58 BRAZILIAN COTTON 



the latter measured practically 35inm. whilst the fibre fiom the saw- 

 gin was only 27 to 29ram. These two samples T had mounted en a 

 card and showed them at all our meetings of Government officials, 

 planters, farmers, ginners, etc. This is clearly a case where human 

 laxity and indifference reduce the value of the fibre which Nature has 

 provided. What would America or Egypt give if they could increase 

 the length of their fibre by slight reforms in the ginning processes ])y, 

 say, 5mm. ? Botanists are pleased if, after years of seed selection, 

 they can obtain an increase in length of 2mm. 



7/1 this connection I must state that the lengths of fibres mentioned 

 by me in the whole of this report are those of fibres j^ulled by me from the 

 seed. Once seed cotton jMsses through a Brazilian gin, you can yiever 

 be certain, how much of the length is cut off. 



Since 1916 to which the table on p. 56 refers, some real up-to-date 

 ginning factories (14) have been erected. Each factory has from 

 two to four gins, bearing from 60 to 80 blades. S\iction pipes are 

 provided for the transportation of seed cotton and the lint is also 

 conveyed in pipes to the presses. All these modern gins are also of 

 tlie American saw type.* They are only just beginning to work and, no 

 doubt, more regular and cleaner cotton will be the result. Thirteen 

 of the above-mentioned factories are situated in the North and have 

 been built by three concerns with the help of Government concessions. 

 In practically all cases the Government gave considerable loans at a 

 reduced rate of interest and made abatements, for a number of years, 

 in the rate of the export duties on cotton handled by these factories. 

 (See statement at end of chapter dealing with the " Export Houses 

 of Pernambuco, Parahyba and Rio Grande do Norte.") 



Similar concessions will be given to any respectable firm and I 

 have been requested by the Governors of Parahyba and Rio Grande 

 do Norte to emphasise this point, with a view to inducing the establish- 

 ment of some concerns with the help of European capital in these 

 parts of Brazil. 



The fact that Brazilian gins are turning out damaged fibres is 

 perhaps a lesser evil than the mixture of the seed, which the ginning 

 factories, as a rule, sell to the farmers. There is not one ginning 

 factory which, so far, has supplied a uniform seed of one variety. 

 The heaped-up piles of seed which we saw in the factories and from 

 which the seed is taken that is supplied to the cultivator for planting 

 purposes, is a mass of from five to eight different kinds of seed. 

 Fortunately, every variety can easily be recognised and it would only 

 require the labour of a child to undertake the separation of the 

 different kinds. Users of Brazilian cotton have frec^uently complained 

 of the irregularity of fibre and undoubtedly this mixing of the seed 

 is the main cause of it. 



Establishment of Cotton Seed Farms. — I have very urgently 

 insisted with the Federal Government that they should undertake 

 the establishment of cotton seed farms, if possible one variety of seed 



*At one factory in Parahyba two Platts' roller gins had been erected, but at the 

 time of my visit they were not cjuite in working order. 



