72 BBAZILIAN COTTON 



American Cotton in Sao Paulo 



the following way. The brushwood, grass, etc., which grow.s to a 

 huge height in a few years is burnt off, holes are chopped, as far as 

 possible in a line, at a distance of about l-20x-90 m. Old tree 

 stems and tree roots which were jiartly burnt off when the land was 

 first brought under cultivation are scattered all over and take up 

 considerable space. The soft wood rots away in a few years but the 

 hard timber remains for many years before it decays. It pays only 

 in rare instances to take it away. Latterly, in consequence of the 

 high price of firewood, which is sold here at 5 $000 per cubic metre 

 (in the city of Sao Paulo at 10 $000), some old timber has been cleared 

 away. In October — November a handful of seeds are placed in each 

 hole, generally 3 to 4 seedlings are left standing. One, two or three 

 lioeings are given during the growing period, according to the growth 

 of the w^eeds. Picking begins end of April — beginning of May. 

 Rotation of crops is not known, one and the same field will be used 

 two and more years running for growing cotton and as there is plenty 

 of vacant land the field is left fallow for a number of years. Of course 

 in that time brushwood and grass grow to a great height and the culti- 

 vator has to burn the field again before being able to grow crops, a 

 system of natural manuring, no doubt. 



In one instance, at Campo Largo, we were shown a field that 

 had grown cotton for 15 years consecutively and still the yield was 

 475 lbs. lint per acre. The average yield of the whole zone can safely 

 be estimated at 450 lbs. but, probably it is considerably more.* In 

 considering the yields it must be borne in mind that Indian corn, 



♦Compare this with India's average of 90 lbs.. U.S.A. with 220 lbs. and Egypt with 

 350 lbs. per acre. 



