74 BRAZILIAN COTTON 



beans, etc., are grown simultaneously, that not only these crops but 

 also the tree trunks, of which I have written, take up considerable 

 room. Without these encumbrances the yield per acre would be 

 considerably larger. There are also many rocks about in different 

 places. 



The small farmers hire a field for a year, paying 100 to 150 milreis 

 rent per alqueire (5-6 acres). A field labourer, if working by the day, 

 is paid 3 to 4 milreis for work from sunrise to sunset. 



Forty-five to sixty kilos seed cotton is the average weight a 

 picker can gather in a day ; the wages for picking are from 600 to 

 800 reis per arroba of 15 kilos. 



In this zone there are also large landowners. We stayed at the 

 estate of the " Companhia Agricola Industrial e Pastoril do 

 Aterradinho," of which Mr. Clovis Camargo is the principal owner. 

 He and his family own here about 14,000 " alqueires " land=330 

 square kilometres = 130 square miles. Comparatively a small portion is 

 under cultivation. 



There has never been any plant selection practiced, nor has ever 

 a plough been used. We interested Mr. Camargo in the various aspects 

 of improved cultivation and have no doubt that he will introduce 

 reforms. 



On the estate are 425 families, each one looks after one '" alqueire "' 

 j(,==^-6 acres) cotton, and plants up to one alqueire with Indian corn, 

 beans, etc.. for his own use. The agreement between the owner and 

 tenant is that all the cotton must be sold to the company, which 

 retains 1 milreis per 15 kilos seed cotton. This is all the company 

 gains in lieu of rent. This zone is already approaching the 

 central one and coffee is here cultivated as well. The Italians look 

 after the coffee crop, but the Brazilian agriculturists, known here as 

 " caboclos " take care of the cotton. The height of this district is 

 about 500 metres. 



On the estate is a saw ginning plant, a small oil and cake press, 

 together with soap works. There is, of course, also the necessary 

 machinery for handling the coffee beans. 



Near Itapetininga, a town of 6,800 inhabitants, situated about 

 700 metres above sea level, small farmers are prevalent. The 

 annual rent here was 150 $000 per " alqueire," the land changes the 

 tenant every year, but the share system is also in use, the landowner 

 lends the land and receives 25 per cent, of the produce. Round this 

 district cotton is a very old crop. There are 1 1 ginneries in the town 

 and four in the neighbourhood. The ginneries almost always buy the 

 cotton, though sometimes they gin on commission. Of course, as 

 everywhere, all the seeds of the various types are mixed in the ginnery. 

 There was noticeable amongst the population a desire to progress and 

 to use ploughs. 



As a guide to the value of land I may mention that in the neigh- 

 bourhood a piece of land, measuring 1,120 acres had been bought 

 at the low sum of 50 contos (a conto = 1 ,000 $000 was at that time 

 worth £40), therefore £2,000. This, no doubt, was exceptionally cheap 

 and a foreigner could not have bought at that figure. 



