70 BRAZILIAN COTTON 



are dissatisfied with the rate of progress of the north, but they do 

 not seem to take into consideration all the circumstances. The 

 Southerner knows very little of the true facts of the north and the 

 reverse also holds good. The vastness of the country makes the spread 

 of knowledge of the conditions difficult. 



In this connection I may state that I have never met such a 

 strong spirit of local or " State "' patriotism as in Brazil. A Paulista 

 will be extremely proud of having been born in that State of advance- 

 ment and progress, but so will the Northerner uphold his State. I 

 used to say to a Cearense in our comj^any that he was a great 

 lover of Ceara, almost to such an extent that he became an enemy 

 to the rest of Brazil. This local patriotism or clannishness has been 

 developed in such a measure that those born in one State have become 

 prejudiced and cannot readily recognise the advantages existing in 

 other States. Thus the head of a business concern will give preference 

 in his dealings and in the employment of his staff to persons born in 

 the same State as himself. — I trust my Brazilian friends will pardon 

 this criticism, but it is a trait in the Brazilian character which is 

 so pronounced that it must react unfavourably in the opening up of 

 the country as a whole. 



Sao Paulo is no doubt the richest State of the Union ot Brazil 

 financially and its credit in the London financial market is very high. 

 It will be admitted that Sao Paulo is the best organised State of the 

 Union. It has over 6,000 kilometres of railways. 



The present President is Dr. Washington Pereira de Sousa, who 

 received the International Cotton Mission and showed that he recog- 

 nised the importance of cotton for his State as an alternative staple 

 crop to coffee. 



The Paulistas are well known in Brazil as the most enterprising 

 people and often they are likened to the " Yankee " of North America. 

 It is said that this courageous spirit of enterprise is the inheritance 

 from the " Bandeirantes " (the Paulistas of the 17th century) who 

 explored practically the whole of Brazil in search of gold, silver and 

 precious stones. 



With the exception of the small narrow stretch of land along the 

 coast near Santos, the greater part of the State forms a huge plateau 

 rising precipitously close to the port of Santos in the mountain range 

 known as " Serra do Mar," to 1,000 metres or more, in undulating 

 rolling country. Great portions of Sao Paulo in the north-westerly 

 part are still covered with huge virgin forests. 



The textile industrv, though already of considerable dimensions, 

 not only in the capital of Sao Paulo but also in the interior of the State, 

 is rapidly increasing. 



The agricultural industry is growing by enormous strides, indeed 

 its extension is merely dependent on the influx of immigrants. The 

 cultivation of coffee is, of course, the essential crop of the State, and 

 at the end of this chapter some facts and figures relating to coffee 

 will be found. 



A State whose citizens have understood enough to develop the 

 coffee growing industry to such a perfect organisation, as is maintained 



