt, and the attempts 

 to grow it elsewhere do not seem to have attained note- 

 worthy practical results. The strong position of Egypt 

 in the cotton market is founded on the quality of the 

 product more than on the quantity. 



The British West Indies and America grow the best 

 long-stapled cotton, " Sea Island," but its production 

 is limited, and a great increase in the future is not to be 

 expected. 



As far as length of staple is concerned, American 

 cultivators by careful selection obtained very good 

 results with Upland long staple, but it does not seem 

 probable that this type will interfere with the com- 

 mercial position of Egyptian cotton. 



It is therefore of some interest to know the possi- 

 bilities of growing Egyptian cotton in a country almost 

 practically unknown, viz., Italian Somaliland and the land 

 bordering the Juba river, both on the British East Africa 

 side and on the Italian side. 



It is not incorrect to say that if all plants have special 

 climatic requirements, Egyptian cotton asks for very 

 peculiar ones. Perhaps no other annual cultivated plant 

 needs for its full development so much heat. Therefore 

 even in hot countries the cycle of vegetation of such a 

 plant is likely to be a very long one. Egyptian cotton 

 wants hot weather during the early growing period to 

 induce a rapid development of the plant, while a high 

 temperature must prevail for some months to bring about 

 full production. It happens sometimes in Egypt that a 

 low temperature in autumn prevents the ripening of the 

 last pickings, and the crop is therefore much reduced. 



