COTTON. 169 



The North American crop is rapidly decreasing, owing 

 largely to the ravages of the Mexican Boll Weevil ; moreover, 

 the local consumption in America is increasing, and conse- 

 quently the over-plus absorbed by Lancashire is decreasing. 

 It is safe to conclude, therefore, that the development of cotton 

 grovving in some of the other countries is likely to assume an 

 important aspect in the near future. Among these countries 

 the Union is likely to play no mean role ; firstly, because of the 

 relative cheapness of land in suitable areas ; secondly, labour is 

 plentiful in the cotton districts; thirdly, the harvesting season, 

 being a dry one, is very advantageous, and, lastly, there are 

 close on 2,000,000 acres of land on which cotton should be a 

 profitable crop. 



South African Production. — While the Union's produc- 

 tion is low at present — in 1919 only 2,838 bales of 500 pounds 

 each were produced — it should not be taken as an index of the 

 country's potentialities. The production has remained low 

 hitherto for the following reasons : — 



(1) Impure seed has been used, giving a staple 

 lacking in uniformity, and consequently in no demand. 



(2) Farmers, generally consei-vative, have been 

 slow in gaining experience of cotton growing, and in 

 organising the industry. 



(3) Large tracts of suitable areas have been poorly 

 served by railways, and some parts have been unduly 

 classed as too malarious for European occupation. 



(4) Grading has been neglected. 



The handicaps mentioned are now being overcome, and 

 competent judges hold that cotton production in the near future 

 will rival that of maize in importance. 



At present the census returns given for the various districts 

 should not be regarded as the relative possibilities of the respec- 

 tive districts, but should be looked upon as the amount of 

 experimental evidence at present available as to the suitability 

 of the particular districts for cotton growing. Physical condi- 

 tions are suitable for cotton in the greater part of the lowveld 

 of the Transvaal, Swaziland, Zululand and Natal. 



Classification of Cotton Produced in Various 

 Countries.' — The cotton produced in the various countries 

 may be broadly classified according to quality and spinning 

 capabilities as follows : — 



